Mike Ozekhome, Constitutional Lawyer, Rights Activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has disclosed that the nation is sitting on a keg of gunpowder, as it’s fledgling democracy and national issues will persist, unless a “people-driven” constitution is established.

 

Ozekhome stressed that the country is on a journey with no clear destination due to the “military-imposed” 1999 constitution, (as amended).

 

In an interview on Channels Television, the Legal Luminary said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should draft a people-centred constitution for the country, if he wants the country to experience economic progress, growth and development.

 

It would be recalled that last week Friday, the Emeka Anyaoku-led ‘The Patriots’ a group of elder statesmen, held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, in which Anyaoku, former secretary-general of the Commonwealth, urged President Tinubu to convene a constituent assembly to draft a people-centred constitution for the country.

 

Ozekhome added that Nigeria is currently too divided and yet to attain nationhood.

 

“I have heard people talk and say ‘why are we talking about a new constitution, is that our problem?,” Ozekhome said.

 

“I say to them that is the beginning and end of our problem because a nation without an acceptable and legitimate constitution, which is indigenous and people-driven, can never attain nationhood.

 

“The constitution is the birth certificate of a country.”

 

He added that President Tinubu must muster the political will to initiate the process for the drafting of a new indigenous constitution.

 

“Well, he (Tinubu) should have the political will because these problems will not go away until we tackle it headlong,” he added.

 

“The killings you are seeing, the poverty, the corruption, they are all symptoms of a larger problem which is the basis of what we are talking about. When you solve the problem, other things will fall in place.”