Reactions have continued to trail the national broadcast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the #ENDBADGOVERNANCE protest that took place virtually across the states in the country. Many who reacted to the President’s broadcast hold the view that in all ramifications, he failed to address the issues raised by the protesters and did not even offer immediate, short and long term solutions to the problems; ranging from socio-economic and political issues that in the first instance, prompted angry Nigerians to take to the street.
Others felt that one year in office of the All Progressives Congress administration was not enough to assess the government and so, pleaded with aggrieved Nigerians to give the Tinubu government more time to put its house in order. This was not unconnected with the recent visit of the Patriots to the president at the presidential Villa, Abuja. The Patriots, made up of prominent and distinguished Nigerians, including former governors, were led by the former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku. The Patriots made a case for some far-reaching political reforms that should be carried out almost immediately by the current administration to save the country from imminent collapse.
They essentially called for a brand-new Nigerian Constitution that would be put together by a 109-member Constituent Assembly and approved through a nationwide referendum, among other demands. Suffice to say here that in 2014, the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan convened a National Conference in the mould of the one being promoted by the Patriots, where every section of the country was represented with several billions of naira spent in what many political observers described as a jamboree without tangible outcome.
The intent then was to present to Nigerians a new constitution since the argument has been that the 1999 constitution still operational is flawed with several inconsistencies, and that a section of the country is favoured, going by demography and in the distribution of the national wealth and appointment into offices. It is on record that the times have changed, with the understanding that Nigeria has had multiplicity of problems between 2014 and now. But, is that assertion strong enough to completely jettison the whole work that was done in 2014 by Nigerians where all ethnic groups were represented and billions of tax payers’ money spent to hold the conference? The problem of this country ever, has remained the lack of courage and political will to deliver on campaign promises.
Policy inconsistencies and summersaults have been the bane with our leaders, pretending that all is well while the country is on fire. Yet, in the midst of this confusion with hopelessness and hunger staring us in the face, a new ministry is created, gigantic coastal highway project embarked upon, when in real sense many roads and other critical infrastructure across the country are begging for attention. We see some of these moves as a conduit pipe through which public funds are siphoned. While we appreciate the fact that the Patriots in their submission meant well for Nigerians, we also think that the reports on what should be done to address the imbalance in the society already presented to the federal government in the 2014 National Convention should not be completely thrown away, but that it should be infused into whatever solution put forward to address the challenges currently confronting the country.
Every gathering by the National Assembly means different things to different people, especially when it’s obvious that the political class really has different agenda they are pursuing, considering where their interests are directed. The citizens are largely blamed for our unending political woes as a country. Our attitude and character accounts for where we are today, meaning that without a change in our way of doing things and the mindset of the leaders, no constitution will make positive impact, even though it seeks to represent the plurality of the nation, without exception.
However, it is also imperative to amend the 1999 constitution that over time has caused the logjam on the polity since that is the peoples’ wish in a democracy we claim to run. We expect that the government, given the tension in the land, must ensure that internal cohesion is achieved which can only be possible by addressing the fundamental issues that bother and reflect the will of the people.
