By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Patriots, a Pan – Nigerian organization made up of eminent Nigerians has made a renewed call for what it described as ” a new people’s democratic Nigerian Constitution” in its bid to have a document that reflect the will, wishes and existence of Nigerians from every part of the country.
The group, being led by preeminent diplomat and two-term former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku is billed to hold deliberations with the leadership of the National Assembly on a proposed conceptualization and operationalization of a new constitution for Nigeria.
Chief Anyaoku, also a former minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and current leader of The Patriots is expected to lead the organization to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly in April.
The Patriots added that the scheduled meeting with both the Senate and the House of Representatives comes as a follow-up to an August 9, 2024 meeting which the organization held with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Patriots comprises eminent Nigerians including General Ike Nwachukwu, a former Senator, two term minister of foreign affairs of Nigeria and former governor of old Imo State; Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, a first and Second Republic politician; Chief Olusegun Osoba, a former governor of Ogun state; General Alani Akinrinade, a retired Army General and former Chief of Defence Staff; Prof Anya O. Anya, a renowned academic; Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, a former minister of finance; Dr Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister of Education and one time vice-president of the World Bank.
The membership also includes Izoma Philip Asiodu, a retired Super permanent Secretary; Prof Pat Utomi, a distinguished Professor of political Economy; Mr Solomon Asemota (SAN); Mr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), founder of Civil Liberties Organization,(CLO); Obong Victor Attah, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state and Co-chairman of the Board of Trustees of PANDEF; Prof Anthony Kila and Mr Labaran Make, an eminent journalist and former minister of Information.
The group remains persistent in its call on President Bola Tinubu to convene a Constituent Assembly stressing that the move will enable every ethnic nationality that constitutes the country to negotiate its existence and how it should be governed.
These eminent Nigerians insist that it is only through having a people’s democratic Constitution that the challenges of nation-building currently confronting Nigeria can be fully addressed.
The Patriots restated these calls when members converged on Thursday for the 20th memorial anniversary of the Organization’s founding chairman, Chief FRA Williams at the FRA Williams Chambers in Lagos.
Addressing journalists on the occasion, General Secretary, The Patriots, Mr Olawale Okunniyi said the group’s mission to the National Assembly is to demand the lawmakers to amend Section 8 and 9 of the 1999 Constitution to include a Referendum/Plebiscite clause whereby the people can demand a change of the Constitution at any time.
Questioned whether the constitution of membership of the 2014 National Conference could not be termed a Constituent Assembly, Okunniyi said there was need for a referendum to have been done in determining its membership composition.
“On August 9, 2024, we met with President Bola Tinubu where we stressed that there is need to replace the 1999 Constitution which has impeded our progress as a nation.
“We demand the President to immediately convene a Constituent Assembly for people to negotiate their existence. A people’s democratic Constitution is way out of hardship, corruption and insecurity.
“The current Constitution is warped, fashioned after corruption and supports corruption. The foundation, which is the Constitution, is faulty. Only two percent of Nigerians are benefiting from the Constitution and we need to correct this anomaly. We need a Constitution of the people that works for the poorest of the poor,” Okunniyi said.
He added, “Our next plan is to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly. We have made contact with the leadership of the National Assembly and the meeting will happen in April. We may meet the Senate and House of Representatives jointly or separately, however, it will happen on the same day.
“After meeting the National Assembly, we will, in the same April, begin zonal outreaches, advocacy to traditional rulers, influential leaders of geopolitical zones, labour leaders.”
He decried the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan to send the 2014 Confab report as a bill to the National Assembly where a referendum on the report would have been done by a Constituent Assembly.
In arriving at a new Constitution, he, however, said the 2014 Confab report, the 1963, 1979, 1989, 1993 Constitutions, would serve as working documents when a Constituent Assembly is convened.
Aside from meeting with the National Assembly, Okunniyi said the group would also take the advocacy for a new Constitution to labour leaders, influential leaders, leaders of thought across geopolitical zones and traditional rulers.
He said the zonal advocacy outreaches are also to begin in April.
Some of those who advanced The Patriots cause at the memorial event were Prof Anthony Kila, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Fafa Dan-Princewill, Mrs Ifeyinwa Ezenwa and son of the late FRA Williams, Kayode.
