…Advocates Leadership through Gender balance
Legal luminary Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has called on the National Assembly to stay action on the ongoing amendment to the 1999 Constitution for crucial reasons.
Olanipekun also advocated a leadership system with gender equality to promote women’s development in the country.
The legal icon gave the charge on Monday at the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, while delivering the institution’s 13th convocation ceremony lecture, entitled , “Nigeria – Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Imperative of a Sober and Definitive Recalibration “.
According to Olanipekun, ” The National Assembly should, for the time being, stay action on the ongoing amendment or any further amendment to the 1999 Constitution, as already stated earlier and elsewhere, the Constitution needed a complete new rebranding, a complete overhaul, and a substitution, altogether.
” Call it autochthonous Constitution, or any other name, it has to be a renegotiated document that will pave the way for a new social order.
” We can not continue to live by the 1999 Constitution, which haunts us as a military albatross.
” Let us borrow a golden leaf from other countries of the world,and determine to live together, on appreciable terms and conditions”, he said.
According to him, ” By suggesting to the National Assembly to stay action on any constitutional amendment for now, one is not advocating a state anomie, or normlessness.
” Rather, I am proposing a transition period, between now and 2031, a phase that will give us sufficient time to reflect on the ills plaguing, or that have plagued our previous constitutions to date”
On gender equality,Olanipekun stated that ” God created man and woman and placed them in the garden of Eden. While the Bible affirms that the woman was to be a helpmate to the man, the Holy Writ does not state that God forbade the woman from elevating, enhancing, improving or aspiring to leadership. ”
Olanipekun, who sought for referendum, harped on inclusiveness where people speak collectively in unity for the growth and development of the nation
” I wish to submit that a referendum has become overdue. A referendum is the solemn act by which a people, collectively, speak in unison to decide matters of grave national importance.
” Over the centuries, such had been deployed to determine issues, as fundamental as independence, territorial belonging, constitutional reordering, and the Recalibration of political unions, it represents the voice of the Dena’s, I mean unfiltered and undiluted, speaking louder than the usual rhetoric of politicians, or the manoeuvres of the elites”, he said.
He commended the founder of the University, Afe Babalola SAN, who he said he had known since 1966 as a secondary school student, for his outstanding contributions to uplifting the Nigerian nation, through his law powers, educational emancipation and general developmental efforts.
He urged other privileged Nigerians to emulate the good virtues of the legal giant, so as to turn things around for the country.
In his reaction,Babalola appreciated the legal icon on the comprehensive lecture ,saying that the substance was in tandem with his (Babalola’s) usual submissions.
He urged the convocation lecturer to make the piece available to the National Assembly, Nigerian Bar and the President for appropriate action.
“To me, I have nothing new to add to what you have submitted to me. I take it as my own submission because it is totally in agreement with what I have been preaching, what I have been writing, and what I have been talking about everywhere.
” I thank you, Professor Olanipekun, for supporting my views and supporting Nigeria and for urging us to have a new constitution. Without that, we can never make it.
“Again, I thank you very much for suggesting that women should be more proactive, to take part in politics. What I’m going to ask you to do, please, professor, let us have some copies of your lecture. So I can let my students have copies.
” I want your permission to allow ABUAD to send copies. One, to the Senate, the House of Representatives, and also to the President. You have spent so much time on this lecture.
“You believe in this country. You believe people should be able to make it where you have made it. We will not only send copies to them, but we are going to send a letter to them. Ask them to please act on your submission.
“Again, you are a senior member of the bar.You are an active practitioner of law. I urge you to please. You will send a copy to the bar. “.Babalola said.
