Anyaoku’s group, The Patriots, writes NASS on new constitution

• Inaugurates constitution committee, with Kila as chairman

A group of statesmen, The Patriots, yesterday, inaugurated a 17-member advocacy committee for the drafting of a new constitution for the country. It also wrote the National Assembly to get the process started.

The leader of The Patriots, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, said the new constitution would be designed to curb massive corruption and mismanagement of the country’s resources.

He spoke at the inauguration of the National Advocacy Committee for the Actualisation of a New Democratic People’s Constitution in Lagos, stressing that the reason for the myriads of problems confronting the country was traceable to the current constitution.

The committee, led by Prof. Anthony Kila, has Senator Shehu Sani as co-chair; Bilikisu Magoro as executive secretary), and Dr Sam Amadi, Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, Shettima Yerima, Ene Obi, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Madu Bright Alwell, Zaka Bala and Samson Itodo, among others, as members.

Anyaoku maintained that the situation of the country had become worse than it had ever been, saying a new constitution would help to address the challenges facing the people. He maintained that there was a great urgency in heeding their call and that the committee would be guided by that sense of urgency.

He said: “The advocacy committee was set up to enable The Patriots to get their message across to the general public. We believe that the message needs to get to the National Assembly because of their role in getting the process of having a new democratic people’s constitution started.

“We believe that the initial step should be taken by the President, whom we have advised to send an executive bill to the National Assembly, asking them to legislate on two major things. The first is to legislate for the convening of a Constituent Assembly. We suggested that they could be elected based on three parts for each of the 36 states, and the task of this Constituent Assembly would be to produce the draft of the new democratic people’s constitution, and in their deliberation, they would need to take into account the 1963 constitution, which was truly federal, and they should also take into account the recommendations of the constitutional conferences that have been held in recent years including, in particular, the 2014 national conference convened under the presidency of good love Jonathan.

“The task of the advocacy committee is to take this message, mobilise the general public, different sectors of the general public, students, youth, private sector, and indeed all members of the general public to sensitise them and get their support for the recommended New Democratic People’s constitution.”

In his acceptance speech, Kila stated that his committee would do all they could to inform, engage and get input from various members of the public.