.Says 95% of citizens didn’t have a say in its drafting
DANIEL DAUDA, Jos
A first Professor of mathematics in Northern Nigeria, Professor Peter Lassa has advocated for drafting of a new constitution in Nigeria to address certain abnormalities and guarantee all Nigerians a sense of belonging.
Professor Lassa, a former executive secretary of the National Colleges of Education is worried that the current constitution failed woefully to address poverty, insecurity, healthcare, education and infrastructure development.
The elder statesman aired his view on Monday while speaking to newsmen at the NUJ Secretariat in Jos, Plateau State capital.
The Don is saddened that over 95% of Nigerian citizens didn’t have a say in the drafting of this document, it was rather a constitution forced down on their throats by the military and has been in force till today.
Despite a series of amendments to the 1999 constitution undertaken and the current one by the 9th National Assembly to remedy Nigeria’s challenges, the situation continued escalating.
Professor Lassa revealed that several agitations taking place for regional government because people are not satisfied with the constitution as the operation has several limitations to satisfy people’s aspirations in its operation.
“The provision of the chapter 2 of the 1999 constitution are not justiciable, while chapter 4 is justiciable, why the distinction and segregation? It is my understanding that human rights are intertwined and complement one another.
“So, can I have a right to life and not to food, free and accessible health care or security of life and properties? These rights complement one another and should all be justifiable. A citizen needs to be able to hold its government responsible for inactions.
“The Federal Government has failed monumentally in the area of security most especially because why should state government have to provide regional security. Then we have the Armed Forces, Police and civil defense? The central Government is too far from people to be held accountable due to variation of culture and environment”, Lassa mentioned.
He also acknowledged that the 1999 constitution as amended has not given Nigerians the Government
that meets their aspiration. “It has consistently given us terrible leadership. It has given us unimaginable poverty, it has given room for breeding insecurity, and we keep seeing new sects raising their heads, Boko haram, bandits, unknown gunmen, Fulani herdsmen, Lakurawa and others. Our educational system has been degraded especially with the staggering number of out-of-school children.
“This constitution has constantly aided corruption because the system has been
rigged to produce the worst of the worst. A system where illegality and criminality is rewarded and hard work and uprightness go unnoticed and unrewarded. We are in a retrogressive state.”
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