Former Minister of Education and CEO of Human Capital Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised the National Assembly’s ongoing constitutional amendment process, describing it as a “charade” and a wasteful exercise designed to drain public funds.
Ezekwesili made the remarks on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address titled “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism” at the 7th anniversary and annual lecture of Penpushing Media.
She expressed deep concern over what she described as the hijacking of Nigeria’s political space—and, by extension, that of the African continent—by what she termed “criminal enterprise gangs.” These groups, she said, manipulate governance for their own benefit, often at the expense of the people’s collective interest.
Rather than responding to citizens’ calls for a brand-new constitution capable of addressing the structural imbalances and systemic inequalities embedded in the current one, Ezekwesili accused the National Assembly of pursuing a superficial amendment process that would do little to advance genuine restructuring or true federalism.
She emphasised the need for a constitution that reflects the aspirations of all Nigerians and lays the foundation for equitable development, rather than preserving the status quo that benefits only a few.
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She explained that the agitation for secession by some part of the country, the problem of insecurity, the challenge of unemployment and poverty, and maladministration as a whole will only be resolved with a new constitution that prioritises devolution of powers, justice, equity, and fairness to all irrespective of tribes and ethnicity.
The former minister has equally called on the media to be at the vanguard of demanding a new constitution that is powered by the people and will ultimately serve the progress and development of the country.
Ezekwezili said, “The ongoing constitutional amendment cannot work, it cannot address our problem, it is a charade and sheer waste of resources. The demand for a new constitution is a matter of life and death
“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.
“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. So this expensive charade that the National Assembly is embarking on and spending money on won’t take us anywhere.
“The media should take the front seat and be at the vanguard of a demand for new constitution. 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.
“If there is anything that will come out of this annual lecture it must be that the media should be at the vanguard of a push for a constitutional conference, one that will enable the constituent part of this country, a constituent assembly elected by the people, they go, they sit, they have the discussion on the basis of the issues that makes fiscal federal system of government to work and come out with issues that are eligible for constitution which is put before the people to vote in form of referendum.
“This is what Kenya did after almost collapsing, and since then, you never hear them talking about break-up, they will talk about the need for good leaders”
Dr Oby Ezekwesili has reiterated that good governance is neither elusive nor mysterious, stressing that it has been successfully implemented in other parts of the world and can be replicated across Nigeria and Africa.
She stated this during her keynote address at the 7th Penpushing anniversary and annual lecture, where she also decried the current state of politics on the continent. According to her, political leadership has been overtaken by a group she referred to as a “criminal enterprise gang” that manipulates governance for personal gain, excluding citizens from the decision-making process.
Ezekwesili further noted that there is a clear link between the quality of politics and a nation’s economic progress, warning that without reforms to improve political leadership, the continent’s economic outlook may remain stagnant.
She emphasised that genuine fiscal federalism holds the potential to grant regions greater autonomy, encourage collaboration, promote self-determination without threatening national unity, enhance productivity, and ensure more accountable governance.
Also speaking at the event, Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Sarafadeen Ishola, pointed out that while the country’s federalism is adopted in principle, it falls short in practice. He argued that it fails to provide the autonomy needed by federating units or foster the competitive development crucial for national progress.
Ishola, who chaired the occasion, stressed that true federalism goes beyond power devolution; it encompasses responsible governance, institutional transparency, fiscal justice, and accountability rooted in citizen engagement. He urged Nigerians to see restructuring not as a sectional issue, but as a national transformation agenda.
In his remarks, the founder of Penpushing Media, Mr Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, said the annual lecture was created to deepen public discourse on issues critical to Nigeria’s development and to promote conversations that could shape the country’s future positively. #Ezekwesili
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