Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria’s major challenges stem from those entrusted with operating the constitution rather than the constitution itself.
Obasanjo made this known in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the National Summit, Chief Emeka Anyaoku. The letter was read on Wednesday during the ongoing National Summit on the Future of Nigeria’s Constitutional Democracy, held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
In the letter, Obasanjo emphasized that while no constitution is perfect and some areas of Nigeria’s constitution may require amendment, the real issue lies in the way it is operated.
“A nation’s Constitution as the fundamental law must reflect the history, the constituents and the aspirations of its people. It must be sacrosanct. From my experience in operating our Constitution, I will be the first to point out some areas of our Constitution that need amendment,” he stated.
“However, for me, no Constitution can ever be regarded as perfect. But whatever the strength or weakness of a Constitution, the most important issue to my own understanding and experience is the operators of the Constitution.”
He argued that even the best constitution can be undermined by those responsible for enforcing it, noting that good governance and the welfare of the people are dependent on the integrity and conduct of those in power.
Obasanjo added, “I am more concerned about the operators of the constitution to lead in good governance and promotion of welfare and well-being of the citizenry.
“No matter what you do to the Nigerian Constitution, if the operators of the Nigerian Constitution for the past one decade and a half remain unchanged and continue in the same manner, the welfare and well-being of Nigerians will continue to be sacrificed on the altar of selfishness, self-centredness, corruption, impunity, and total disregard of the Constitution, decency, morality, integrity and honesty.”
He urged that focus be placed on ensuring that competent and accountable individuals operate the constitution, stating that only then can meaningful amendments or a new constitution serve the nation’s interests.
“At this crucial time, the operators matter more, and the searchlight should be on them. When we get the right operators, they will give us the amended or new Constitution close to what we need to make every Nigerian a proud stakeholder in the Project Nigeria,” Obasanjo said.
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