Cover Story
Nigeria’s constitution, a ‘fraudulent’ document – Elder Fred Adeyegbe
Senior lawyer, writer and political activist, Elder Fred Adeyegbe has said Nigeria’s 1999 constitution does not represent the aspirations of the people, even as he pointed out that it was written by one man and not by Nigerians.
The 84-year-old who was a front line NADECO activist, blamed the country’s legal profession, particularly the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for not “living up to its responsibilities” in preserving the rule of law.
Adeyegbe who spoke in Lagos on Tuesday, at the launch of a book: “Why Not- Citizenship, State Capture, Creeping Fascism and Criminal Hijack of Politics in Nigeria” written by Professor Pat Utomi, regretted that the legal profession and Nigerians have been unable to stand up and ask questions about certain actions of people in authority.
“We have to thank the likes of Prof Pat Utomi who are drawing our attention to our individual and collective responsibilities. It is saying to you, it is so bad, how are you going to let it continue?” he said.
“One question you have never asked is this: On the Ist of October 1960, the British withdrew their sovereignty and their sovereign powers over Nigeria and handed over your country and your fate to you. From that very day, one of the architects, perhaps, of our independence, who had earlier delayed it for a number of years for not being ready to take independence actually stood up and admonished his people that this country called Nigeria is the property of our grandfather, Uthman Dan Fodio, and we are to make sure that the people nearest to us are used to enforce our ownership of this land, and the people farther away must never be allowed anywhere near public authority and governance.
“The British sold those who were Nigerians at the time a dummy that Nigeria will stand on a tripod of Hausa, Igbo and the Yoruba. In no time at all, through the influence, I’m sure, of that party who said the country belongs to them, they tried to cheat God by creating an ethnic nationality that the good God never thought of creating. So, we now have today what you call the Hausa/Fulani. Nobody said anything about what Ahmadu Bello said. They let it go.
“A lot of other things happened about which you asked no questions. And it went on and on until the military took over. And they came to swim in waters they were never trained to swim. They messed up the society and that was also part of the beginning of where we are today.”
Adeyegbe said while the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari has continued disobey court orders, the bar has kept quiet.
“In 1986, the legal profession was celebrating its 100 years of practice in Nigeria. My peers called upon me to put up a play for entertainment depicting the legal profession’s approach to a number of things in Nigeria. I wrote the book, a play called Budiso. I want you to know that ‘Bu’ there is Buhari, ‘Di’ is (Tunde) Idiagbon. They were the people who deprived you of your rights and you did nothing about it. That same Buhari is in power today.
“The Nigerian Bar Association is not doing anything, some are hobnobbing with him, some stay and just watch.
“The people who served the country as military heads of state, governors and so on, did so contrary to the provisions of the then constitution. They were all coup makers. One of them has become president and it is his government that is saying that you cannot mention a particular word (revolution).
“It is only in Nigeria that past coup makers come back to tell us how eligible they are for office.
“What did that same military do? Here is the so called the constitution of your country. I call it so called because I know that it was the then, again, so called head of state – because he was also part of the coup, Abdulsalami (Abubakar) who gave it to you. There is a chapter here in which all the sins; all the atrocities committed by the military while they were in power are said to be non-justiciable. Nobody can raise the matter anywhere. And you do nothing about it. They can show you how superior they are, they have shown you how they can do what they like and you do nothing about it.”
Regretting the neglect of the rule of law in the country, he noted that while a court had declared that Chief Ernest Shonekan was not a head of state, he has continued to attend meetings of heads of state and nobody has raised a finger, while pointing out that Buhari has emerged as the epitome of disobedience of court judgements.
He expressed dismay that while the government has continued to turn the military against Nigerian citizens in the form of Operation Python Dance and Crocodile Smile, foreigners are allowed to overrun the country and kill people at will.
“In this day and age when the president who is the epitome of the disobedience of court judgement is in charge, I don’t know what you expect to get.
“There is another question that you have not asked. Buhari is known to be a no nonsense person and we have seen his intentions in dealing with the corrupt people of your country if he finds them. And yet, under his watch, even as former general – because what I understand the role of the military is to ensure that foreigners do no mess up with you. But what the we have today? Operation Python Dance, Operation Crocodile Smile. They turn their arms and their ammunition, their uniforms that they put on; both paid for by your tax, inwards to give you operation Python or Crocodile. That is what we have allowed so far.
“The question is, doesn’t it amaze you that our no nonsense president, who wanted to to be president so much that he tried three or four times before, in all of that time, never in one sentence or speech, say what he wanted to do for Nigeria?
You gave him another chance in 2015. I would like to see anybody who can beat his chest and say what Buhari has done. He came back in 2019 and suddenly, your porous borders became non existent. We have influx of strangers whom a president who is commander of the armed forces, with all the arsenals at his disposal have done nothing to repel.
“There is only one thing I want to tell you, a call to action. Do you have arms? No. To advice you to become vigilantes against people who are carrying AK47 is to advise you to commit suicide. My suggestion is that you stop sending representatives in the Senate or House of Reps. Tell them you don’t want them to represent you anymore. They are are not capable. If you succeed in doing that, they won’t go there using your name and messing you up some more.”
Adeyegbe
