A former Chairman of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Retired Maj.-Gen. IBM Haruna, has said that Nigeria’s problem is not solely about the 1999 Constitution.
Haruna, who was also a member of the Constitutional Conference between 1988 and 1989, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He said that the problems confronting the country were not necessarily created by the constitution ‘enacted or decreed in 1999’.
The retired military officer, who was a member of the 1994 National Constitutional Conference Commission, said while the constitution was not perfect, it, however, made provisions for addressing the current challenges.
Among the provisions, he said, was the principle of separation of powers among the three organs of government.
“The problems that face us fundamentally and constitutionally are just evolving,” he said.
Haruna cited the current Nigerian population which he put at over 200, with about 400 ethnic groups, among which are the dominant ones and the minorities.
According to him,`they are all seeking for their rightful place and constitutionally-stipulated roles within the Federal Republic.
“But through processes and growth as well as the progressive development of social, political and economic processes, we will make changes; therefore, the constitution is not static.
“However, certain fundamentals have been provided for it in the structure, the independence of the judiciary, the separation of powers and things like that.
“Each one has to play its role as conceived and provided for within the constitution and the laws of the federation,’’ he said.
Haruna, however, said that irrespective of the numerous challenges, Nigerians should prioritise what they want and how to go about it.
“We’ve decided on federalism; this is imperfect. We’ve decided on electoral bodies and the laws that govern them. The performance and implementation of the electoral law is also not perfect.
“We’ve equally decided on certain instrumentality of modern mechanisms or equipment for use during elections. It is all toward providing or making sure that elections are free, fair and dependable.
“But we know, from where we started, that ballot boxes were being snatched, and we have also experimented Option A4, with people queueing behind their candidates,’’ he said.
Haruna said there was no guarantee that those systems would not be faulted, particularly in an atmosphere where corruption and cheating prevailed.
The retired general said while there was no commitment to perfecting the procedures and processes, there could be guarantee that the rule of law and regulations would be followed.
He expressed concerns about the challenges being faced by some institutions in the country, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary and political parties.
He avered that the situation could have been better if those institutions could be put in proper shape.
“Of course we see how elections in other places and countries are being carried out and the time during which results are announced.
“Take India, for example, with over a billion population; they are able to conduct elections and announce the results within the specified time,’’ he said.
According to him, the perfection of the forces and institutions starts with the people, including those expected to review the constitution.
“The people make the party; the people make the election; the people do the transactions that amount to corruption or defiling the election results.
“So, we ourselves, as a people, have to begin to change our perceptions,” he said.
Haruna called on Nigerians to do away with ethnic and personality biases, snatching of ballot boxes during elections and disefranchising in certain areas.
“Basically, we, the people who will enact the constitution, also have to sanitise ourselves,’’ he said. (NAN)
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