By Tony Okafor, Obosi
A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has condemned the Nigerian Constitution as presently composed.
He said the Nigerian 1999 Constitution had no impetus to address the economic situation and other challenges facing the country.
Anyaoku listed poverty, insecurity, infrastructure breakdown, among others as some of the “serious challenges” in the country which the constitution had failed to address.
The ex-Commonwealth scribe stated these on Saturday at his country home, Obosi in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State during the “Ito Ogbo”, a longevity festival and initiation for those who had attained the age of 80 .
According to him, the current constitution was a departure from the constitution that the nation’s founding fathers negotiated and agreed to.
He said, “These challenges cannot be effectively addressed under the current constitution and system we have at the moment.
“We cannot effectively address these challenges-. the challenges are nationwide, insecurity is nationwide, there is greater insecurity in the northern parts of the country than in the southern parts.
“For the constitution for a pluralistic state as Nigeria, we have to return to the principles of the constitution agreed by our founding fathers.
“Until we do that, I am afraid that we can not effectively deal with the challenges that face the nation.”
Condemning the Monday sit-at-home in the South-East, Anyaoku said the exercise was doing a great damage to the region’s economy.
“The sit-at-home exercise is doing great damage to the economy of the south-east, I do not support the idea, I think it is doing great damage to the economy. We have to deal with the root cause of sit-at-home, which is the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
“I think that the cause of the sit-at-home should be addressed, I do not think that the sit-at-home should be maintained, it should be stopped.”
Delivering an address earlier, the Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, highlighted possible ways the Federal government could make the “Ito-Ogbo” ceremony a National festival.
Soludo said, “This is the first time I have come to Ito-ogbo ceremony of Obosi; we want to celebrate, thank Obosi people for giving Anambra, Nigeria and the world a celebration of longevity.
“Let the world learn how to celebrate with the living and not the dead. Obosi is one ward that is more than a local government. It deserves to be a local government.
“The celebration is part of the burial law in Anambra. It is better to slaughter a cow for the living than to the dead. I urge the youths to desire to be 80 years and above.Live a decent, responsible life style to be able to live up to 80 years.
But killers, touts, among others will not live up to 80 years.
The traditional ruler of Obosi, His Royal Highness, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, in his speech commended the governor for attending the function.
Iweka described the festival as an age- long cultural heritage of the people, adding that about 200 octogenarians were initiated into the Ogbueshi society
through the “Ito Ogbo”.
Iweka added,”Those initiated have been exempted from all manner of taxations/levies and my prayer is that all who attended this ceremony will attain 80 years and above.”
One of the inductees into Ogbueshi, Paul Uwakwe, thanked God for granting him the privilege to attain 80 years and prayed for more years ahead.
The highlights of the event was honouring of some people who had distinguished themselves in several fields of endeavours, including the Commander of Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) Obosi, Mr Isaac Nuhu.
