Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has said Nigeria cannot move forward without a new constitution.
He believes that this must happen if the country truly desires to end the “unprecedented level of divisiveness and declining sense of national unity” among its people.
He stated this in Ekiti State while delivering the 2023 Convocation Lecture of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, titled, “Management of Diversity: A Major Challenge to Governance in Pluralistic Countries”.
Anyaoku said to achieve the desired transformation for the better, the country needs a system of government that not only addresses Nigeria’s diversity but is also based on a constitution that can correctly be described as the Nigerian people’s constitution.
He said, “The essence of the new Constitution should, in recognition of the crucial principle of subsidiarity in every successful federation, involve a devolution of powers from the central government to fewer and more viable federating units with strong provisions for inclusive governance at the centre and in the regions as was agreed by Nigeria’s founding fathers.
“In contrast, today if truth be told, the situation in our country is lamentable.”
“I believe that Nigeria is still salvageable. The country can still be restored to greater peace, greater security, a renewed sense of national unity, greater political stability, and a more assured pace of economic development,” he added.
