Yoruba Indigenes Foundation advocates restructuring of Nigeria 

CITIZENS COMPASS —The Yoruba Indigenes Foundation (YIF), under the leadership of Dr Olumide Aderibole, has frowned at the continuous usage of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the nation.

The Foundation said this on Thursday, February 8, 2024, through its Director of Communications and Strategies, Sanjo Olawuyi. 

It said the  nation can no longer fly with the 1999 Constitution due to some lapses spotted on it. 

According to Aderibole, 

• It is grossly unfair that the 1999 constitution, which happens to possess an array of lapses, is still in daily usage in Nigeria

as the main manual of governance and the key instrument of power allocation and resources sharing.

“It is obvious that the Constitution lacks major features which are crucial to moving Nigeria to a plum seat, in the committee of nations. It is imperative to replace this Constitution with a brand new one, rather than panel beating it.

“We cannot panelbeat it with a series of endless amendments as none of its amendments had succeeded in attesting, arresting, addressing and redressing all the main issues and challenges of Nigeria that are directly related to the historical framework of larger ethnic groups, geopolitical zones and states within the country.

“It is conspicuous that this Military document (1999 Constitution), was hurriedly written by very few unpatriotic people, who did not represent the geographical spread of the nation or satisfies its political, religions and cultural diversities.

“The 1999 Constitution lacks footings for the economic liberation of the commoners because, the lapses in it oscillate around, excessive/abuse of power by the executives, absence of true federalism and the process of amendments.

The Yoruba Indigenes Foundation is calling on all the constitutional stakeholders in the country to speedily and spiritedly start a process of restructuring of Nigeria.

The restructuring will start from a wholistic constitutional reform, but not the endless cosmetics constitutional amendments. 

“The lappsis in this current constitution has given too much powers to the executives. It makes political offices to be too lucrative and attractive to allot of public spiritless politicians. If not because of the lappsis of the 1999 Constitution, the process of varying for political positions will not become a do or die affairs. 

“With the Constitution, the rich and wealthy Nigerians have overbearing privilege/right against the poor Nigerians.

“The Nigeria of our dream will start emanating from restructuring. True federalism will spring forth from restructuring. Pragmatically, restructuring will automatically come with transparency, public spritness, patriotism, power devolution, equitable distribution of wealth/natural resources, fortified economy, true geopolitical ownership.

“In conclusion, restructuring will produce brand new, effective and efficient electoral law, that will be masses centered. It will allow state policing, self policing and contemporary moral cum ethical standard in all facets of Nigeria.”