Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, has stressed the need for a credible constitution to address Nigeria’s numerous challenges.
Anyaoku argued that a new constitution, democratically made by the Nigerian people, is essential to reverse the country’s fortunes and address its pluralistic nature.
He highlighted the country’s insecurity, economic crisis, infrastructure deficit, and poverty, noting that the current 1999 Constitution, even as amended, is inadequate and was imposed by the military regime.
He made this known at the ongoing National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy, taking place at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Anyaoku stated: “In organizing this National Summit, the Patriots are of the view that any controversial fact that I have mentioned can be more effectively reversed if our pluralistic country is given a more credible and truly better Constitution, democratically made by the Nigerian people.
“A Constitution that would be in sync with the Constitution of the United States—a Constitution of successful pluralistic countries around the world.
“To those who say that the fate of a country depends primarily on its leadership, I say that the Constitution from which the system of governance is derived largely determines the character of the people who get elected or appointed to govern the country from the three arms of the government.”
Anyaoku emphasized the need for a legitimate process, involving elected representatives and a national referendum, to actualize a new constitution.
He stated: “First, Nigeria is a pluralistic country, and like all successful pluralistic countries around the world, for its stability and maximal development, its constitution must address its own problems.
“Second, it must address its pluralism by being formulated by elected representatives of its diverse people.
“Our present 1999 Constitution, as amended, is not such a constitution. It was not democratically formulated. It was instead imposed on the country through a decree by the military administration.
“And the governance system derived from it is not only non-inclusive, but also induces over-expectation of the nation’s resources on administration rather than on capital development.”
The National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy features prominent figures, including former Governor Gbenga Daniel, Senator Ben Obi, Professor Pat Utomi, and human rights advocate Femi Falana, among others.
