The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has disclosed that the 1999 Constitution is responsible for the myriads of problems facing the country, calling for a new constitution to be written.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke during the inauguration of the house ad hoc committee on constitution review in Abuja on Thursday, Gbajabiamila stated that Nigerians are suffering and much needed to be done by the government to ameliorate the pains, and save the country from imminent collapse.
“Many of our development questions lies in the pages of a new Nigerian constitution, ” the lawmaker representing Surulere, Lagos Constituency 2 said on Thursday, adding that the authorities must act now for the survival of the country.
He said “When you ask me what the state of our nation is, the honest answer is this: we are in a fight for the very survival of our country and the continuation of the Nigerian project.
“Recent global developments have exposed all our systemic weaknesses so that we can no longer pretend to ourselves that things are on an even keel and slow progress is enough to get us to where we ought to be yet are still so far away from.
“This ninth house of representatives has since committed to the cause of reform. Our commitment must neither waver nor wane on the matter of thoughtful and fair overhaul of our nation’s constitution.”
The speaker called on the political class to save the country from total collapse.
“The reality of our current circumstances and the now certain knowledge that only us can save ourselves imposes on us an obligation to act with greater determination and all the urgency this moment calls for.”
Gbajabiamila spoke on the heels of clamour, by different groups across the country for the country to be reformed.
