THE fresh attempt to amend the 1999 constitution, generally regarded as military –imposed fundamental law of the land, would not have provoked some measure of scepticism if similar attempts in the past had not floundered on the altar of selfish personal interest.

AlTHough yet to commence the exercise, the National Assembly has since set up a Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution (JCRC), comprising members from the two chambers of the National Assembly.

THIS is not the first attempt to be made by the National Assembly to amend the 1999 constitution.

THE Obasanjo administration which demonstrated initial signals of a genuine constitutional review, blinkered when personal desires erupted and clashed with the popular will of the people. The tenure elongation drive became the major element in the constitutional review effort.

WHILE a lot of energy was dissipated on section 13 (1)(b) of the constitution- the section that deals with the tenure of the president-other critical areas like power devolution and true federalism were cruelly ignored.

IN a chat with the media recently, Senate President, David Mark underscored the imperative of review of the 1999 constitution and listed what he called priority areas.

THESE he said include tenure of the President, Governors and Local Council officials, citizens right, immunity clause, devolution of power, true federalism within the Nigerian nation and autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and local councils. Others are state creation, the abrogation or otherwise of state Joint Local Government Account as well as whether fundamental obligations of government should be binding and actionable.

WE recall that in the last failed review attempt, over 100 items were short listed for consideration.

THERE is no doubt, that the clamour for a review of the constitution has resonated with passionate intensity in several Nigerian quarters.

WHILE The NIGERIAN OBSERVER identifies with the priority areas identified and articulated by the Senate President, it is hoped that this fresh attempt will not go the way of previous efforts.

WITH members drawn from the two chambers of the nation’s law-making body for the task, one might be encouraged to conclude that this time around, the exercise will yield patriotic dividends.

IT might be difficult to be so densely optimistic at this stage, given the Nigerian politician’s predilection for unpredictability as well as his well-known desire to place personal interest above popular desires.

BE that as it may, we are inclined to appeal to the National Assembly that this fresh attempt to amend the Nigerian constitution should not be allowed to be eaten up by personal consideration, even as we urge the JCRC to be conscious of the fact that history is not just watching, but will deliver brutal judgment in the event of failure.

NIGERIANS are yearning for an enduring and purposeful constitution, a constitution that can meaningfully harness our disparate tendencies for overall national greatness.

THE issue of true federalism, revenue allocation based on the principle of derivation and power devolution, are critical aspects in the nation’s geo-political life. Absolute care should therefore be taken in these areas. The litany of ambiguities are much more unsettling in these areas because the constitution is yet to definitely set out the true parameters for true federalism.

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