By Charles Kumolu
IT was an achievers’ function to celebrate some of Nigeria’s most accomplished persons in the professions. However, the failure of the country to tap into the achievements of the many achievers soon turned the occasion into a political debate on the state of the nation.

They were gathered at the Lagos Oriental Hotel for the fifteenth anniversary of Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, HLF.

There were bankers, politicians, academicians and many others whose achievements have towered in the professions. It was indeed a “quality crowd.”

HLF is a group conceived to search for and identify Nigerians, Africans and People of the black race, who have achieved success through hard work, honesty and integrity in every field of human endavour.

Among the achievers were Prof Atahiru Jega, Dr.Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Prof Umaru Shehu, Chief Philip Asiodu, Sen Ken Nnamani, Gamaliel Onosode, Justice Kayode Eso, Chief Matthew Mbu, Prof Grace Alele-Williams and Prof Ben Nwabueze.

Also present was Governor Saidu Daikingari of Kebbi State, while Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State was represented by the state Attorney General and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta was represented by his wife, Roli.

Ethnic nationalities should create a new constitution

Prof Nwabueze kick started the lamentation about Nigeria when in his remarks he said that ethnic nationalities should be allowed to create a new constitution for Nigeria. He also noted that the National Assembly does not have the prerogative to review or make a constitution for the country

Eso: Frowns at a constitution authored by ''illiterates'';Okonjo-Iweala: Begs for time and Nwabueze: Demands a national conference

“We need to democratise our constitution by giving the people the opportunity to create a new constitution for this country. The present leaders claim they know better than us. They claim to have the prerogative to make a constitution, we need to make a constitution for ourselves through a referendum,” he stated.

Reforming

the constitution

The constitutional lawyer, said, “A group of Nigerians called the Patriots are talking about reforming the constitution, we need to ask ourselves what they want. We are in a democracy without a democratic constitution. We would not get it right until we have a democratic constitution. We need to democratise our constitution by giving the people the opportunity to create a constitution for this country.”

“We all have a stake in this country, all the ethnic nationalities have a role to play. Some people always say Sovereign National Conference, what we need is a national conference and all the ethnic nationalities have a role to play in the national conference. The word sovereign contradicts. We need an avenue where ethnic nationalities will meet and seat together to fashion out a new constitution,” the respected legal expert said.

Nwabueze’s position on the need for a new constitution was also corroborated by Justice Eso, himself a respected judicial activist said.

“We have a constitution pulled together for us by some illiterate soldiers, we need to write a new constitution. Why are we afraid of rewriting this illiterate constitution,” Justice Eso asked.

Continuing, he said “We have the best brains, who can write a new constitution for us, instead of using this one given to us by some illiterate soldiers. My good friend Nwabueze talked about revolution, if a peace loving man like him could talk about revolution, then things are not happening well.”

Still lamenting the state of the nation, Eso said, “the news that you hear about the judiciary is not palatable, as the third arm of the realm, the judiciary is the guardian of the nation, if the guardian of the nation is shaky or corrupt that will be the end of the nation. Until we put the judiciary in order nothing good will happen.”

Despite the regrets by these eminent jurists, the finance minister Okonjo-Iweala expressed optimism that Nigeria would someday come out of troubles, adding that the country’s problems are solvable.

She observed that Nigeria’s problems are not about potentials, but implementation.

As far as she is concerned people are tired of hearing about the nation’s potentials, saying that many are hungry for implementation and results.

Okonjo-Iweala also called on all stakeholders to support efforts geared towards reviewing the economy. .

She said: ‘’It’s been seven weeks since I came back, but its like seven years because the amount of work we need to do in terms of economy is tremendous. But I am optimistic that we can solve them. I keep saying it that Nigeria’s problems are not insolvable. We need to give our young people the opportunity to be optimistic.’’

Okonjo-Iweala also urged Nigerians to think more of how to assist the government and not what the government can do. She said: “I said last year that the problem we have is about implementation and not potentials. Nigerians are tired of hearing about economic potentials. They want implementation. We need the support of everyone. Each person has a role to play. The problem has to  be solved by us. “I have never seen an occasion where Nigerians, who worked so hard and not those who bought it with money, are honoured like this.’’

Present administration is under pressure

Also speaking at the forum, a former Senate President Senator Ken Nnamani described the recent arrest of The Nation Newspapers Editors, as a distraction for President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that it shows that Nigeria is going back to the dark ages.

He also called on the federal government to ensure that Vision 2020 does not end as a mere slogan.

Nnamani, urged anyone, who feels  offended by any publication to  seek redress in the law courts.

According to him, “the present administration is under pressure to deliver, what we are reading about the arrest of the Nations Newspapers editors, amounts to return to the dark ages. Anyone who feels offended by anything should seek redress in the law courts. That is why we have the courts. But once we start pounding and arresting people, it amounts to distraction for the present