Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, has said the current Nigerian Constitution would not adequately address the nation’s economic predicaments and other myriad of challenges.
Anyaoku stated this on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in his country home, Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State.
The former Commonwealth scribe said poverty, insecurity, and dilapidated infrastructure, among others, were serious challenges bedevelling the country.
“I am on record for saying that these challenges cannot be effectively addressed under the constitution and governance system we have at the moment.
“We cannot effectively address these challenges that have assumed nationwide dimension, especially insecurity, which has pervaded the northern part of the country and other communities,” he said.
He stressed that the current constitution was a departure from the constitution that the nation’s founding fathers negotiated and agreed upon.
“The constitution for a pluralistic state as Nigeria, we have to return to those principles of the constitution as earlier agreed by our founding fathers.
“Until we do that, I am afraid that we cannot effectively deal with the challenges facing the nation,” he added.
When asked about the Monday sit-at-home observed in the South-east region and the negative effects on the economy, the elder statesman said that the sit-at-home was causing great damage to the economy of the country.
“The sit-at- home is doing great damage to the economy of the South-east region, I do not support the idea, I think it is doing great damage to the economy. We have to deal with the root cause of sit-at-home, which is the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
“Notwithstanding the fact that the court of law had ordered his release, that word gives those who advocate and participate in sit-at-home the reason for doing so.
“I think that the cause of the sit-at-home should be addressed, I do not think that the sit-at-home should be maintained, it should be stopped,” he suggested.
On the Ito-Ogoto traditional event that was being celebrated every three years in the community, he observed that those who attained the age of 80 years were celebrated.
He added that the Igbo culture respects age, because it was believed that age brings wisdom.
Peter Uzoho
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