By CHIEDU UCHE OKOYE

The calls for the drafting of a new federal constitution for Nigeria have become synonymous with Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who was the former Commonwealth Secretary General. As the leader of The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians, he had spoken on behalf of the group, making public the group?s suggestion or proposal that a new federal constitution is needed for addressing our national questions and conundrums. And Chief Anyaoku, who is a statesman, holds the belief and opinion that Nigeria cannot make meaningful progress in any areas of our national life if we fail to discard the 1999 constitution, which is defective in the main.

However, some public intellectuals and scholars hold views and opinions, which are contrary to Chief Anyaoku?s and The Patriots? stance on the 1999 Nigerian constitution. They blame our country?s economic and technological woes on our successive political leaders, who are inept, corrupt, and destitute of economic and political ideologies. They also said that the much criticized 1999 Nigerian constitution is a reincarnation of the 1979 Nigerian federal constitution.

But does the 1999 constitution deal with all the national conundrums, questions, and matters, which have cropped up in the course of the political evolution of Nigeria? Matters like the creation of the state police, the role of traditional rulers in our democracy, the definitions of citizenship/indigeneship vis-?-vis politicians? vying for elective posts in states other than their home states, and other matters should be holistically treated in the new federal constitution that should be drafted.

A new federal constitution that covers all areas of our national life and makes for the practice of true federalism in our country is pivotal and central to the development of Nigeria. So I share concurrence with Chief Anyaoku and The Patriots that the defective 1999 constitution is a drawback to our economic and technological development and the forging of national unity among the diverse peoples of Nigeria. And the complementarity of a people?s federal constitution and good political leadership will expedite Nigeria?s exit from the cauldron of economic strangulation, technological backwardness, and infrastructural rot.

But we cannot have good and incorruptible political leaders in Nigeria unless and untill we have successfully effected moral regeneration amongst the Nigerian populace from which we recruit our political leaders. Millions of Nigerians are morally depraved and bankrupt. And they have been sucked into the maelstrom of corruption. Corruption has been craftily engrafted into the tapestry of our national life and culture. That is why, in Nigeria, a man who is not corrupt is viewed as either a freak of nature or a mentally deranged person.

Although a new federal constitution cannot be the magic wand or the silver bullet for the extirpation of corruption in Nigeria, and the remaking of our country, it can go a long way in tackling our country?s institutionalised and systemic rot, which causes the dysfunctionality of the Nigerian government. For example, the ineffectiveness and the inappropriateness of policing Nigeria and Nigerians from the centre can be solved only by our having a new federal constitution, which addresses the matter.

And, now, thankfully, the supreme court?s ruling, which granted financial autonomy to the third tier of government, will lead to the emergence of local government chairmen, who will be free from the maniacal dictatorships of the overbearing state governors. But what we need now is a wholesale repeal of the 1999 constitution, and the drafting of a new constitution. Making a piecemeal amendment to it will not solve our niggling national problems.

But following the Supreme Court?s ruling that stipulated that only local government areas, which have democratically elected chairmen will receive monthly allocation from the centre, state governors have started making frenzied and frantic moves to conduct local government polls. Enugu, Plateau, Anambra, and other states have formulated policies and modalities for the conduct of elections of local government chairmen and councilors.

In Anambra state, political activities have started with political parties? leaders convening meetings to conduct primary elections for the nomination of candidates for the local government elections slated for September 28, 2024. As a result, both rural and urban towns in Anambra state are, now, agog with political activities.

Politicking at the grassroots level affords the locals the opportunity to become familiar with the ethos and workings of representative government. We should note that some political big guns, who occupy exalted political posts at the centre, started their political careers at the grassroots level.

In Obosi, which is in Anambra state, grassroots politicians who are technocrats have taken up the gauntlet of the forthcoming September 28, 2024, local government elections to electrify the town with political activities, ranging from holding meetings to staging rallies. So the proposed council election in Anambra state has thrown up such budding political stars as Engr. Solormy Ochokwu, Hon. Nelson Chigbo, Sir Dan Igbokwubili, Mr. Emeka Orizu, Hon. Obichukwu Anyafulu, Mr. Jeremiah Oseloka, Ms Kosiso Erobu, MC Talking Drum Amechi, and others. These afore-mentioned politicians are strutting their stuff on the Obosi political landscape.

The third tier of government which is the local government has remained the training ground for politicians who will emerge at the state and national levels. And having democratically elected local government chairmen, who are not beholden to overbearing state governors, will make for the speedy development of our rural towns.

?Chiedu Uche Okoye, a poet, writes from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State. He can be reached via 08062220654 and 09125204141

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