Veteran Law Teacher, Professor Toriola Oyewo, has advocated a revolution as a means to liberate Nigeria from the yoke of corruption and other social ills that are now struggling to destroy Nigeria, sooner than later.
Professor Oyewo lamented that despite the beauty of the economic objectives of Nigeria as enshrined in the subsisting constitution, factors like corruption, injustice, illiteracy and gross inequality, still pervade the system, thereby obliterating sustainable good governance.
In a paper titled: "The Nigerian 1999 Economic Policy and Objective, an unfulfilled mission of expectation", delivered at a Law Seminar of the Bola Ajibola College of Law, Crescent University, Abeokuta, the septuagenarian law professor and dean of the college, was irked with the operators of Nigerian constitution, saying: "they have woefully failed to make the economic objectives of the state work as designed."
Section 16 of the Nigeria Constitution, Professor Oyewo pointed out, provides for the state to control the resources of the nation in such a way as to promote national prosperity for every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity, to control the national economy in such a manner as to secure maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity,and the state to protect the right of every citizen to engage in any economic activities outside the major sectors of the economy.
Regrettably, however, the erudite jurist lamented that as laudable as these provisions were,it's achievement has become "a pye in the sky or a sciciphean task", turning Nigeria into a derisive nation of selfish, corrupt, vissionless and inept leaders, for which there is need for urgent change in the paradigm of governance.
Professor Oyewo then recommended that:
* Since inequality is a potential threat to national security, the government should try as much as possible to move towards the direction of welfare state which makes adequate provisions for alleviating poverty at all levels and which is our economic primary objective.
* In order to promote government and welfare of all persons as envisaged by its economic objective, government must make chapter II of all principles of state policy justiciable like South African Constitution. This will allow any person to sue the government when there is any possible breach of the chapter.
* Our leaders must realise that as long as poverty, poor living conditions, illiteracy, injustice and gross irregularity persists in Nigeria, none of us can truly rest, and insecurity will be a hard nut to crack, or despicable disaster to overcome or eradicate.
* Late South African leader, Mandela, who did not covet power and left a legacy of quality leadership,selfless service and people oriented government, should be emulated by our leaders.
When one synchronizes the parameters of the dreaded evils of our government and the denied expectations of the governed, Professor Oyewo, opined, one is left with no other option than to call for a revolution, the kind that has transformed the neighbouring state of Ghana.
by VillageNetwork Reporter, Abeokuta
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