Olanipekun Urges National Assembly To Take Action On Constitution Amendment

A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has stressed the need for the country to come up with the people’s constitution.

He urged the National Assembly to take action on the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution for fundamental and significant reasons.

He spoke yesterday when he delivered the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) 13th convocation lecture titled “Nigeria – Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow: Imperative of A Sober And Definite Recalibration.”

Olanipekun said, “Nigeria today needs to be rebranded, re-orientated , re-evaluated , revamped, resuscitated. Since  this present Constitution was said to be in the  ‘bakery’ or ‘oven’ , I had joined the vanguard of those clamoring for people’s constitution, peculiar to the antecedents and nuances  of Nigeria: a constitution that will emerge through consensus or near consensus, a constitution that will be negotiated upon during cross- fertilization of ideas, a constitution of mutual understanding and collaboration: a constitution that will be subjected to a referendum, after which most Nigerians will be able to assert that this is our Constitution” .

The former Chairman of the body of Nigerian Benchers said, “Rather than a mere amendment to the constitution, what is needed is a completely new rebranding; it should be completely restructured to achieve the desired result.

“Call it autochthonous Constitution, or any other name, it has to be a renegotiated document that will pave the way for a new social order. We cannot continue to live by the 1999 Constitution, which haunts us as a military albatross.

“Let us borrow a golden leaf from other countries of the world and determine to live together, on appreciable terms and conditions. By suggesting to the National Assembly to take action on any constitutional amendment for now, one is not advocating a state of anomie, or normlessness.

“Rather, I am proposing a transition period, between now and 2031, a phase that will give us sufficient time to reflect on the ills plaguing, or that have plagued our previous constitutions to date”

Olanipekun, who spoke on lopsidedness in local council distribution across the regions, said that with the circumstances above, a national referendum may become inevitable.

“I wish to submit that, in the circumstances of my earlier recommendations, I wish to submit that a referendum has become overdue.

“A referendum is the solemn act by which a people collectively speak in unison to decide matters of grave national importance.

” Over the centuries, such had been deployed to determine issues, as fundamental as independence, territorial belonging, constitutional reordering, and the Recalibration of political unions, it represents the voice of the Dena’s, I mean unfiltered and undiluted, speaking louder than the usual rhetoric of politicians, or the manoeuvres of the elites”, he said.

On the issue of national security, Olanipekun said, without prejudice to his earlier submission that the National Assembly should take action on the amendment to the 1999 Constitution, State, Community, Provincial, and Zonal police formations should be established now, and without delay.

While commending the founder of the University, Afe Babalola (SAN), for his outstanding contributions to uplifting the Nigerian nation, through his law prowess, educational emancipation and general developmental efforts.