Oby Ezekwesili tasks media to lead reforms of Nigerian constitution

Oby

By KEMI KAYODE

The founder of Human Capital Africa, Dr Oby Ezekwesili has emphasized need for a fresh constitution that will help address all the imbalances and the inequalities and appealed to the media to be in forefront at the vanguard of the demand

Ezekwesili made the call on Thursday while speaking on the topic “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism” at the 7th Penpushing Media anniversary and annual lecture held in Abeokuta.

She pointed out that a new constitution is a matter of life and death, stressing that having it in place defined the current constitution in Nigeria, and that there must be a constitutional conference that will enable citizens to have honest conversation

“The media should take the front seat and be at the vanguard of a demand for new constitution. We must have a constitutional conference that enables the people of this country to have honest conversation around things that will make us make progress and make Nigeria work for all of us’, she stated.

“If there is anything that will come out of this annual lecture it must be that the media should be at the vanguard of a push for a constitutional conference, one that will enable the constituent part of this country, a constituent assembly elected by the people, they go, they sit, they have the discussion on the basis of the issues that makes fiscal federal system of government to work and come out with issues that are eligible for constitution which is put before the people to vote in form of referendum.

‘This is what Kenya did after almost collapsing, and since then, you never hear them talking about break-up, they will talk about the need for good leaders’, the humanitarian and an activist stated.

The former Minister, pointed out that only a new constitution that prioritises devolution of powers, justice, equity, and fairness to all irrespective of tribes and ethnicity will solve the agitation for secession by some part of the country, the problem of insecurity, the challenge of unemployment and poverty, and maladministration.