Punch Editorial of 2/5/21 after reviewing the totality of political bungling in Nigeria as a result of fundamentally and fraudulent Military imposed 1999 Constitution recommended that what the country needs was a National Conference of selected representatives of ethnic nationalities to brainstorm on how Nigerians could live together and thereafter fashion a Fresh Federal Constitution reflective of the agreements.
The Editorial
which could be said to be a prophecy being fulfilled today sequel to the fundamentally
flawed proposition of president Tinubu to gather the state governors to fashion
the modalities for State Police. It wrote inter Alia:
"The
argument that parliaments are already in place is self serving; they are
(especially National Assembly) creations of a perverse, unproductive (1999)
constitution and the need to give way to genuine products of the people's
will" (that is People's Constitution).
I hasten to
add that today no area or sector of governance in Nigeria is working as it
should be because of the practice of principles of "Federal-Unitary
Contraption" imposed on the country by the military regime, hence a
categorical imperative of a National Conference of selected representatives of
ethnic nationalities to brainstorm on how Nigeria can be properly restructured
to enable Nigerians to live together either by proper Federation or
Confederation.
In other words
going by the utterances of the Northern traditional and political chieftains
sequel to the 'radical' policies of president Tinubu, it would be stating the
obvious to re-echo the cliche that "Nigeria should be renegotiated",
according to media commentators and realistically minded politicians who have
been stridently advocating for the immediate Restructuring of the country for
equity, fairness and justice in the distribution of the Commonwealth.
It is very
wrong for Tinubu to suggest that he, along with the state governors would map
out the modalities for establishment of state police. In other words, after
their discussion, the package will be forwarded to the National Assembly
through a Bill for probably debate or rubber stamp to make it a Law and
included into the fundamentally and fraudulent 1999 Constitution made by the
military regime.
In Federations
the world over, it is the selected representatives of ethnic nationalities that
sit in a Conference to fashion the Constitution and not any other body.
Thereafter, a properly constituted Legislature will see to the Amendments
whenever it is necessary. Fact, according to Federal Constitution the world
over is that the National Assembly has NO right to amend the 1999 constitution
because it was NEVER made by the selected representatives of ethnic
nationalities like the 1960 Independence constitution later renamed the 1963
Republican Constitution which was thrown away by the military regime who were
ignorant about the principles of federal system of government as obtained the
world over.
The proper
thing for president Tinubu to do is to convoke National Conference of the
selected representatives of ethnic nationalities to review the realistic 1963
Republican Constitution and update the provisions in line with the present
realities of the country. It is patently very wrong for Tinubu to assume the
power to fashion the modalities for establishment of state police along with
the state governors and may be coral the rubber stamp National Assembly to
endorse it to become a Law and incorporated into the fundamentally and
fraudulent 1999 Constitution which enlightened Nigerians have been stridently
advocating for dumping for a FRESH PEOPLE'S CONSTITUTION.
Tinubu does
not envision the broad implications of what he has planned to do with state
police. State Police needs offices, equipments, recruitments, vehicles, state
of the art accoutrements etc. To that effect, there should be a review of the
Statutory Revenue Allocation sharing; making the country two tiers of
government viz: Federal and State Governments, while the State Government will
make arrangements on how to restructure the local government administration
which should be controlled by the Governor through the Local Government Service
Commission. In Federations, there are only TWO TIERS OF GOVERNMENT, it was so
in the First Republic (1963 Republican Constitution).
Creation of
three tiers of government was the fraudulent handwork of the military regime
through the 1976 Dasuki local government councils Reform. To complete the deft
strategy which marginalized the southern part of the country, the military
created surplus local government councils in the north and funnelled humongous
amount of the monthly Statutory Revenue Allocation shares to the part of the
country at the expense and detriment of the southern part of the country hence
the nationwide clarion calls for Restructuring the lopsided and inequitable
Federation.
The dire
implications of Tinubu/Governors State Police is that future president can
tamper with it to favour his region. But if a National Conference of selected
representatives of ethnic nationalities are convoked, the recommendations will
be subjected to a REFERENDUM, as usual, and a new PEOPLE'S CONSTITUTION will be
in place. Future Amendments will be taken by a Balanced National Legislature
which should not be lopsided by the northern members who have majority votes
and have whatever they want at the expense and detriment of the lawmakers from
the southern part of the country. Such cheating will no longer tolerated in
Nigeria again.
Mr. Polycarp
Onwubiko, Media Commentator Writes From Awka Anambra State.
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