NIGERIANS are calling for Peoples Constitution. Does this have the capacity to entrench participatory democracy in the polity?
When people say that they need a Peoples Constitution, what they really mean is that they are advocating a process of constitutional amendment that must carry the people along. Carrying along not just the stakeholders, but also the entire citizens of Nigeria, which they want to be made part of the process.
The National Assembly has organised public hearings several times in most of the geopolitical zones and the essence is to ensure that the people of the geopolitical zones know exactly what the senators are doing with respect to the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
If the Senators and Reps take these engagements at the public hearings and the views of the people into account, I think the production (amendment) will symbolise that the people have taken part in the constitution. This is because whatever they are to deliberate upon must be inputs they received from the respective people that had attended the public hearings, both at the senatorial and constituency levels.
Creation of state dominated the hearings of the National Assembly in the Southeast zone. Does this represent the only thing to be reviewed for a better Southeast, and thus Nigeria?
I think to create an additional state in the Southeast is something that is overdue. The zone has lost several trillions of naira as a result of lack of creation of states.
The issue of creation of additional state from the Southeast is becoming a psychological thing; it is creating a kind of complex amongst the people of the region and it is fair and proper that the Nigerian nation see reasons to making sure that the Southeast geopolitical zone gets additional state, which, of course, should not be put in the basket clamour for state creation.
So, I believe that the clamour is quite genuine and we want to urge the National Assembly to expeditiously, by way of a separate bill, create an additional state in the Southeast, which must not be in the proposal for (amendment of the) 1999 Constitution. It should be separate and be made to occasion equilibrium so that at the end of the day, the people of the Southeast can beat their chests and be like other political zones.
To me this (lack of additional state) has actually brought a lot of problems, and in most cases they (southeasterners) tell you that they marginalise the southeast. This state (creation) is very cardinal in the said marginalisation of the Southeast.
You can imagine a situation where an average state in Nigeria gets about N4 billion monthly and then a geopolitical zone that has about six states will now get about N24 billion and the zone with seven states gets like N28 billion and the Southeast will come back with only N20 billion.
So also is the production of senators. Each state is supposed to produce three senators and you see the Southeast producing less. The zone is losing; we are shortchanged in terms of state creation and it goes in all cadre of government. It is long overdue and I think the National Assembly should judiciously look into the creation of state in the Southeast as an urgent matter.
Do you think that the National Assembly can grant this request knowing too well that there are areas already in opposition against state creation as well as the difficulty in amending the clause in the Constitution to grant state creation?
I think the issue is that we are looking at what is proper; we are not looking at the clamour for selfish interest. The clamour for creation of state in the Southeast has nothing to do with selfish interest; it has nothing to do with even favouring the Southeast; it has nothing to with the Southeast agitating for something they do not deserve. It has to do with occasioning equilibrium in the Nigerian polity.
Of course, the process of state creation is very simple. Once the National Assembly sees reason to create a state banking on the memorandum or memoranda sent by the Southeast, the next thing is to pass it to the various Houses of Assembly and I am sure they are going to rectify it.
The Houses of Assembly in Nigeria are made up of responsible individuals and organisations. As a matter of fact, they are filled with people who know what equilibrium and fairness in politics are and I can assure that the moment the National Assembly play their own ball, it will not be difficult for the State Houses of Assembly to rectify it.
It is with a view to occasioning equity and not aimed at shortchanging anybody; and it is very important if we say we are moving together as a nation. We cannot say that we are moving together when others are permanently shortchanged — and this should be the guiding principle. Therefore, as much as the process appears cumbersome, it can be surmounted if we give regard to the fact that it is for equilibrium and good governance
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