By Andy Asemota
The Deputy President of the Senate, Movie Omo-Agege, has admonished Nigerians clamouring for a brand new constitution to forget that elixir for the challenges facing the country.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day national public hearing of the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution in Abuja on Thursday, Omo-Agege said the constitution does not make provision or provide mechanism for replacing or re-writing an entirely new constitution.
“To embark on any process without prior alteration of Section 9 of the Constitution to provide the mode through which an entirely new constitution could be made, would amount to gross violation of our oath of allegiance to the Constitution.
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“In other words, it will take new constitutional amendment to be able to give Nigerians a most desired new constitution. It would be unconstitutional to do otherwise,” he explained.
Omo-Agege, who is also the Chairman Senate Committee Review of the 1999 Constitution, further fired back at critics of the on-going attempt to alter the constitution, saying: “We are working towards an inclusive amendment process underpinned by public good, free from manipulations by self-interested or partisan actors and not dominated by destructive or short term motives.”
Declaring the public hearing open, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the Constitution review alone won’t engender successful democracy without a concomitant shift in attitude and political will.
His words: “It has to be backed by the requisite political will and the right attitude. Democracy demands the highest qualities of self-discipline, restraint, empathy and the willingness to commit, concede and sacrifice for the general good.”
Lawan maintained that although agitations are democratic expressions and indications of dissatisfaction with the nation’s extant constitution, engaging with each other, amid a good faith remained the best way forward.
Presentations on the event included the submissions by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed, Chief Justice of Nigeria and former Vice-President of the World Bank and twice minister in Nigeria, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, among others.
