Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised the National Assembly’s ongoing constitutional amendment, describing it as ineffective and a misuse of public funds.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abeokuta during her keynote address at the 7th anniversary lecture of Penpushing Media, Ezekwesili questioned the rationale behind continuing with amendments to what she called a flawed constitutional foundation.
“The ongoing constitutional amendment cannot work, it cannot address our problem, it is a charade and sheer waste of resources,” she said. “The demand for a new constitution is a matter of life and death.”
Ezekwesili said the existing constitution does not reflect the will of the Nigerian people and has failed to address major national issues such as insecurity, unemployment, and uneven governance. She argued that only a people-led constitutional process would ensure lasting reforms.
“For instance, when the engineer tells us that the foundation of a building is structurally defective, is it not to take the whole building down because it will continue to constitute an endangerment to the people?” she asked. “You won’t say, ‘Oga, can we just do some little adjustment to the building?’ No, it won’t work. And this is same with nation building.”
She urged the media to lead advocacy for a new constitution facilitated through a national constitutional conference and a referendum process. “We must have a constitutional conference that enables the people of this country to have honest conversation around things that will make us make progress and make Nigeria work for all of us,” she said.
Ezekwesili said the media should push for a constituent assembly that would engage on issues related to fiscal federalism and national unity. “This is what Kenya did after almost collapsing, and since then, you never hear them talking about break-up. They talk about the need for good leaders,” she said.
She also expressed concern over what she described as the capture of the political space by individuals who serve narrow interests. “What we now have is a criminal enterprise gang and this is not only in Nigeria but across the continent. A criminal enterprise gang has taken hold of politics and excluded the society and these people just sit at the table and slice governance in the direction that suits them,” she said.
Ezekwesili linked governance failure in many African countries to poor political leadership and said that unless the quality of political actors improves, the continent’s economic outcomes will remain limited.
She added that genuine fiscal federalism could enhance regional governance and accountability.
Also speaking at the event, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sarafadeen Ishola, said the country’s federal structure is weak in practice and does not provide adequate autonomy to states. He called for responsible governance, institutional clarity, and citizen-focused reforms.
“True federalism is not only about devolution of power but about responsible governance, institutional clarity, fiscal equity, and citizen-driven accountability,” Ishola said.
Penpushing Media founder, Mr. Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, said the annual lecture is intended to foster dialogue on national issues. He highlighted the platform’s contribution to journalism training and support for mass communication students.
Other speakers at the event included former presidential spokesperson Mr. Femi Adesina; Deaconess Funke Fadugba, Chair of Penpushing’s Editorial Board; and Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Chair of the Planning Committee.
