A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mike Ozekhome, has warned that the next President of Nigeria will be a total failure, if he does not completely abolish the current 1999 Constitution, as amended, and move for a brand new Constitution that reflects restructuring,
He added that only a new people-driven Constitution can guarantee Nigeria’s progress.
Mike Ozekhome gave the warning as the Keynote Speaker at a Lecture, themed: “2023 General Elections: The Nigeria Project and the Media”, during the 2022 Media Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Cross River State Council, in Calabar.
He stated that Nigeria cannot continue to amend its Constitution, because continuous amendments would only give birth to a bad Constitution.
His words: “Whoever becomes Nigeria’s President in 2023, will fail abysmally, if he does not tackle the issue of restructuring through a brand-new people’s Constitution, done by Nigerians themselves.
“This Constitution must be subjected to them through a popular referendum and plebiscite, without this, Nigeria will be going around on a journey without a destination.”
Ozekhome disclosed further that Nigeria needs a Constitution that would make ethnic groups see themselves as Nigerians and not belong to a contraption they cannot relate with.
He said that Nigeria needs to return to the era when it had regional governments with their own Constitutions standing side-by-side with the National Constitution, which only prevailed in the regions whenever there was a clash in constitutional provisions.
He maintained that in the Constitution of the 1960s, each region took 50 percent proceeds of its production, gave 20 percent to the Federal Government, and shared 30 percent among other regions.
He added: “This system ensured that huge developments like the Cocoa House, in the Western Region, and Obudu Cattle Ranch, in the Eastern Region.
“The Northern Nigeria Development Corporation in the Northern region, Okpela Cement Factory, in the Mid-West region, among others, were established and effectively ran.”
While calling on Journalists to educate the masses on the need to get their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, and vote for the Leaders of their choice, Ozekhome stated that the 2023 elections would be challenging, but would not destroy Nigeria.
He however, added that according to late M. K. O. Abiola, Nigeria needs peace imbued with social justice, equity, a good conscience and egalitarianism, and not the peace of the cemetery.
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