By [Oluwatosin Emmanuel]
Introduction:
Permit me to ask a haunting question: “Where did we sit to agree?” Because the truth is clear—Nigeria never collectively agreed to the document that governs her existence today. The 1999 Constitution is not a covenant of the people but a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) drafted and handed over by a few powerful men in military fatigues. It was never subjected to a national referendum, never debated by a Sovereign National Conference, and never validated by the collective will of the Nigerian people.
It begins with a lie: “We the people...”—yet the people were never at the table.
The Fragile Foundation:
The structure Nigeria operates under today was not designed to foster unity, justice, or development. It was designed to entrench control, breed dependence, and pocket the destiny of a nation. The result? A system that rewards centralization and punishes creativity, that glorifies corruption and stifles meritocracy, and that has left millions disillusioned and disenfranchised.
The Danger Ahead:
1. National Disintegration: The false unity we project is already unraveling. From the East to the West, from the Niger Delta to the North-Central, regional discontent is rising. Ethnic groups are tired of being tied to a marriage they never consented to.
2. Rising Insecurity: Without local policing and control, communities are defenceless. From banditry to terrorism, from kidnappings to communal violence, the state is overwhelmed—and the people are vulnerable.
3. Economic Paralysis: A centralized economy has paralyzed productivity. States that should be global economic hubs have been reduced to monthly beggars of federal allocation.
4. Leadership Vacuum and Trust Deficit: When people don’t trust the foundation, they can't trust the leadership. What you build on a lie cannot last.
The Damages Done:
True Federalism Has Been Hijacked: States cannot legislate independently on critical issues like power, security, and taxation.
The Jonathan Confab Sabotage: The 2014 National Conference was a near solution to our constitutional crisis. But the elite, fearing the loss of control, buried its recommendations.
Youth Disillusionment: A generation is growing up angry and hopeless, with no belief in the nation they call home.
Perpetual Dependency and Corruption: Power has become a business enterprise, not a platform for service. The constitution encourages this cycle.
The Way Forward:
We cannot remain silent. Silence now is consent to destruction. Nigeria must rise to correct this historical wrong before it consumes the nation.
1. A New Constitution Through National Referendum: Let us convene a Sovereign National Conference where every ethnic group and social bloc is represented. Let the people draft and adopt a truly federal constitution.
2. Decentralization of Power and Policing: Return power to the people. Let security be community-based. Let states legislate and govern their affairs while contributing to national development.
3. Implement the 2014 Confab Report: That document holds the keys to restructuring, fairness, and a balanced federation. It should no longer gather dust.
4. Empower States and Regions: With control over resources, states will innovate, compete, and grow. Let development be driven from the grassroots, not dictated from Abuja.
5. Raise a Generation of Courageous Leaders: We must invest in leaders who understand that governance is service, not conquest. Leaders with vision, values, and voice.
Conclusion:
We stand at the threshold of either reformation or rupture. If we refuse to fix the foundation, we will lose the building. The present constitution is not just flawed—it is fatal to our future.
Let it be said in history that we rose in time. Let it be recorded that we spoke before silence became complicity. And let it be known that we fought, not with weapons, but with wisdom—for a new Nigeria that begins, truly, with “We the people...”
Post a Comment