‘Engine of Nigerian state is knocked, we need people-centered constitution’ – Ozekhome

Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has said the engine of the Nigerian state is knocked, stressing that it is why the country lacks nationhood and needs a people-centric constitution.

Ozekhome, who is also a human rights lawyer, said this on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

He is a member of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, that met with President Tinubu on Friday, at the State House in Abuja.

He said Tinubu should have the political will to ensure the country has a new constitution because the challenges bedevilling the people will not go away.

“Well, he should have the political will because these problems will not go away until we tackle it headlong”, he said.

When asked  if a new constitution is an antidote to poverty, insecurity, and other challenges confronting the Nigerian state, he answered in the affirmative.

“It is. The killings you are seeing, the poverty, the corruption, they are all symptoms of a larger problem which is the basis of what we are talking about. When you solve it, other things will be in place”, Ozekhome stated.

Ozekhome argued that the 1999 Constitution was military-imposed, and not subject to any referendum. He said Nigeria needs an indigenous and people-centric constitution to redirect the country’s “journey of no destination”.

According to him, Nigeria lacks nationhood. “Nigeria is a country still yearning for nationhood.

“We are not united,” he said.

According to him, the brand new constitution must be subjected to the referendum of the people.

Asked whether Nigeria must constitute a constituents’ assembly before a new constitution, the senior advocate said:

“We have to have a constituents’ assembly and only the National Assembly can pass a law in that regard. Then, the draft constitution will now be signed by Mr President and we will have a constitution.”

He said if the people agree that they want a unicameral legislature, “that is how it is going to be” because democracy is decided by the people.

“The political elite has to agree. If you are driving a car and the car has a knocked engine. Is it not the engine you should look at? Do you begin to panel-beat the car, spray it with beautiful paint, and buy new tyres? Will that move the car?

“I am saying that the engine of the Nigerian state, for now, is knocked and it is giving rise to all these mutual suspicion, religious intolerance.”

He said economic reforms are good but must not be put before a people-centred constitution. He said the National Assembly must agree to a new constitution for the problems of Nigeria to vanish.