Renowned Lawyer and former President of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Chief Wole Olanipekun has called for a new constitution for Nigeria in the interest of the coming generations of the country.
The renowned lawyer maintained that no amount of amendment of the 1999 constitution could guarantee its functionality and make it useful for the advancement of Nigeria’s progress.
Speaking at a lecture at Redeemers’ University Ede, Osun State on the topic titled “Beyond the Pandemic: Creating an Evolving New Normal”, Chief Olanipekun submitted that, no country in the world practised the Nigerian type of federalism, where the centre arrogates all powers to itself at the expense of the federating units.
Chief Olanipekun explained that in the old Western Region, the Chief Obafemi Awolowo/Akintola-led Administration could build the first television station in Africa, first stadium and many other significant infrastructures because the independence and 1963 constitution allowed for true federalism where the regional governments did not need to seek federal permission or license to do what was expected of them.
He pointed out an instance in the constitution where Section 214 provides that there shall be a police force for Nigeria, saying that such is grossly ineffective for a country with a landmass of over nine hundred thousand square kilometres, over three hundred ethnic groups, thirty-six states and a population of over two hundred and six million people.
The legal luminary noted further that even the proposed amendment of the 1999 constitution being handled by the National Assembly was carried out without due consultation with the people as the so-called zonal public hearing held in that regard was hastily conducted without giving voice to the people.
It is the position of the learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria that as the whole world attempted to evolve a new normal from the COVID-19 regime, getting a working constitution that would enhance the capacity of the federating units as it was in 1963 was the first step to getting the new normal.
He pointed out that apart from the total overhaul of the constitution, chapter two of the document which provides for the government’s responsibilities to the people should be made justiciable so that the people could truly hold the government accountable if it fails to act to the terms of the constitution.
The former NBA president who remarked that Nigeria youths have the capacity to transform the country if given the right environment as attested by the monumental impacts they were making in across the world, however, charged them not to lose hope or join the trend of destroying the country, but rather they should continue to ask questions and interrogate governments and public institutions in the interest of the country and their future.
Adenitan Akinola
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