1999 Constitution: Making chapter two justiciable will foster patriotism, says Soludo
09 November 2024 |
2:50 am
Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has underscored the importance of combining Catholic social teachings and Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria to create a robust progressive ideology for the country.
Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has underscored the importance of combining Catholic social teachings and Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria to create a robust progressive ideology for the country.
He also advocated for making the aspirational contents of Chapter Two of the constitution justiciable to foster a sense of nationalism and patriotism among Nigerians, particularly the younger generation.
Soludo stated this in Abuja while delivering a convocation lecture at Veritas University, Abuja.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Let Us Make a New Deal For Nigeria’, the renowned economist and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) highlighted the country’s need for a fundamental reset, transitioning from destructive subsidies to a productive social contract that creates opportunities for all, with education as a key example.
His words: “As we muddle through the shocks occasioned by the needed disruptive changes, we must sit and craft a pragmatic new deal for Nigeria, plus an emergency national infrastructure plan akin to the U.S. Marshall Plan for Europe after the Second World War.
“Some elements of the new deal such as the minimum wage legislation, draft tax reform bill, planned cash transfers, etc as well as the audacious Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and Lagos-Sokoto highway are positive signs.
“This moment calls for historic coordination between the federal and state governments to agree on the critical elements of the augmented New Deal and Marshall Plan as well as their implementation to deliver outcomes within the shortest possible time. A key issue will be the ‘national plan’ for deployment of the apparent ‘fiscal/subsidy windfall’. I say ‘apparent windfall’ because much of the nominal increase in fiscal revenues is largely money illusion. In both U.S. dollar terms and real purchasing power terms, much of the current revenue windfall is still far lower than previous years.
“For example, a state that received N5 billion or US$43.4 million as monthly FAAC allocation in 2007/8 when the exchange rate was N118 to the dollar and a bag of cement sold for a few hundreds of naira would need to receive at least N77 billion a month at current exchange rate and prices to be restored to its 2007/8 position. But the state does not get even a third of such. Fixing the oil output will be a critical game changer in the short to medium term. However miniscule or even non-existent the windfall in real terms, the federation must be seen to intentionally execute a new deal that pragmatically coheres with our peculiar federalism while urgently addressing the needs of the people.”
He noted that besides the humongous investment to build infrastructure for the 21st century, the country urgently needs to prioritise its national investment in human capital to transform its abundant human resources into productive capital.
Soludo added: “In the 21st and 22nd centuries driven by digitalisation, only societies that intentionally mine their human capital will triumph. Deploying our depleting natural resources to invest in the bridge to the future – human capital – will not only give our teeming population a stake in the society but also secure their future. As a country, we must aim to remember this time in our history as the moment when we had the courage to remove the negative subsidies but deployed a part of the windfall to benefit our children and youths via their education and health. At the minimum, we should set a national target to bring down the out-of-school children to zero within five to eight years, and qualitative tuition-free secondary education to all Nigerian children within 10 years, while mainstreaming selected centres of excellence for the exportable labour force.”
The convocation lecturer shared Anambra State’s progress in investing in human capital development, infrastructure and innovative programmes, aiming to break the cycle of poverty and create a better future for Nigerians.
Soludo urged the graduating students to take charge of their lives, participate in shaping Nigeria’s destiny, and realise the country’s manifest destiny as a great black power by the 22nd century.
He reflected on the parallels between his own graduation in 1984 and the current situation, highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing challenges, including rising inflation, poverty, and unemployment.
Despite these challenges, Soludo emphasised that Nigeria remains a land of opportunity, urging the graduands to see their current situation as a challenge or an opportunity.
The governor encouraged them to continuously learn, innovate, and adapt to thrive in a rapidly changing world, emphasising the importance of scalable skills and networks.
The event was graced by prominent Nigerians including the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the university, and Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, acknowledged the commitment of the governor to the education of youths. Ichoku pledged the continued dedication of Veritas University to providing quality education as well as building quality systems and moral standing of students.
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