To douse the different agitations in the country, a constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay has called for the scrapping of the 1999 constitution and proposed a return to the 1963 republican constitution.
But Sagay’s position contradicts that of his boss President Muhammadu Buhari.
“My own personal preference is that we should scrap this constitution (referring to the 1999 constitution) and adopt the 1963 constitution that can contain everything that is being agitated for now.”
Mr Sagay who heads Mr Buhari’s advisory committee against corruption (PACAC) said on Monday during an interview on Channels TV.
The 1963 republican constitution which recognised four regions east, north, west, and mid-west, allowed the regions to operate with independent structures that reflected their peculiarities.
Sagay told the broadcaster that the 1963 constitution which empowered regional governments would adequately address the grievances of some regions and the issue of restructuring if considered.
Agitations for a change in governance structure have increased in the past few days. Governors from the southern states declared their resolve for fiscal restructuring, devolution of power to the states and other demands at a meeting in Asaba penultimate week.
Governors elected on the platform of the opposition party PDP as well as South-West APC leaders, have also followed suit, calling for the restructuring of the country.
Sagay’s suggestion comes as the National Assembly prepares to hold public hearings on the ongoing amendments to the 1999 Constitution across the six geopolitical zones.
The PACAC chairman notes that an amendment of the 1963 constitution to accommodate states instead of regions would be preferred to revisiting the 1999 Constitution.
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“We adopt it, with amendments here and there, to make it accommodate states rather than regions, which we used to have,” he said. “I think all these agitations will die down and everybody will be happy.”
Secessionist calls by agitators in the South-East and South-West have been fuelled by acclaimed imbalance and injustice enabled by the 1999 Constitution bequeathed by the military.
Sagay said the country developed faster when the republican constitution was in use in the 1960s.
He said: “The regions competed. Nigeria developed fast. The regions kept what they produced, sent 20 per cent to the federal level, and then 30 per cent to a distributable level, which was then distributed to the regions, according to their needs.”
He added that the country must return to the 1963 republican constitution to enjoy stability.
President Buhari has however continued to insist that any tweak to the current constitution must be routed via the National Assembly.
The Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has condemned the agitation for restructuring, and charged the governors to first ensure the functionality of local government autonomy before demanding federal restructuring from Buhari.
In December, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who doubles as the Chairman, Senate Ad hoc Committee on Constitution Review, said the National Assembly had no powers to replace the current constitution, but could only amend it.
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