A former Acting Governor of Kogi State Chief Clarence Olafemi has described the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as a Devil and the greatest enemy of the Nation’s Democracy.
Olafemi equally said the 1999 must be dismantled immediately before it consumes the entire country.
The former Acting Governor disclosed this on Monday while fielding question from journalist in Lokoja on the state of the nation and the 22nd anniversary of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria.
He said the current Nigeria Constitution is the basic root of Nigeria problem stressing that, the constitution was designed by the Military to enslaved Nigerians.
Describing some clauses of the Constitution as satanic, the former Kogi Assembly Speaker averred further that the Constitution was imposed by the Military when they lost sympathy in the sight of many Nigerians.
He said” Our greatest enemy today against the true democracy we are looking for is the 1999 Constitution. The Nigeria 1999 Constitution was created as a trap by the military to punish Nigerians. They knew Nigerians were saying We don’t want you, you must go. No military no Military.
“They now said we will deal with this People and they permanently enslaved us with that constitution. Now, how do we change the core area of the constitution that needs to free and liberate Nigerians.
“The President has come out to say restructuring is the duty of the National Assembly. How would the National Assembly restructure when the Constitution did not permit us to create one single Local Government. To get a Local Government created, that will be an addition to what was listed in the 1999 constitution. It has to pass through two-third of the National Assembly and two-third of the State Assemblies which can never be done. All attempts to do it will fail. If you cannot create a Local Government, you cannot create another State.
“How do you regionalize Nigeria? How do you restructure Nigeria? It is still the same process. This is the literate part of it that Nigerians do not know. Rather than wasting our time fighting, we should first of all tackle the removal of all those clauses that enslave us in the Constitution. It is then that we can possibly think of how to restructure. You cannot restructure with the present constitution.
“It has been enacted, we have accepted it. It has been documented to rule us. Anything done outside it is legitimately illegal. And that is the problem and nobody is looking at that. They will come with some amendments at the periphery, but it has nothing to do with the core problem of Nigeria. They are talking of referendums. Where is the provision of referendum in the 1999 Constitution? It is not there.
Olafemi, who lamented on the present insecurity in the country explained that the atrocities of the herdsmen in Nigeria, is more than a Civil war.
He maintained that every problem the country is facing today is roving around the constitution.
Continuing, the former Acting Governor said, “Of course, we cannot be talking of any form of development under the current insecurity we are witnessing in Nigeria today. Almost all of our economy is collapsing. Farming is becoming a problem. In my area now, to farm, you grow your cassava, the herdsmen will move their cow, uproot your cassava and cut it with their cutlasses for their cows to eat all in the name of freedom of movement within Nigeria and grazing.
“This is absolute nonsense. My Son invested N30Million in sugarcane. He has already made a market for it. The herdsmen went inside the farm, put fire on it, so that it can start re-germinating, and then drove their cow inside to eat it. The atrocities of the herdsmen in Nigeria, is more than a Civil war. Agriculture is killed. Some actions that can be taken, cannot be done until the constitution is amended.
“Every problem of the country when you intend to drive round it, ends up at the door of the Constitution. We should tell ourselves the truth. That constitution is a Devil and needs to be dismantled at all cost.
“If Mr President who has the executive power is now saying that what can save Nigeria from war and anarchy is in the corridor of the National Assembly. If the National Assembly cannot do it, they should all resign and let us confirm that there is no National Assembly. So, let us see how the President would exist.
On Nigeria democracy celebration, he said the nation has departed from the goal post of the June 12 election. “Our politics have been polluted with thuggery, and killings. In fact, the people’s vote no longer counts. It is democracy with might. How much money can you put into the struggle? How many thugs can you recruit to fill in the result sheets? In fact, we are making a mockery of the whole concept of June 12. Ordinary councilors election, you will thugs snatching ballot boxes.
“A sitting Governor doesn’t want to lose on a single Local Government. He wins all the Local Government because he sits down in the comfort of his zone and give instructions that, you must deliver all the Local Government in my State. He uses people’s money to suppress people’s will. He uses people’s resources to suppress their will. You can imagine what it is today, Local Government as a third tier of Government is not working.
They are just figure heads. Resources meant for Local Government are diverted by the State with impunity.
“We are really miles away from the goal post of our founding father’s concept of democracy. The people who designed the democracy never thought that the human being that would manage it will be the type that we have now, where the spirit, the intent and the purpose will be defeated with impunity. We found ourselves where we are. It is not hopeless “he added.
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