By Lloyd F. Ukwu, Esquire<\/p>\n
Nigeria must embrace\u00a0restructuring now! If\u00a0it resists,\u00a0growing chaos and strife\u00a0will ensue.\u00a0The status quo is indefensible.<\/p>\n
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The Nigerian Constitution\u2014its birth certificate\u2014is\u00a0illegitimate. \u00a0The document was\u00a0unilaterally\u00a0decreed by a military dictator\u00a0with ulterior motives\u00a0to entrench\u00a0the military\u00a0and concentrate power at the center. \u00a0It’s an open secret that the Nigerian Constitution was an existing decree that was simply converted to a Constitution. It was never submitted to the Nigerian people\u00a0for\u00a0approval\u00a0directly\u00a0i
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Nigeria\u2019s 1960 birth from British colonialism was\u00a0also\u00a0illegitimate. \u00a0It violated the\u00a0decolonization mandate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) enshrined in paragraph\u00a02 of the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples: \u00a0\u201cAll peoples have the right to self-determination; by virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.\u201d\u00a0The\u00a0several distinct peoples of Nigeria were denied the right to self-determination. Britain handed Nigeria\u2019s\u00a0sovereignty to its political or economic favorites as if Nigerians were serfs to be disposed of by the lord of the manor.<\/p>\n
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It is thus no surprise that Nigeria\u2019s Constitution has been denuded of separation of powers\u2014a structural bill of rights to protect the Nigerian people from tyranny. \u00a0The President and his minions in the Executive Branch possess all muscular authority, including a monopoly on the\u00a0legalized\u00a0use of force or violence and the power of the purse to keep state and local governments subservient. \u00a0The Legislative and Judicial Branches of government are to the Executive as a minnow is to a whale.\u00a0\u00a0But the\u00a0combination of executive, legislative, and judicial power in a single branch is the very definition of tyranny.\u00a0\u00a0And the people not only have a natural right\u2014they have a duty\u2014to repudiate a tyrannical government and to provide new guards for their future security and liberty.<\/p>\n
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Nigeria\u2019s Constitution also makes a mockery of genuine federalism. \u00a0Devolution of power from the center is urgent in a diverse country like Nigeria featuring multiple ethnicities, religions, and cultures to insure laws\u00a0are responsive to popular sentiments, customs, and practices.\u00a0\u00a0All significant power is entrusted to the central government. \u00a0States and local governments must beg for money. \u00a0In politics\u00a0he who has the gold makes the rules. \u00a0States also lack control over police or security forces. \u00a0They are powerless to protect ethnic, religious, or political minorities within their jurisdictions from persecution by\u00a0national authorities or their myrmidons.<\/p>\n
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Nigeria\u2019s Constitution is purportedly secular. \u00a0Section 10 provides that, \u201cThe Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion.\u201d \u00a0The author elaborated: \u00a0\u201cBy this section, Nigeria is declared to be a secular state and therefore cannot join any organization that has a religious connotation.\u201d \u00a0Yet Nigeria has joined the Organization of Islamic Countries; and, twelve States have adopted Sharia as their legal code while some states in the southern part of Nigeria have, at times, openly referred to themselves as Christian states. Religion has become constitutionally divisive rather than unifying. \u00a0A constitutional adjustment is necessary.<\/p>\n
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The illegitimacy of Nigeria\u2019s Constitution has\u00a0spawned a dilapidated economy, deficient schools, environmental degradation, regional and religious prejudice, chronic government lawlessness, monumental corruption, and overwhelming popular sentiments favoring restructuring.<\/p>\n
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A Nigerian National Conference on the Political Future of Nigeria is the first step towards the salvation of the Nigerian people. \u00a0Respected leaders from all of Nigeria\u2019s diverse communities should come together in the United States away from the intimidating environment in Nigeria created by President\u00a0Mohammadu\u00a0Buhari\u2019s\u00a0
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Change is coming to Nigeria irrespective of\u00a0Aso\u00a0Rock. Or should I say that “change the change” is coming to Nigeria. The Nigerian people want the change to be peaceful, democratic and orderly. \u00a0The purpose of the Conference is to honor that sentiment.<\/p>\n
Lloyd F. Ukwu, Esquire, an international lawyer writes from Washington, D.C.,USA (202)-380-9748<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Lloyd F. Ukwu, Esquire Nigeria must embrace\u00a0restructuring now! If\u00a0it resists,\u00a0growing chaos and strife\u00a0will ensue.\u00a0The status quo is indefensible. The Nigerian Constitution\u2014its birth certificate\u2014is\u00a0illegitimate. \u00a0The document was\u00a0unilaterally\u00a0decreed by a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n