Anyaoku: "No leader can fix Nigeria with the 1999 constitution."
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General, issued a warning on Wednesday that it would be difficult for anyone to reform Nigeria if the country refused to repeal the 1999 Constitution.
According to him, Nigeria is a pluralistic nation that requires truly federal constitutions to accommodate its diversity.
"For those who believe that the political leadership is the root of Nigeria's current problems, I would say that as long as the 1999 Constitution serves as our foundation, neither Angel Gabriel nor Malaikah Jibrin, as leaders, can effectively address the country's division, poor economic performance and the resulting poverty, insecurity, massive corruption, and other pressing issues," Anyaoku stated.
At the book's premiere, the older statesman said, "The Noble Academic and Patriot: A Biography of Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun,” held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Anyaoku, who was the chairman on the occasion, said, “I start from the clearly undeniable fact that Nigeria, like many other countries across the world, is a pluralistic country, that is, a country whose population consists of groups of peoples long established in their separate geographical areas with different histories, cultures, languages and religions.
“The universal lesson is that pluralistic countries which have survived as single political entities in unity and progress are those that addressed their pluralism, that is their diversity, with genuine federal constitutions. Examples of such countries are India, Canada and Switzerland.
"Therefore, I think that our pluralistic Nigeria needs a truly federal constitution in order to achieve true unity and political stability as well as to effectively address the significant challenges that the nation is currently facing."
Anyaoku, who praised Osuntokun, recounted how the esteemed professor supported him throughout his campaign for the Commonwealth's Secretary General post.
"I was first introduced to Jide Osuntokun when he served as General Ike Nwachukwu's adviser and travelled with the foreign minister to promote my candidature for Commonwealth Secretary-General.
"At the time, the man who had served as Australia's prime minister for seven and a half years was my opponent."
He claims that Osuntokun is not only a successful scholar but also a patriot who was duly honoured by the esteemed Hallmarks of Labour Foundation last year by receiving an award bearing the title HLF, which denotes a role model for our youth on how to succeed via perseverance and moral character.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the book reviewer and a former governor of Ekiti State, detailed how Osuntokun approved the biography in 2021 even though the authors had come up with the idea in 2018.
Fayemi walked the guests through the professor's family history, which included his academic and personal lives as chronicled by the writers.
The book concept was created in 2018 during Prof. Osuntokun's tenure as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, according to the writers. In 2021, Prof. Osuntokun kindly approved the biography by giving the writers access to his library and archives, as well as two virtual interviews and in-depth interviews.
"Prof. Osuntokun's genealogy was traced in the first chapter of the book manuscript, which consisted of nine clear and succinct chapters and three appendices.
"The authors explain the values and qualities we later associate with Professor Osuntokun by providing copious evidence of family history, entrepreneurial acumen, and pacesetting influence in the community."
The battles, his valiant patience, and his involvement in the federating military of Ekiti and Ijesa against the raging Ibadan army during the Kiriji war were all extensively discussed in the chapter.
Another of his ancestors had served with the British during World War I. As his employers returned from Ghana, his own father pursued the Golden Fleece as far afield as Ghana's mines and became a prosperous itinerant trader. During this time, he married his mother and established the family in Ilawe-Ekiti.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential contender for the 2023 elections, spoke at the occasion and said he had so much to learn from Osuntokun “because if you have taught these wonderful people who spoke about you today (I have a lot to learn from you).”
He, however, lamented that Nigeria had cultivated a culture of celebrating those who contributed nothing to nation-building, noting that it was destroying society.
Obi said, “When the National Universities Commission Secretary-General said they are looking for PhD people to teach in our universities, I called him and said, why do you want anybody to do PhD when you don’t pay them and you pay thugs 100 times what they are paid. We are choosing the least among us to be our role models. And that is destroying our society.”
Tunde Bakare, the Citadel Global Community Church's Serving Overseer, praised Osuntokun as an excellent teacher who was also instrumental in his time as a University of Lagos student.
"He (Osuntokun) and his late wife were a blessing to me at one of the most critical periods of my life," stated Bakare, who performed the book's revealing.
"It is a great honour for me to present the book today, sir, and you have no idea how overwhelmed I am right now."
Among those who will construct the country, he hoped, "God Almighty will ensure that those who will read and benefit from this (book)" would be included.
Additional dignitaries that attended the launch at the NIIA venue included the Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, represented by Senior Special Adviser on Policy, Strategy and Logistics, Wahab Alawiye; Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; TV anchor and former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati; Chairman of the Editorial Board of Nation Newspapers, Sam Omastseye; the governorship candidate of the LP in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, among a host of others.
