Write people-oriented constitution, Amaechi tells Reps

[MrVan]

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE & JIMITOTA ONOYUME, PH

GOVERNOR of Rivers State, Mr Chibuike Amaechi yesterday blamed failed leadership for the current challenges of insecurity in the country.

Amaechi said that,  "what the ruling class has provided are political, social and economic violence but what the people want is social and economic reality by ensuring that the state is properly policed.''

He spoke at a two-day seminar for members of the House of Representatives ad-hoc Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution, asking the law makers  to produce a workable document that will free the Nigerian people from the shacles of insecurity, poverty and poor development.

Former Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Adolphus Karibi Whyte who chaired the occasion also called for separate constitutions for the federal and state governments in the country saying such a move would strengthen the nation's federalism just as he called for pruning down the number of Supreme Court justices and increasing their retirement age from 70 to 80, while their counterparts in the Court of Appeal retire at 75.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has however called for about 12 amendments to the 1999 constitution.

National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega in his address at the two day retreat in Port Harcourt  said the Commission should be allowed to determine the order of the conduct of elections in such a way that no political party should have undue advantage over the other.

But Amaechi said that, the Boko Haram, Oodua People's Congress, OPC, and militancy in the Niger Delta were products of failed leadership.

"Iam not exonerating myself. Iam part of the failed leadership of the country but it started long time ago, please the amendment should be the one that suits the nation. History is in the making here and national issues should mount the centre stage as the autonomy of state assemblies can be resolved without a constitutional amendment," he said.

This was even as the House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said that the costitutional review exercise was not targeted at anybody or group of people.

According to Tambuwal, ''this exercise is aimed at no individual, nor group of persons,  rather we are making sure that we have a document that captures the yearning and aspirations of the Nigerian people and in certain cases strengthen democratic institutions."

Vanguard Nigeria