Nigeria will continue to produce bad leaders if it conducts election under the 1999 constitution – Afe Babalola

From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti

Legal icon Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, has said that Nigeria will continue to recycle bad leaders as long as it operates under the 1999 constitution.

The founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), who stated that it was time Nigeria had a new constitution, explained that the 1999 constitution has brought the country thus far and plunged it into abysmal poverty, unemployment, underfunded education, insecurity and huge external debt.

The senior lawyer made the remarks at a press conference held at the university, on Wednesday, in Ado-Ekiti, on the topic: “Nigeria’s huge external debt and the 1999 Constitution – 2023 in perspective.”

Expressing concerns, Babalola further said that “the huge external debt of N42.84 trillion, increasing cases of killing, kidnapping, mismanagement of public funds, unemployment, strikes, poor allocation of funds for education in Federal institutions and double digits inflation etc are some of the ills from the
1999 constitution which was put in place by the military.”

“A new constitution is imperative. Our bitter experience since 1999 has taught us that we are in urgent need of a new constitution which should provide for stringent conditions in respect of age, academic qualifications, character and personality, contribution to the community at local, state and federal levels as well as the family background of candidates for president and national assemblies,” he said.

“Unless a new constitution similar to the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions, with necessary amendments, is put in place, none of the aspirants and indeed no angel can save the country from total collapse.”

The senior advocate explained that in addition to the issue of a new constitution, the issue of the huge debt owed by Nigeria should be an issue of concern to any Nigerian aspiring to lead the country.

“I believe that apart from the new Constitution, the huge debt should be an urgent issue to be addressed,” he said.

Babalola advised that before Nigeria is formally declared bankrupt, Nigerians who are money bags and those that are patriotic should make voluntary donations through a committee to be set up by the government for immediate payment of all or a substantial part of this huge debt.

“Government should emulate Obasanjo’s example by approaching the creditors either for total forgiveness of the debt or substantial reduction of the debt. This is a practical and more realistic way of paying the huge debt thereby reviving our economy”.