Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has called for the creation of a new constitution in Nigeria that reflects the country’s shared values, collective aspirations, and common identity.
Ezekwesili made this statement in a post on X, emphasising that the current 1999 Constitution is outdated and no longer serves the needs of the Nigerian people.
Ezekwesili argued that instead of making numerous marginal amendments to the existing constitution, the National Assembly (NASS) should pursue a “Single Issue Amendment” that would allow for the election of a People’s Constituent Assembly.
Ezekwesili articulated, “Nigeria and Nigerians need a New Constitution that reflects our shared values, collective aspirations and common identity.
“What we need now is the clearest action within the context of the current 1999 Constitution to move the growing conversation on Constitutional change forward.
“We need first, a “Single Issue Amendment” of the 1999 Constitution by @nassnigeria rather than their hundreds of marginal tweaks.
“Such a single issue provision into the 1999 Constitution will be clauses that allow for citizens-led election of a Constituent Assembly and countrywide Referendum on its recommendations.
“Second, we need to set up a credible mechanism to help elect members of a representative People’s Constituent Assembly with the mandate to midwife the Dialogues- design the processes, the principles of participation, set agenda priorities, organize and moderate the debates, interface with relevant public institutions and the Nigerian public and write and present the Draft Constitution to the public and then subject its content to Referendum.
“God forbids anyone proposes that the integrity-challenged @inecnigeria should handle the election of members of a representative People’s Constituent Assembly for a New Constitution.
“That institution had in the conduct of the 2023 elections lost what was left of its social capital- lost the fundamental public trust- that makes an institution trustworthy and respectable.
“The structural defect that holds Nigeria and Nigerians in all regions of the country back from excelling are dominant in the 1999 Constitution.
“It will take an honest ownership of this Constitutional problem to turn the tide of our country. It cannot wait for later. Do it. Now,” Ezekweili added.
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