Constitutional Reforms Is National Imperative – Senator Dickson

By: Preye Bagou

Former Governor of Bayelsa State and Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has said constitutional reforms is national imperative, as the 1999 constitution does not represent the interest of the people of Nigeria.

The former Governor and Senator made this known when he appeared as a guest on the program “state of the nation on Channels television, stressed the great need for a new constitution that will represent the interest of every region as a nation.

While agreeing to the various groups calls for a constitutional review, Senator Dickson stated that patriotic Nigerians have being clamouring for a new constitution that reflects and protects the interest of the people of every region decades ago basically.

The federal lawmaker said Nigeria needs a constitution that is emanated and enacted by the people that represents their interest, which will create an enabling environment for the legal, economic and political systems to build on it for equality.

Senator Dickson while pointing out the deficiencies of the constitution, said the constitution represents a military system of government, and not a democratic system of government, as a constitution proposed under a military regime.

He explicitly pointed out that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and State Governors didn’t study and understood the 1999 constitution before working with the document, which was handed over by the military regime as a constitution.

The 1999 constitution as a document emanated and enacted by few military officers under the military regime, the former governor faulted the constitution as a fraudulent document that does not represent the interest of the people.

While commending the President Bola Tinubu led federal government for calling for a national dialogue, Senator Dickson stated the great importance to have a people-oriented constitution that will protect the interest of every region respectively.

“Infact, It is national imperative for a more inclusive people’s constitution represent and protect the interest of the people of every region, as a democratic system of government in order to foster peace, unity and equality in the country” he added.

Senator Dickson said the federal government cannot create more states, and state governors cannot create more local governments due to the faulty nature of the 1999 constitution, using the South-East geo-political zone with five States, and Bayelsa State with eight local government areas as a case study.

As a leader who believes in equity and fairness, Senator Dickson noted that the Niger Delta is not having a fair share of the national sharing formula from the federal government, as the region that sustains the economy of the country.

He added that the people of the Niger Delta region are marginalized and subjugated without a fair share from the federal government, due to the faulty 1999 constitution that doesn’t represent and protect the interest of the people of the region.

Constitutional reforms which will address so many national issues, he urged the President Bola Tinubu led administration to hold a national dialogue with representative from every region, for an all-inclusive new constitution that will represent the interest of the people of every region.

29th August, 2024.