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President-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, John Nnia Nwodo has once again re-echoed the call for restructuring Nigeria as he warns that a delay threatens the unity of the country.
Nwodo made the statement in an interview with BBC Igbo programme held in commemoration of Odumegwu Ojukwu’s Biafra declaration day that set the stage for an eventual 36 months of civil war in the country.
He opined that for a constitution to be valid, it must be endorsed by citizens in a referendum, and this, the current 1999 constitution on which the country is driven, lacks.
He said: “Lawyers can tell that no constitution is valid unless endorsed by citizens in a referendum. We never did all that. That is why the Igbos in Ohanaeze, the Yorubas in Afenifere, and the Middle Belt Congress rejected it.
“We must return to that which we had before independence. Before the 1999 constitution, we had supreme courts in every region. Presiding over certain cases was regionally exclusive. The new system has ruined leadership in Nigeria.
“We must restructure Nigeria and overhaul our police and the court system. Igbos were made Nigerians by the gun and there’s no democratic or legal foundation for our constitution.
“It is imperative that we return to the regional system. If we don’t, it’s like building a house without putting up a foundation. That house will only fall and in no distant time too.
“In Nigeria, we don’t have many Igbo police commissioners, even among intelligence agencies. It’s clear that Nigeria is being cautious because it is known that we didn’t accept this leadership style and the constitution itself.
“During Jonathan’s tenure, there was a constitutional conference. But all that deliberation was put in the fridge. How difficult can it be for FG to bring that document forward and have Nigerians reach a consensus by vote casting?
“But the current administration doesn’t seem to show interest. If the government doesn’t address the development barriers that come with this constitution, time would come when Nigerians may resort to civil disobedience.”
