Nigeria Urgently Requires New Constitution To Safe It From Collapsing- Anyaoku, Nwachukwu, Others 

Speaking at a colloquium on June 12, held in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos titled “Securing the future of Nigeria through a new democratic people’s constitution.”

They noted that, the Nigerian project is  not working because the country operates a constitution that does not suit its numerous challenges.

Speaking as the Chairman of the event, the former Secretary General of the Common Wealth Chief Anyaoku noted that Nigeria from onset has been facing the challenges of managing its diversity, he noted that the 1960 and 1963 constitution were drafted to address the challenges until the military came in January 1966 and scattered everything.

He noted that unless a courageous action is taken to give the country a new constitution, the country will continue to move towards collapse.

Chief Anyaoku explained that, some countries that failed to address their diversity have disintegrated, given examples of countries like Yugoslavia, Chesklolavia and Sudan. He explained  that their failure to address their diversity made them to break into two independent states.

He maintained that other pluralist nation that addressed their diversity still remains intact, citing examples of countries like Canada and India.

Chief Anyaoku explained that even the 1999 constitution as amended lacked the legitimacy to address the diversity, “the 1999 constitution, even as amended lacked the legitimacy, to address the diversity, therefore, we need to get a new legitimate constitution that will tackle the challenges facing the country,” he said.

He however suggested that, to arrive at the new constitution, a constituent assembly can be set up, which will comprise of people democratically elected, and not on a political party basis, adding that membership of the constituent assembly should also put into consideration the 1960, 1963 constitution and the recommendations of the 2014 constitutional conference, and if all those are put into consideration, the nation will have a legitimate constitution.

General Nwachukwu noted that attempts have been made in the past to return Nigeria to a true democracy, he added that Nigerians should pray the country have a constitution that can accommodate the wishes of the people.

He said, what Nigeria needs now is a true federalist constitution that accommodates our diversity as a nation adding that the time to make the change is now.” We must all be committed to democracy. We should make good promises made by our founding fathers and promises made by our leaders reflect in our diversity.”

On her part, Dr. Ezekwesili said Nigeria is still struggling to have a democracy, stressing that the journey to have a democracy is premixed on the rule of law, but Nigeria does not have that, stressing that political freedom correlates to economic freedom and leads to productivity.

She said lack of democracy made Nigeria to be backward, adding that what Nigeria has is monopoly democracy.

She further added that Nigeria needs to be rescued immediately from experimentation.

She said it is time we have a new Nigeria, and not the one the whites will dictate what the country should do.