Nigeria’s constitution most maligned document — Fashola

Former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has described Nigeria’s constitution as the most maligned document despite its profound and useful objectives.

The former Lagos State governor gave this description at the 30th anniversary lecture of Nasrul-Lahi-l-Fatih (NASFAT) held at the main auditorium of the Nigerian Institute Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, on Saturday.

Speaking on the theme, ‘faith, social justice and economic empowerment: pathways to a better world’, Fashola submitted that the country’s constitution is enabling as it has provision for social justice and speaks to the kind of Nigeria every Nigerian yearns for.

He said, “The Nigerian Constitution, a much-maligned constitution I dare say but some of the profound elevating provisions of that constitution have not received the kind of attention they should receive. Have you read the provisions of section 14-27? They are very enabling and speak to the kind of Nigeria all of us would want to see. Provisions of social justice are contained there.

“How many of us know that Nigeria Constitution provides for social justice? Because we have listened to one story that it’s a bad constitution and should be changed. The objectives of that document are very profound and useful.

“Long before we started hearing about equal payment for men and women, Nigeria Constitution has said that men and women who do the same work must receive the same pay. It’s in that much-criticised book. I urge us to read it from time to time. It should not be seen as such a scary document as some of our colleagues have made it to look.

“The essence of social justice requires us not to let the hatred of people deprive us from being just. Sometimes it can be a lonely place. Those who seek justice for others can sometimes be in a lonely place.”

Speaking further on the theme of the lecture, Fashola described the theme as potentially transformative, especially as a time when faith is being used to disintegrate families, expel people into slavery and perpetrate crimes.

He added, “Faith is being used to break families. It is being used to expel people into slavery and perpetrate crimes. Perhaps it is the most auspicious time to reset the agenda of faith. In the hands of people with powerful malevolent dispositions, faith is a powerful and dangerous weapon that they must not be entrusted with. Faith is not static and it should a constant source of inspiration for seeking and advancing healthy knowledge.

“But at a time when bigotry now distorts religion and materialism dilute spirituality, we see that its important that faith continues to guide what we do. But what type of faith? We must promote the faith of our deeds and of our thoughts and of our actions.

“On social justice, my intervention here is that social justice is not optional, it is a divine compulsion. It is not a western idea. It is not something of convenience but it’s a divine conjunction. Therefore, we must focus on justice as a national ethic. Imagine if we all agreed that justice becomes our common ethic and that we will do everything in our powers to confront injustice, how great that would be?

“On economic empowerment, I start here by saying that a man cannot pray on an empty stomach and if he prays, it will be hard for him to concentrate. So, we must give our people a means to live with dignity. Nothing best captures the idea of social justice than for a man to wake up in the morning and go to his place of work as against I am going to bed.

“We have seen empowerment in the last few years but let us ask ourselves, have we really empowered? When we give tricycles and motorcycles, have we really empowered? Should we do more of that?

“We must understand that a society that empowers people to earn is a society that protect dignity. The real empowerment is in creating a sustainable source of income and not giving out tricycles and motorcycles. Empowerment should improve quality of lives and living. When we elect people in parliament and we started asking them to come and build a road and all, are we not the one introducing a breach of contract? Because it is the executive arm that should do all those things.

“One of the arguments I’ve made about constituency projects, is for federal lawmakers to limit constituency projects to federal responsibilities because there are state legislators who should also legislate for their small communities. Some of those projects were run in my Ministry and I remember one of them that were so impactful. So, I won’t stand here and say constituency projects are not impactful.”

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