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Anyaoku-led group calls for people’s democratic constitution
The Patriots, a non-partisan group of eminent Nigerians, has urged President Bola Tinubu to convene a National Constituent Assembly to produce a people’s democratic constitution for the country.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, made the call when he led The Patriots on a visit to the President last Friday.
Anyaoku, while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, said the leaders of thought conveyed to the President the view that Nigeria needed a people’s democratic constitution.
“Nigeria, we affirmed to Mr President, is a pluralistic country, and you know that pluralistic countries exist all over the world.
“Those of them that address their pluralism by having true federal constitutions have survived. The examples are India and Canada.
“But those pluralistic countries that failed to address their basic challenge of pluralism through federal constitution have ended up disintegrating. Examples of that are Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. And here in Africa, Sudan,” said Anyaoku.
He said Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia existed for as many as 100 years as one country, but eventually disintegrated because they could not manage their pluralism through a truly federal constitution.
“And we put some proposals to Mr President, and urged him to send an executive bill to the National Assembly; a bill that will call for two essential measures.
“One, the convening of a National Constituent Assembly to be mandated to produce a new draft constitution.
“And we suggested that such National Constituent Assembly should consist of individuals elected by the people on non-party basis.
“Say, for example, three individuals per state, each of the 36 states, and one from the Federal Capital Territory,” said Anyaoku.
The group suggested that the National Assembly should be asked to legislate on a national referendum, because as our laws stand at the moment, we have no provision for a national referendum.
“And we concluded by saying that the draft constitution to emerge from the Constituent Assembly should be subjected to the national referendum in order to give the people of Nigeria a chance to determine their new constitution,” he said.
He said the Patriots also talked about the current protests throughout the country.
“We suggested to the President, that in our view, the government at the federal and state levels should dialogue with the leaders of the protests.
“The government should take initiative in dialoguing with the leaders of the protests.
“And secondly, we advised that the law enforcement agencies, namely the police and the army, should avoid using lethal weapons in the management of the protests so that we do not have casualties,” said Anyaoku.
He said the challenges of national unity, insecurity, poverty and hunger, necessitated the setting up a constituent assembly with the mandate to produce a new constitution.
“All these challenges that we are currently facing are symptoms of the inappropriateness of the constitution that we have at present, the inappropriateness of the governance system we have at present.
“And I’m sure that when a national constituent assembly looks at all these, and looks at all the recommendations the past national conferences and produce a draft constitution, the country will be better,” he said.
Anyaoku said he believed that the government would consider the views of the Patriots.
“In my personal view, the new constitution can be realised within, say, six to nine months, if the National Assembly passes the bills and the constituent assembly is convened and they deliver it,” he said.
According to him, the difference between the expected new constitution and the present one is that, “what we have now does not make for effective internal security measures.
“It does not make for rapid economic development. It does not make for satisfactory social development, say, in education and health and so on.
“And I believe that a new constitution would make it easier for these challenges to be tackled.”
Anyaoku said a referendum was required to enable the views of the citizens to be captured to confer legitimacy on the constitution.
The Patriots included Chief Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State, Sen. Shehu Sani, Mr Mike Ozekhome, lawyer and human rights activist, among others.
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.