*Nigeria sitting on a keg of gunpowder, warns Obasanjo
BY GRACE IHESIULO & ABIODUN TAIWO
In separate incidents relating to the state of the Nigerian nation, eminent citizens of Nigeria have advocated for renewed efforts to improve the lot of citizens and safeguard the existence of the country.
This was observed during the visit of eminent Nigerian citizens group, led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth to President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock on one hand; and a group of House of Representatives members who paid a visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Ogun State on Friday.
Chief Anyaoku, speaking on behalf of The Patriots, appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, proposing two measures:
”The convening of a National Constituent Assembly with the mandate to produce a draft of people’s democratic Constitution. The Constituent Assembly should be of directly elected individuals, on a non-political basis, from the 36 states of the federation, possibly three individuals per state, and one from the FCT.
”They should be assisted by seven constitutional lawyers, one drawn from each of the six geo-political zones and the FCT. The deliberations of the Constituent Assembly should take into full account the 1960/63 Constitutions, as well as the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference and indeed of the various national conferences that considered the Nigerian constitutions.”
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Chief Anyaoku also said the Patriots requested legislating for a national plebiscite to which the draft constitution emerging from the constituent assembly should be subjected.
”The draft constitution, produced by the constituent assembly, should be put to a national referendum and if approved, should then be signed by the President as the genuine Nigerian people’s constitution,” he said.
Responding to these requests, the President expressed his respect for eminent Nigerians, referred to as The Patriots and their contributions to national discourse.
”I have listened to you carefully, and this is not a group that I can ignore. This is a group of patriots reflecting the heart and aspirations of society. I thank all of you for being here.
”I have faced the challenge of this democracy that I inherited from your struggles. I must recognise the fact that these challenges are most required for good governance.
”We have no other choice, and I believe also that it is most difficult to manage the twist and turns of democratic governance.
”I want to assure all of you that as I listened to your two major requests on the path to referendum and that should lead to constitutional measures that will fit our diversity and governance so that we avoid conflicts and break-ups.
”I believe in the unity of this country and I want to assure you that whatever is necessary to put happiness and good governance in the hands of all Nigerians is what I would do,” the President said.
President Tinubu also noted that the clamour for constitutional reforms is a longstanding issue in national discourse.
He acknowledged the examples presented by the Patriots on pluralistic countries, such as Canada and India, which have maintained unity by addressing their diversity through their constitutions.
”The avoidance of chaos is necessary to build this country and move its aspirations forward for the benefit of all of us.
”I am currently preoccupied with economic reform. That is my first priority. Once this is in place, as soon as possible, I will look at other options, including constitutional review as recommended by you and other options,” the President said.
President Tinubu also used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to the founding chairman of The Patriots, Chief Rotimi Williams, SAN, and Professor Ben Nwabueze, who succeeded him.
Describing both men and other members of The Patriot as strong believers in Nigeria, the President said the question on the minds of many Nigerians is: ”How will Nigeria be governed constitutionally, legitimately without unnecessary aches and pains of its diversity and this needs to be addressed constitutionally, so that we can build a nation that we can proudly hand over a banner without stain to our children,” the President said, quoting a line from the second stanza of the National Anthem.
President Tinubu told Chief Anyaoku that he would be invited again for a more detailed conversation on the submissions of the Patriot.
”As you present this, just believe that it will be reviewed, and I commit myself to the belief that you want a stable and prosperous Nigeria,” President Tinubu concluded.
In his remarks, Chief Anyaoku said The Patriots organised a well-attended colloquium in March 2024, where it was unanimously agreed that Nigeria needs a new people’s Constitution.
Other members of the group who accompanied Anyaoku to the Presidential Villa were, Senator Shehu Sani, Mike Ozekhome, Labaran Maku, Senator Ben Obi, and Segun Osoba, among others.
Meanwhile former President, Obasanjo made a strong case for reforms to be initiated into the polity as well.
He made the call in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital while receiving in the audience six members of the House of Representatives, and co-sponsors of the bill on a single six-year term and rotation between the North.
They were led by a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream Petroleum Ugo Chinyere during the visit to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
“Nigeria is a nation where we take two steps forward, one step aside and four steps backward. So, we sitting on a keg of gunpowder that could explode anytime if we fail to take courageous and decisive steps to address the multi various challenges facing the country,” he said.
“More than anything else such as changing our system of government, moving to a single term of six or four years, we must change our ways of doing things in this country. We must decarbonise our brains; we must change our mentality and characters.
“How I wish that the succeeding governments are building on the foundation we laid even if not so fast as one would have wanted it. But sadly, the blocks we put there are even being removed.
“What I know about Nigeria is that yes, if we get it right – the leadership and the team because one tree does not make a forest – you need a good leader but you also need a good team for a well-done job.
“The point is that if we get this right in about two and half years, we shall get some of the challenges behind us and in about 10 years we would have gotten a solid foundation, and about 25 years we are there
“But what we have always done is to take one step forward, two steps aside and four steps backward and it is why we are where we are in the country.
“For me, it is not so much about the system but we may need to rethink the liberal democracy where we talk of loyal opposition. What we do in Africa is that we sit down and get a consensus and after we have done that, there is no opposition. Everyone is on the same page and we move together.
“The word for opposition in all African languages that I have looked into is enemies. What do you do with loyal enemies? Nothing like that. Once you take it, it belongs to you, the winners take all and the opposition goes into the wilderness. That is what we do but this is not good. We need everyone to join hands together and move the society forward.
“The issue for me if we get it right whether we have a single term of six years or two terms of four years is that we must decarbonise our brains and mentality.
“Look if you give him a period of a single term of six years, he can go ahead and still do the evil he would have done in a case of two terms of four years. The only difference is that he would have done that within the period of six years and not four years and that is if he is not reelected for another four years.
“To me, this is not our problem. Our main problem is ourselves and until we take care of ourselves, if we like let us adopt a single term of six years, one term of four years among others with the same mentality and same way of doing things, nothing will change.”
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