The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on Sunday rejected the review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, saying Nigeria needed a new constitution and not amendment of the existing document.
PFN canvassed the enactment of a new legal document that would be in agreement with the socio-political realities of the country and capable of enhancing national economic development on all fronts.
These demands were contained in a statement jointly signed by PFN’s National President, Bishop Wale Oke; National Secretary, Dr. Cosmas Ilechukwu and National Legal Adviser, Funmi Quadri (SAN).
In the statement titled Nigeria’s Constitutional Review: PFN’s Stand, the fellowship lamented that the existing 1999 Constitution “is fraught with irregularities that are not helpful for the growth of the federation.”
The statement said the PFN “is aware of the on-going constitutional review process being undertaken by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the public hearing sessions scheduled by the Senate for May 26 and 27 across the six (6) geo-political zones of the country.”
Consequently, the fellowship said the current constitution, which serves as the conveyor belt for the administration of the country, was anti-people and faulty.
“We declare that the present constitution is not a people’s constitution and does not, in any way, reflect the aspirations and yearnings of the PFN and the people of Nigeria at large.
“The PFN is firmly of the view that the review process by amending a segment of the constitution, might just be an exercise in futility that cannot meet the expectation of the people”, the statement further maintained
To this end, the PFN said it was joining forces with other groups in the country in repudiating the 1999 Constitution, calling for the enactment of a new one that would be acceptable and more pliable to the yearnings of Nigerians.
It said: “We stand with the different groups and people across the length and breadth of Nigeria in rejecting the 1999 Constitution, and maintain that it cannot deliver a framework for good governance.
“We do not see the ongoing process of proposed alteration to the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999” achieving the objectives of restructuring Nigeria, as desired and canvassed by millions of Nigerians and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN),” it added
The fellowship demanded a new constitution, which it said would guarantee a truly federalist structure for the good and prosperity of all Nigerians.
