Ezekwesili Blasts Constitution Review as Costly Charade

Former Minister of Education and CEO of Human Capital Africa, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has sharply criticized the National Assembly over its current constitutional amendment efforts, branding them a “charade” and a “waste of public resources.”

Ezekwesili argued that the ongoing amendment exercise fails to address the fundamental flaws in Nigeria’s governance structure.

She was speaking on Wednesday during the 7th Penpushing Anniversary and Annual Lecture in Abeokuta, where she delivered a keynote address titled “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism.”

Rather than pursuing piecemeal amendments to a constitution she described as structurally defective, she called for a complete overhaul through a people-led constitutional conference.

According to her, only a new constitution that emphasizes justice, equity, devolution of powers, and true federalism can effectively address Nigeria’s deep-rooted challenges.

These challenges include insecurity, poverty, unemployment, and rising separatist agitations.

“The current amendment process will not solve our problems.

“It’s a wasteful exercise.

“What we need is a new constitution, created by the people, that reflects our realities and aspirations,” she said.

Drawing an analogy, she likened the situation to a building with a faulty foundation.

“When an engineer says a foundation is structurally unsound, you don’t patch it, you bring it down and rebuild.

“That’s what our constitution needs,” she added.

Ezekwesili urged the Nigerian media to champion the call for a national constitutional conference that would involve elected representatives from various regions to engage in meaningful dialogue.

The outcome, she said, should be put to a national referendum.

She referenced Kenya as an example of a country that avoided national disintegration by undergoing a similar process, stressing that such a people-driven reform is crucial for national unity and progress.

“There’s nothing mysterious about good governance,” Ezekwesili remarked.

“It has been successfully implemented in other parts of the world.

“What is lacking in Nigeria, and much of Africa, is a political space hijacked by what can only be described as criminal enterprise gangs.”

According to her, these groups dominate governance for their own interests, sidelining the broader population.

She warned that unless the political space is reclaimed for public interest, Africa’s development will remain stalled.

Ezekwesili emphasized that the quality of politics directly impacts a nation’s economic health, productivity, and leadership.

Without significant reforms in governance, she warned, the continent may continue to lag behind in global development metrics.

She maintained that true fiscal federalism could enhance regional development, boost accountability, promote better leadership, and reduce calls for secession by ensuring fair resource control and distribution.

Also speaking at the lecture, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sarafadeen Ishola, echoed similar sentiments.

He described Nigeria’s current federalism as one that exists only in theory and not in practice.

According to him, it fails to provide real autonomy to the federating units and does little to spur the competitive development necessary for national progress.

Ishola argued that restructuring should not be viewed as a divisive or regional agenda but rather as a collective strategy for national rebirth.

He stressed that genuine federalism is about more than just the devolution of powers—it involves responsible governance, institutional transparency, fiscal justice, and civic accountability.

Earlier in the event, Penpushing Media founder, Mr. Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, said the annual lecture was designed to inspire national discourse on pressing issues that affect Nigeria’s growth and governance.

He noted the platform’s growing influence and commitment to quality journalism, community development, and youth empowerment.

Kayode-Adedeji highlighted the platform’s training of over 80 mass communication students and the establishment of an annual award for top-performing graduates as part of its social impact.

Other notable figures who delivered goodwill messages at the event included:

• former presidential spokesperson Mr. Femi Adesina;
• Deaconess Funke Fadugba, Chair of Penpushing Editorial Board; and,
• Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Chair of the Planning Committee.

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