Groups advocate people-oriented constitution for Nigeria

Pro-democracy groups, The Patriots and The Democrats have advocated for people-oriented and Democratic constitution for the development of Nigeria State.

The groups made the call in Lagos at the commemoration of the 32nd year of annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election by the military regime of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Democracy without democratic constitution: which way forward?’, the Secretary-General of The Patriot, Prof. Wale Okunniyi called on President Bola Tinubu to stand up and declare an emergency in Nigeria particularly on the ineffectiveness of the 1999 constitution.

He said, “This is a Pro-Democracy programme. It is a programme designed to set agenda for our democracy for the next one year and that’s what we do annually. Annually, we gather together to pay tributes to Martyrs of our struggle. What are we going to drawn from years of government? Why celebrating for the fact that we have something that looks like democracy because there is no way we would have democracy without people’s constitution. It is an aberration. What happened in 1998 was an aberration? That was why we have on our hands till today a military decree instead of a constitution and that has not helped the course of democracy in anyway. It has not helped the course of development and it has impeded everything. It has put power in the hands of State captors and therefore today, we will always have civilian dictators when we have this kind of structure”.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Planning Committee, Prof Anthony Killa, described June 12 as a day of reflection on personal sacrifice and collective resolve on the kind of Nigeria the people want.

He declared that June 12 is bigger than May 29 and October 1, noting that it was a time the entire Nigeria stood up for something.

Killa added “The essence of today’s gathering is to reflect and take inspiration from this particular day, June 12 which arguably is the source of this republic. It is a time to reflect on personal sacrifice and collective resolve and national vision of our future. The June 12 was a time when the whole country was united in most part of the country to say this is what we wanted. I must appreciate those that stood up for something. I must also remember those that didn’t stand up for anything or were truly on the other side. But because we are prone to the virtues of forgiveness and hope, hope is what we should be driving at and put aside those that are not part of the struggle”

Chairman of the occasion and a leading member of The Patriots, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu urged Nigerians to celebrate the survival of the entity called Nigeria.

A renowned Political Economist, Prof. Pat Utomi reminisces on the journey of the June 12 struggle while expressing hope that Nigeria will rise again. He urged Nigerians to take up the culture of freedom and claim freedom as a right and surely Nigeria will rise again.