‘Chapter II of 1999 Constitution Vital to Nigerian Progress’, Femi Falana

The second chapter of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution has been described as a very vital tool that must be used by Nigerians, to demand for both infrastructural and administrative change from our leaders.

This was the view of Mr Femi Falana, during at the town hall meeting organised by Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) in Lagos. 

Speaking under the theme “Justiciability of Chapter II of 1999 Constitution: Pragmatic Measures for Government’s Accountability”, Falana who was one of the keynote speakers said that this chapter was not there because of the fear of the minorities, but it is because the British inserted it in the Constitution of Ghana and India as the Bill of Rights for its citizens to demand from their leaders the right type of governance.

The Senior Advocate maintained that if a politician has sworn by the Constitution to serve the nation, then he or she is bound by Chapter II to deliver what he/she promised the people.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, who is also one of the keynote speakers maintained that many Nigerians do not know their rights as prescribed in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution.

He said that Nigerians must demand for their rights as given to them in Chapter II and that process is certain when elements of fear are removed, because only the Police can come between them and their leaders.

In his welcome address the host of the event and Chairman of SPIDEL, Dr Monday Ubani, said that the 1999 Constitution made elaborate provisions for Nigerians and their socio-economic rights and benefits; unfortunately, this rights have been stripped away.

He further stated that “nothing will be alright with Chapter IV of the Constitution, if Chapter II is not well, that let every right that is a right be enforced”.

The Chief Host of the event and President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Olumide Akpata questioned the theory of government at all level, while Nigerians are suffering from lack of basic amenities. He added that ignorance of Chapter II has been responsible for all the negative developmental indices that the country has got of recent, and with the elections of 2023 fast approaching, the time has come to educate Nigerians on the provisions of Chapter II.

The town hall meeting had Hon. Justice Helen M. Ogunwumiju of the Supreme Court as Chair, and the Chief Judge of Abia State, Hon. Justice Onuoha Ogwe, Kolawole Oluwadare, Deputy Director at SERAP, Mr Sulaiman Usman, SAN, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Sokoto State in the panel of discussants.