Foremost Constitutional lawyer, Prof Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has underscored the need for a brand new constitution for Nigeria to be subjected to a referendum and be truly called the peoples’ Constitution......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
According to Ozekhome, the extant Nigeria’s constitution was military document and could not be described as the peoples’ constitution.
The silk who was speaking at the inauguration of new officials of the International Human Rights Commission in Abuja on Wednesday, said Nigeria’s unity should not be taken for granted but should be nurtured.
He urged the country’s leaders to enforce constitutional instruments that help to nurture freedom, unity and equity.
“We cannot take our unity for granted. We must nurture unity. It requires nurturing. So there are some constitution and legal provisions that help to bring freedom unity and equity. So the various universal instruments provide for equity, freedom egalitarianism,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to imbibe behaviours and virtues that promote unity and keep, adding that the loss of character translates to loss of everything.
Speaking on the theme, “Unity in Diversity, Embracing Freedom Equality and Dignity for All”, Prof Ozekhome said in Nigeria, freedom, equity and dignity were more of aspirations than realities.
He stated that in spite of Nigeria’s pretentious unity, the country still grappled with the menace of Boko Haram, while the Igbos were demanding secession and the Yorubas Oduduwa republic.
He further said, “Nigeria as an multiple ethnic group with its coat of many colours should have been a blessing” but regretted that 40 years after the first mention of oil subsidy removal, the country still grappled with the issue.
“Oil subsidy removal is still hunting Nigeria. We should try to accommodate one another’s views. Nasarawa has the highest mineral resources, followed by Kaduna, Plateau and others but are we extracting them? We’re busy coming to Abuja to share the national cake. Many want to share the cake but nobody wants to bake it.”
The legal luminary noted that diversity and pluralism among over 300 ethnic groups, cultures and religion which ought to have been a blessing to the country had not only translated to division but has engendered wars in many parts Africa.
He, however, said despite 300 ethnic groups and 521 languages in Nigeria, the country was still placed on a tripod of Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa.
He lamented that Nigeria introduced issues of federal character and unnecessary quota system in our public institutions and admission into he schools which has now accentuated the division leading to mediocrity and inefficiency.
While noting that the country had the capacity to change global narratives, he said, “we are a great country; if we manage our plurality, we will do well, but we are frittering away the resources.
Also speaking the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said Nigeria had a common problem of humanity, adding that humanitarian problems required peace to resolve.
He noted that President Tinubu while appointing him as minister said he should give human face to the ongoing reforms and prayed that God helped him in the discharge of his duties.
