But some members of the Arewa Consultative Forum are saying that restructuring could be achieved through the National Assembly. Is that the proper way to go?
You mean constitution amendment?
Sort of…
Constitution amendment is not what we need. What we need is a brand new constitution drafted by the people at a referendum. The 1999 Constitution is no constitution in a proper sense of the term. It is a document imposed on us by the military. The people of Nigeria had nothing to do with it; it was done by the military. It is just a mere piece of paper, nobody regards it. It doesn’t enjoy sacrosanctity like the American Constitution.
What do you feel about the goings on in the National Assembly regarding the issue of budget padding vis-a-viz the anti-corruption of this government?
Initially, it was the Presidency that was accused of padding. Now, it is the National Assembly, specifically the House of Representatives that is being accused of padding. This whole idea about constituency project is really condemnable and I condemn it in very strong terms in some of my writings. When you investigate the whole concept and practice of constituency project, you see that it is really very terrible. The former Chairman of the Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Commission who was an engineer wrote a report on this, that it is chilling, the amount of corruption that had been perpetrated through the so-called constituency project.
But I am surprised that in spite of what has been said, they are still engaging in constituency projects. Not defined though, but still in the same concept trying to siphon money. You want constituency project to improve agriculture but end up using it to improve your own farm. We don’t know all the fact yet but it gives you sheer agony and anguish. What is done in the name of constituency project is unknown anywhere in the world. Yet we are still trying to keep it alive by padding the budget. Let’s see what we come out of the ongoing controversy about padding.
