The Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) says the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the foundation of problems plaguing the country and must be discarded.
National coordinator of CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, in an exclusive chat with our correspondent, affirmed that electrical malpractices, insecurity, unemployment, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen attacks are all traceable to the Constitution handed over by the Military in 1999.
“The 1999 constitution is the cornerstone of Nigeria problems, especially in the area of election, when the constitution restricts those who can come and be voted for, or who can vote for, something must be wrong with that constitution.
“The root causes of all problems confronting Nigeria today including insecurity, unemployment, banditry, kidnapping, herdsmen attacks and so on, can be traced to the Constitution handed over by the Military in 1999.
“Therefore, many lovers and believers of a prosperous Nigeria, have been pleading for the enactment of a new Constitution which will dissuade Nigerians from believing that the only lucrative business in Nigeria is politics.
“The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria has a centralized power structure. The constitution grants substantial powers to the federal government, leaving states and local governments with limited autonomy and resources. This has contributed to political tensions and uneven development across the country. It also has a weak system of checks and balances.
“There are concerns about the concentration of power in the executive branch, with the president wielding significant authority over the legislature and judiciary. This has led to challenges in ensuring proper oversight and accountability.
“The constitution also lack fiscal federalism. The constitution does not provide an adequate framework for true fiscal federalism, as states and local governments rely heavily on revenue allocations from the central government rather than having sufficient autonomy to generate their own resources.
“The constitution has ambiguity and contradictions. The constitution contains some provisions that are vague or contradictory, leading to differing interpretations and potential conflicts between different levels of government and insufficient protection of human rights.
“While the constitution includes a chapter on fundamental rights, there are concerns that these provisions do not go far enough in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups.
“It is also difficult to amend the constitution. The process for amending the constitution is seen as overly cumbersome, making it challenging to address emerging issues and adapt the fundamental law to the changing needs of the country.
“These weaknesses have been the subject of ongoing debates and calls for constitutional reforms to enhance the system of governance and address the country’s developmental challenges.
“The Nigerian 1999 constitution has a lot of shortcomings to the best of my knowledge. The lapses only surface when we experience a despicable situation in a sector in which the constitution fails or could not fully address.
“Hence, you never can tell which faulty part of the constitution will be exposed tomorrow just because the current situation is not demanding it,” he submitted.
Mulade, who’s a chief of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, therefore called for a review and realistic amendment of the fraught constitution.
“Thus, the constitution needs to be fully reviewed and amended to realistically address modern day issues while also putting into consideration predictable future situations,” he posited.
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