BY Innocent Anaba

Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Committee on Constitutional Review and Law Reform, Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN), has called for the amendment of Chapter 2 of the Nigerian constitution, to allow for the justiciability of the aspirations provided in the same chapter.

Edosomwan spoke during a visit of the committee to the Law Reform Commission in Abuja.

He said: “Seriously, the people’s aspirations expressed in Chapter 2 of the present Constitution that are ordinarily non-justiciable need legislations to bring them to effect in the lives of the citizens.

“This is because when its provisions may not be ordinarily justiciable, government is in place to effect them when possible. This is one of the reasons why government is the organising committee of mass society to fulfill its aspiration.”

On the task of the committee, he said: “Our mandate is a broadly bifurcated one.

“First, we are supposed to monitor the ongoing Constitutional Review Process that is being mid-wifed by the National Assembly while on the other hand, our committee as the agency of the NBA in propelling needed new law reform.

“On the ongoing Constitutional Review Process, NBA has monitored same insisting on a people based and people driven adjectival process leading to bringing the review process to completion.

“The reason for this stand is that the National Assembly has embarked on a widely scoped agenda that can only be described as sweeping. The end result of this process, if brought to effect may be akin to achieving a new constitution.”

“The NBA in this wise insists that such a project with its fundamental importance and relevance to the variegated peoples of our country should be endorsed by a referendum of the whole country.

“It is surely a point of divergence from the position of the National Assembly that believes that it’s Nationwide 360 federal constituencies talkshops/colloquiums amount to the same thing and would have the same effect.

“Happily our mandates on Law Reform generally make the NBA a ready partner to your Commission in the several ongoing projects.”

that are already grinding through your mills. After all the fuss, the hype and the serious business of achieving a new or reviewed constitution, it is important to bear in mind that legislation and case law decisions are two veritable ways of bringing its principles nearer to the people.

“In whatever way possible or needed, we as a committee of the NBA with identified goals have come here today to declare our support and a partnership that should be fruitful to both our mandate on law reform and furtherance of the lofty goals of our great Country,” he added.