By Jimoh Ahmed,
Kayode Olabanji &
Adedotun Aderoboye

Notable Nigerians have raised alarm on what they termed unproductive and unworkable 1999 constitution, warning that it will cause the country more havoc if not replaced.

They attributed the multifarious challenges confronting the country such as insecurity, incessant fuel scarcity, unending ASUU strike, poor economy, power outage, soaring commodities’ prices, and the unbridled corruption in all sectors to the lacuna in the constitution.

They described the 1999 constitution as a fraud and that for Nigeria to get out of its current multifarious woes and insecurity plaguing it , the 1999 constitution must be discarded .

Those who made the submission in separate interviews with The Hope included an elder statesman, Chief Segun Adegoke, Chairman of National Anti-doping Agency of Nigeria, Mr Olarewaju Kazeem, Asiwaju of Ifira Akoko, Chief Boboye Ojomo, Business Consultant, Mallam Kareem Owoputi

Others are: Prince Lawson Akinkotu and

Publicity Secretary, Ilaje Leadership Forum, Prince Emorioloye Owolemi,

They posited that if the current situation continued in the next five years, Nigeria might become a failed nation as hunger, starvation, joblessness will be the order of the day.

Chief Adegoke warned that if the current challenges facing the  people are allowed to fester for too long, it might lead to deeper and more complicated problems .

He said the 1999 constitution is a major factor breeding various problems.

His words: “We should discard the 1999 constitution and write a very good constitution for the country. We have always said that the 1999 constitution is a fraud on the people of Nigeria. No amount of amendments can ever solve our problems constitutionally. The 1999 constitution is deficient from the beginning. We cannot place something on nothing.”

“We need to have a new constitution that will take into consideration the situations in Nigeria, the problems of the geopolitical zones and relationships that should exist among them,” he added .

A former member of the National Assembly, Olarewaju Kazeem, said the problems confronting  Nigeria might signal more troubles for the country and her citizens, if not checked,

He declared that youth unemployment, insecurity were on the rise.

Kazeem, who is Chairman of National Anti-doping Agency of Nigeria therefore called on government at all levels to be serious about providing a workable solution to the nation’s problems.

He called on the Federal government to end the impasse with Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, make all refineries in the country functional , invest massively in agriculture and also create an enabling environment for individuals and the private sector to stimulate the economy.

A Business Consultant, Mallam Kareem Owoputi, while decrying the situation in the country, said if the current situation continued without a concrete check, the country might be heading for the rocks.

Kareem said Nigerians, especially the downtrodden, were really suffering.

On his own, the Asiwaju of Ifira Akoko, Chief Boboye Ojomo called on the Federal government to go back to the drawing board and be serious about the business of governance.

He called for the immediate assemblage of economic think-thank that will come up with workable solutions to the nation’s economy which he said seems to have defied all the theories propounded.

Equally, he wanted the federal government to cede more powers to the states for effective administration.

A community leader, Prince Lawson Akintokun, said the economic hardship in the nation has started pushing our best brains and professionals out of the country to search for greener pastures.

“Our political leaders must rise to the occasion and urgently nip this ugly situation in the bud. The privatization of the power sector has not addressed the epileptic and lack of electricity in the country,” he said.

Publicity Secretary, Ilaje Leadership Forum, Prince Emorioloye Owolemi, noted that the country is moving towards a calamitous direction.

He said: “Nigeria is blessed with mineral resources, it is just unfortunate that we are being led by some cabals since 1966 of the military junta.