Constitution review a waste of resources – Ezekwesili

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has described the ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly as a charade and a waste of public resources. Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as the keynote speaker at the 7th Penpushing Anniversary and Annual Lecture, Ezekwesili argued that amending the current constitution is inadequate to address Nigeria’s […]

Former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has described the ongoing constitutional amendment by the National Assembly as a charade and a waste of public resources.

Speaking in Abeokuta, Ogun State, as the keynote speaker at the 7th Penpushing Anniversary and Annual Lecture, Ezekwesili argued that amending the current constitution is inadequate to address Nigeria’s governance challenges.

Delivering a lecture titled “Reworking Nigeria’s Federalism: Perspectives on Restructuring and Fiscal Federalism,” she said the country needs an entirely new constitution rooted in true federalism.

“The ongoing constitutional amendment cannot address our problems-it is a charade and sheer waste of resources.

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“When an engineer finds a building’s foundation structurally defective, you don’t just patch it-you rebuild it. This is the same with nation-building,” she said.

Ezekwesili called on the media to lead advocacy for a people-driven constitutional conference to facilitate honest national dialogue. 

“We must convene a constitutional conference that allows citizens to reshape Nigeria into a country that works for all,” she said.

Also speaking, the immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Sarafadeen Ishola, said true federalism goes beyond power devolution. 

He emphasised responsible governance, institutional clarity, fiscal equity, and citizen-driven accountability.