The National Alliance for Development, NADEV, has frowned at what it termed “deceitful efforts” by the 9th National Assembly to kick start another round of review of the 1999 Constitution.
NADEV said the review committee led by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege was a “lazy voyage that lacks fundamental connection” with the true wishes and aspirations of over 200 million Nigerians.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Barr. Dotun Hassan, the group called for a National Restructuring Affairs Commission, and National Plebiscite and Referendum Commission.
It noted that these commissions would carry Nigerians along in the drafting an amended constitution.
According to Hassan: “All that can guarantee the safety of our democracy is for the National Assembly to consider restructuring of the nation along the lines of true federalism, with provisions for the establishment of the National Restructuring Affairs Commission, National Plebiscite and Referendum Commission, in order to ensure Nigerians are duly carried along and allowed to ventilate and positively contribute towards the overall process that will lead to the drafting and emergence of a new People’s Constitution and not an amendment review of a failed and badly crafted Decree 24 infested 1999 constitution(As Amended).
“More so, the immediate Deputy Senate President of Senator Ekweremadu led Review Committee of the same 1999 constitution gulped billions of naira, with no commensurate achievements to show for it.
“Nigerians have lost total confidence in the 9th Assembly- led Senate that gave Nigerians wishy-washy CAMA law, about to smuggle Water Resources Bill and infest Nigerians with dreadful bills not in tandem with their expectations of succinct delivery of dividends of democracy viz provision of adequate palleative welfare stimulus to Nigerians during this unbearable Covid 19 pandemic, unflinching security of lives and properties, aggressive economic revival and prudent management of the nation’s abundant of human and natural resources.
“The review coming at this period is perceived as another premeditated smoke screen agenda to clandestinely implement the Senator Ahmed Lawan Senate President’s earlier beliefs of smuggling extension of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government beyond his constitutionally allowed tenure.
“Having said earlier that his leadership is fully prepared to allow Mr President serve a lifetime tenure system.
“We have gone through this precarious process during Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s third term agenda locust era.
So we totally reject all attempt by the National Assembly to using the instrumentality of the statutory legislative powers to force Nigerians in to lifetime punishments.
“Especially, at this critical state of our national lives where debt profile is on the astronomical rise, insecurity remains a daily woes and nightmare to Nigerians in NorthEast, North Central and Southern Kaduna, more regrettable is the unmitigated attendant effects of corruption index reports from all tiers of governments nationally.
“To this end we are alerting the National Assembly to desist from embarking on another time wasting and lazy voyage.”