Omo-Agege To South- South Group: Go To Court If You Want New Constitution

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, on Friday urged representatives of the five states from the South South under the auspices of BRADEC United Assembly to approach the court in order to stop the implementation of the 1999 Constitution.

He also said that only a court ruling can guarantee the framing of a new constitution to replace the current one.

Omo-Agege, who is also the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, spoke while responding to remarks made by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mike Ozekhome.

Ozekhome had, while making a presentation at the just concluded 2-Day National Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, urged the Senate Committee to adopt various memoranda submitted during the zonal hearings, in commencing the process for a new constitution.

The SAN spoke barely 24 hours after Omo-Agege said the National Assembly lacks the powers to set the entire 1999 Constitution aside and birth a new document.

Ezekhome said while the National Assembly lacks the powers, it can begin the process of bringing about a new constitution for the country.

He said the “1999 Constitution was hurriedly compiled from the schedules of Decree 4 by the military.

“The constitution is a unitary document which over- concentrated powers at the centre in a federation.”

Ozekhome, likened the 1999 Constitution to “an illegitimate child” , pointing out that no amount of amendments will give it legitimacy.

“You cannot put something on nothing”, he told the panel.

He also called for a cutting down on the number of lawmakers in the Senate (109 of them), and their services made to be on part time basis, noting that it is too much for Nigeria to carry.

In his submission, BRADEC spokesperson, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi, said the group is shocked at remarks that the Nigerian people cannot have a new constitution even when it is widely accepted that the 1999 Constitution is seriously flawed.

The group said while it may not be feasible to immediately have a new constitution; the National Assembly can begin the process now.

BRADEC supports the views of Southern Governors on restructuring and backs return to a regional arrangement that will make it possible for the various regions operate separately and make progress at their own pace.

The group supports the establishment of state police which it considers as one of the solutions to Nigeria’s mounting insecurity.

Former Head of Service, Yayale Ahmad, who was at the public hearing to renew calls for the creation of Katagum State, also backed the idea of having a new constitution.

Ahmad said he was not surprised that the issue has come up 22 years after the military handed down the 1999 Constitution without the input of the people.