The Nigerian Political Science Association, NPSA, has stated that reforming the country with a new constitution is necessary but not urgent.
In a statement by NPSA President, Hassan Saliu, asserted that Nigeria’s problems arose from the unwillingness to follow moral and ethical standards, rather than the constitution itself.
The statement titled which was titled ‘Necessary but Not Urgent’ revealed that the Patriots recently visited President Bola Tinubu at Aso Rock on August 9, 2024.
According to Saliu, its visit to the president has reignited discussions on Nigeria’s challenges in fulfilling its potential as a shining democratic nation.
The NPSA proposed addressing fundamental attitudinal issues like high costs in a corrupt environment, pressing emergencies like hunger and poverty before attempting to write a new constitution.
The association further asserted that the current constitution could be amended and improved upon as loopholes are exploited by operators for personal gains, while political actors may not follow a new constitution.
The NPSA also complained about unchecked corruption and rubber-stamping legislature, ineffective laws and agencies as well as judicial officers’ questionable pronouncements and unimplemented provisions for citizens’ welfare.
According to the association, reaching a consensus on a new constitution will be a tall order as an elaborate process of drafting a new constitution will lead to many troubling concerns, stressing that the operators of the constitution are the issue.
The body however, noted that there is no perfect constitution anywhere in the world.
The statement reads in part: “The Patriots emphasized the failure of the 1999 Constitution as amended, imposed by the military, as the primary cause of widespread discontent.
“They advocated for a new constitution derived from the people to drive progress. However, another group, represented by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, prioritizes value reorientation over a new constitution, arguing that a flawed value system undermines progress.”
“Not everything wrong with Nigeria is constitutional in nature.
“We should leverage the good aspects of the current constitution to address existential challenges.
“Ultimately, a constitution’s spirit and unwritten national values, rather than its content, drive a nation’s progress.”
