Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has said that the Nigerian 1999 constitution is the key reason the country remains poor.
The constitution which was drafted in 1999 was supervised under the Abdusalami Abubakar led military junta.
Inevitably, some of its contents are generated from the draft 1995 constitution prepared during the regime of another late military dictator, Sani Abacha.
The constitution, however, has been faulted from several quarters for giving too much power to the centre while limiting authority to the federating states.
While speaking at an African Union ceremony on Tuesday, he said the constitution has incapacitated development in the states.
Babalola who was honoured with the ‘African role model and the African Union agenda 2063 ambassador awards’ by the African Union Economic Socio-Cultural Council, added that that only true federal constitution can produce transformational leaders.
He said, “The 1999 constitution is, in large measure, responsible for the problems we have in Nigeria today. The constitution has discouraged and crippled development in the states. Consequently, Nigeria remains a poor country like most African countries.”
“What Nigeria needs is a bill sponsored by the government, asking the senate to pass a law for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference that the membership will be elected on zero party system.
“It is only through a true federal constitution that transformational leaders can emerge and a true Nigeria nation can emerge from over the 300 nations in the country. Africa needs leaders who can transform the continent. The renaissance has started in ABUAD. We have succeeded in nine years to transform education in the country.”
Babalola was honoured with the ‘African role model and the African Union agenda 2063 ambassador awards’ by the African Union Economic Socio-Cultural Council.
Chief Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, has said that the Nigerian 1999 constitution is the key reason the country remains poor adding that only true federal constitution can produce transformational leaders.
The constitution which was drafted in 1999 was supervised under the Abdusalami Abubakar led military junta.
Inevitably, some of its contents are generated from the draft 1995 constitution prepared during the regime of another late military dictator, Sani Abacha.
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The constitution, however, has been faulted from several quarters for giving too much power to the centre while limiting authority to the federating states.
Babalola while speaking at an African Union ceremony on Tuesday, said the constitution has incapacitated development in the states.
He said, “The 1999 constitution is, in large measure, responsible for the problems we have in Nigeria today. The constitution has discouraged and crippled development in the states. Consequently, Nigeria remains a poor country like most African countries.”
“What Nigeria needs is a bill sponsored by the government, asking the senate to pass a law for the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference that the membership will be elected on zero party system.
“It is only through a true federal constitution that transformational leaders can emerge and a true Nigeria nation can emerge from over the 300 nations in the country. Africa needs leaders who can transform the continent. The renaissance has started in ABUAD. We have succeeded in nine years to transform education in the country.”
