#CAMPAIGN FOR REFERENDUM AND NOT VIOLENT AGITATIONS! . –DR. DAVID OLUFON.

PEOPLE OF NIGERIA MUST RESIST FURTHER CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

National Assembly legislators have completed plans to vote on 1st March 2022, in respect of about 67 amendments to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that would conservatively gulp not less than NGN5 billion naira to execute considering the fact that past exercises ended in fraud and futility.
It is an open secret that the way to go is to draft a brand new constitution that will give Nigeria a parliamentary system of government because It is cost effective unlike the Military Presidential system which had virtually drained the entire resources of Nigeria as a nation and labelled it as horribly corrupt and poverty-stricken geographic entity.
Unicameral parliamentary system is antidote to CORRUPTION and INSECURITY in Nigeria.
To produce a new constitution in Nigeria is not a big deal. As long as competent drafters are appointed to handle all the legal frame work through the instrumentality of a REFERENDUM.
Retired Military General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded late General Sanni Abacha, drafted the 1999, Constitution within 11 months, conducted the General Elections and handed over power to retired General Obasanjo.
The Nigerian Senate which is trying to play hide and seek in this new demand by the citizens of Nigeria to whom sovereignty belongs has no place to hide any longer because a Unicameral Legislature will no longer accommodate the Red Chamber anymore.
In other words THE SENATE HAS TO BE SHUT DOWN and that is why the legislators are foot-dragging and refusing to listen to public opinion in respect of the agitation for A NEW CONSTITUTION that will usher a Prime Minister in the year 2023 instead of a president which all the money bags are clamoring for.
Former Minister of Education MRS. OBY EKWESILI insisted at a recent public hearing that referendum was the only means to produce a brand new constitution which will address all social political challenges in the country.
However the crafty senators are bent on going on with the constitutional amendments which whether they like it or not will hit the rocks as usual.
Nigerians are wiser and cannot be hoodwinked by lawmakers who are out to protect their own interests at the National Assembly instead of representing the citizens.
The only choice open to the citizens now is to demand for the invocation of the doctrine of necessity.
On Tuesday 9th February 2010 the National Assembly was forced to introduce the doctrine of necessity in order to empower the then vice president Ebele Jonathan to act as President of Nigeria to avoid a vacuum in governance.
Umaru Yar Adua failed to transmit a letter to National Assembly and hand over to his deputy according to section 145 of the 1999 Constitution while away on medical treatment abroad from 25th November 2009 to Tuesday February 2010
That exemplary decision stood out the 6th National Assembly as a very patriotic body of lawmakers who loved the people of Nigeria more than monetary gains.
The faulty 1999 military constitution did not make provision for the political solution of the doctrine of necessity.
This terminology which means the justification and application of an illegality as a legal procedure in order to justify a very much desired necessity is not far-fetched.
Doctrine of necessity was first applied in Pakistan on 24th October 1954, then in Grenada in 1985 and also Nigeria 9th February 2010.
Right now Nigerians are demanding that the doctrine of necessity must be applied to get referendum and a new constitution which will produce in 2023 a Unicameral system of government and a Prime Minister.
We now call on all well meaning Nigerians to support this campaign for referendum BUT not through violent agitation.
Nigerians should mobilize to join the movement to actualize that the coming general elections MUST be conducted with a new Unicameral Parliamentary Constitution that will produce a Prime Minister.
SENATE PRESIDENT DAVID MARK WAS THE HERO OF THE 2010 DOCTRINE OF NECESSITY.
In his speech, he said that National Assembly acted to empower vice president Ebele Jonathan as acting president on the 9th February 2010, because the doctrine of necessity must be invoked to avoid a vacuum in governance.
According to him the doctrine of necessity requires that we do what is necessary when faced with a situation that was not contemplated by the constitution.
And that is precisely what we have done today … in doing so we have as well maintained the sanctity of our constitution as the ultimate law of the land.
The constitution never envisaged a violation that will create a leadership vacuum like we found ourselves since November 23, 2009.
Senate leadership amended the critical aspect of omission in the 1999 constitution to be in tune with present the reality.
Late President Musa Yar Adua failed to transmit a handover letter to National Assembly for his deputy,Ebele Jonathan to act as president according with section 145 of the 1999 Constitution from 23rd November 2009 to 9th February,2010.
IN THE 8th NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 77 PATRIOTIC SENATORS AND A SIZABLE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE MEMBERS CLAMORED FOR REFERENDUM AS THE ANTEDOTE TO SOLVING ALL RESTRUCTURING AGITATIONS.
WE CALL ON THEM TO ARISE AND SHINE TO ENSURE THE DEMAND IS ACTUALIZED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.
Where there is a will, there is a WAY.