Former President of the Nigerian Association Bar, Chief Wole Olanipekun, expressed his sadness over Nigeria’s high poverty level, lack of access to quality education and some basic requirements guaranteed by the constitution.
Speaking on the topic “Beyond The Pandemic: Creating An Evolving New Normal”, the Ikere-Ekiti native said the current constitution does not serve the Nigerian people.
“For now, Nigeria is functioning, not too disproportionate from the way it has been designed to function by those who imposed the present constitution on us, falsely labelled as The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,” Mr Olanipekun said.
“Since the emergence of this democratic dispensation in 1999, I have consistently advocated a true federal constitution for Nigeria, and a return to a true federal system of government, akin or similar to what we had pre-January 1966 coup d’etat.”
According to Mr Olanipekun, the solution is to replace the constitution altogether rather than merely amending it.
“With much respect to the National Assembly members, what Nigeria needs is not a constitutional amendment but a constitutional replacement,” added the former chairman of the University of Ibadan’s governing council.
“For the present constitution cannot be amended, it is not amendable. This is apart from the fact that most members of the National Assembly are not politically contiguous to their constituents, for security and diverse reasons. Abuja has now become their homes and haven.”
