LACK of fund is slowing down the concerted efforts by the group The Patriots, a group of elder statesmen and leaders of thought in the country, to build a national consensus towards producing a people’s constitution, the national secretary, Comrade Wale Okunniyi has said.
He spoke to the Nigerian Tribune at the weekend following the apparent slow pace of the operations of the body after it inaugurated a 17-man advocacy committee in August.
But he informed that the leaders are reaching out to critical stakeholders across the country on the move to give Nigerians a widely acceptable constitutional framework.
In a conversation with the Nigerian Tribune, the secretary confirmed that the leaders will hold a virtual meeting today (Tuesday) on the ongoing attempt to deliver on the mandate of the body.
Highlighting the activities of the organisation so far, Comrade Okunniyi said the leaders are working assiduously to involve major stakeholders in the drive to achieve the goal of The Patriots: to produce a constitution based on the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians.
He stated that the body comprised distinguished Nigerians and leaders of thought, committed to the political equilibrium, unity, good governance stability and prosperity of Nigeria through inclusive popular advocacy for a new democratic constitution to be produced by an elected Constituent Assembly.
“Leaders of The Patriots, as a multi-stakeholders pan-Nigerian body, have been carefully identifying and recruiting very distinguished Nigerians, who are committed to creating a new Nigeria that works for all, especially a politically and democratically restructured Nigeria
“The immediate challenge of our Advocacy and Mobilisation towards achieving a new democratic people’s Constitution for Nigeria is funding, especially as a group of credible senior Nigerians, who are essentially elders of the country.
“But the leadership of The Patriots is making frantic efforts in sacrificing their hard-earned income and resources for national rescue,” he said.
Okunniyi said the leaders remain undaunted by the challenges in the quest to meet the yearnings of Nigerians for progress.
The secretary said The Patriots hopes to set up a team of elder statesmen and women from the North and the South to help us navigate the resolution of the challenge posed by the 1914 amalgamation Edict.
“We plan to reach out to both the private sector and government leaders in this direction towards collectivising our intervention to save Nigeria from insecurity and poverty, more so that we currently have an emergency in hands as touching the position of the Northern Elders Forum that the 1914 amalgamation edict of Nigeria has expired since 2014 thereby calling for a national referendum to resolve the matter.
“To this end, we plan to set up a high-powered national consensus team of elder statesmen and women from both northern and southern Nigeria to help us navigate the resolution of this delicate political question and we shall need the support of everybody,” Okunniyi stated.
In August, The Patriots inaugurated a 17-man Advocacy Committee for the Actualisation of the People’s Constitution, under the leadership of a renowned political economist and professor of strategy and development, Professor Anthony Kila, with the mandate to engage major stakeholders and members of the public across the country on what people’s constitutions entail and the benefits.
The inauguration held in Lagos was attended by some of the leaders, including General Ike Nwachukwu, Obong Victor Attah, Professor Anya Anya, Dr Bilikisu Magaro, Professor Remi Sonaiya, Elder Solomon Asemota and Senator Ben Obi.
Also in August, Chief Anyaoku led other leaders of The Patriots to lobby President Bola Tinubu on the mission of the group, with the president to review a request from the group of eminent Nigerians to establish a national constituent assembly with the mandate to draft a new constitution.
Anyaoku appealed to the President to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, proposing two measures: convene a national constituent assembly with the mandate to produce a draft people’s democratic constitution, while the constituent assembly should be of directly elected individuals, on a non-political basis, from the 36 states of the federation, possibly three individuals per state and one from the FCT.
Anyaoku also said The Patriots sought legislation for a national referendum to which the draft constitution emerging from the constituent assembly should be subjected.
Some members of The Patriots in the team included a former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba; former Minister Information, Mr. Labaran Maku; former senator representing Kaduna central district, Shehu Sani, former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome.
READ ALSO: Patriots inaugurate advocacy committee for people’s constitution
and then