Don’t make constitution review jamboree, Akeredolu tells committee

Seeks all-encompassing national dialogue

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has insisted that the current attempt to review the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria should be devoid of previous jamboree, urging an all-encompassing national dialogue.

Akeredolu said this, yesterday, in his opening remark at the public hearing by the Senate Committee on Constitution Review at the International Centre for Culture and Events in Akure.

He said that the myriad of problems facing the survival of Nigeria as a nation necessitated the meeting by the 17 southern governors in Asaba, Delta State, some weeks ago with a 12-point resolution.

Meanwhile, a professor of International Law and Jurisprudence, Akin Oyebode, had faulted the 1999 Constitutional, arguing that it is a forged document forced on Nigerians by the military without any input from the people.

Corroborating Oyebode, Akeredolu averred: “The constitution of a country should reflect the aggregate of the realistic expectations of the component parts which form the union. It is the basic law, which must define the powers and responsibilities of the offices created to serve the people.

“No section of the country must feel short-changed. The document produced must be a true reflection of collective bargaining and concessions secured in an ambience of frank exchanges among members of the same family.”

Warning the committee to beware of previous pitfalls from 1922 to 1999, he added that the current attempt at constitution amendment should be taken beyond the usual jamboree conceived and executed to arrive at predetermined result.

Akeredolu, who is the Chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum, said the new law should critically address the current misnomer that makes the Federal Government to appropriate humongous amounts for moribund agencies whose duties overlap with those of the states.

He said the people were desirous of national dialogue to chart a new course for the nation, adding that it is crucial for the continued existence of the country. He lamented that the people are losing confidence because a number of issues had been allowed to fester for too long.