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Anger, disappointment and condemnation, at the weekend, followed the endorsement of Third Term by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Review of 1999 Constitution, with some key politicians submitting that it had dire consequences for the nation.
Anger, disappointment and condemnation, at the weekend, followed the endorsement of Third Term by the National Assembly Joint Committee on Review of 1999 Constitution, with some key politicians submitting that it had dire consequences for the nation.
The Committee headed by Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu had on Thursday, after two sittings, recommended three terms of four years each for the president and governors.
However, Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku and Alhaji Balarabe Musa - in separate telephone interviews with Saturday Sun - faulted the recommendation.
While Waku said if implemented, it would lead to war, Musa, chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) diplomatically, said it would lead to 'instability in various forms".
It's fraudulent
Mantu described the process adopted by the Mantu Committee was fraudulent. 'That recommendation is fraudulent; it is unconstitutional; it is a rape of democracy; it is a disgrace to the nation; it is a disgrace to the Mantu Committee itself", he said.
Although he agreed that it is the constitutional duty of the National Assembly to amend the constitution, the Senator faulted the entire process which was concluded in Port Harcourt after public hearing in six zones last week.
'To amend the constitution", he said, is the duty of the States and National Assembly… but did they ( Mantu Committee) ever visited any state assembly?"
Waku, whose coup comments raised a lot of dust in 2000, said the only way to stop the possible ratification of the recommendation by the National Assembly was through mass action.
'Nigerians should reject it outright…There should be mass action", he said.
Reminded that the call for mass action is often seen as a call to violence, he said that was not correct. 'Mass action does not really mean violence…", he said, explaining that it was a reaction of resistance and could spearheaded by Labour.
Anything can happen
Musa, national chairman of the Peoples' Redemption Party (PRP) said the adoption of third term portended a lot of evil for the nation.
'It means there is no respect for the constitution. It means there is no respect for law. It means there is no morality; it means there is no proper way in conduct of affairs by government", he said.
He argued that the Senate could have dealt with the issues they took to public hearing within the walls of the National Assembly. Moreover, he said, the Mantu Committee further rendered its work unconstitutional by not sticking to terms of its mandate. For instance, he said, whereas the committee was expected to sit for two weeks but it wound up after two sittings.
Musa also sighted the controversial court ruling said to have restrained the Committee from sitting. To him, the fact that the same judge who gave the order later reversed herself deprived the report of the Committee of any legitimacy.
Mantu, while announcing the adoption of third term, had claimed that it was based on wish of the people.
'What we are doing is to harmonise the popular opinions of the Nigerian public. So, whatever we do here should not been seen as Mantu's decision . We want a situation where every section of the country would have a sense of belonging, that's why we are adopting the majority view on every issue", he reportedly said.
But Musa said the Committee did the reverse by allegedly ignoring the popular wish of the people. He admitted that the constitution empowers them to hold public hearing but insisted that a majority of those who participated rejected third term. '75 per cent of those who participated said ‘No' to third term - it was reported. But these people have no conscience for what the people say".
Hence, he submitted that those in power were hell-bent of perpetuating themselves in office. 'It is what we have been saying before…they are committed to having a third term. It means from now onwards, any law can be used by them fraudulently to get what they want", he said.
He recalled that there had been talks that a new constitution had already been prepared by the Presidency, alleging that anything else done now would be tailored to fit into the ready-made plan.
'They want to stay on so they can enrich themselves further…", he said. Nigerians, he cautioned, should not rely on the president, the governors and the legislators.
Instability looms
The consequence of third term, the PRP boss said, was 'instability in various forms…it can be in any form…anything can happen". However, he said whatever would happen after third term adoption 'would not be good for the country". Musa expressed the fear that what led to the civil war of 1966 was not as bad as third term ambition. He said the war happened despite the fact that politicians of that time were more credible, sensitive, and considerate than contemporary ones.
Foreseeing 'a possible public resistance" Musa warned that, 'at the end of every crisis, we have calamity".