A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has said that Nigeria would have stabilised if former President Olusegun Obasanjo had not rejected the five or six-year single term for presidents proposed to him by the NBA.

Recently, the House of Representatives rejected a bill sponsored by some lawmakers seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to allow for a single tenure of six years for the President, State Governors, and Local Government Chairmen. However, Olanipekun disclosed that the proposal was first initiated by the NBA when he was the president of the association between 2002 and 2004.

The legal icon also stated that Nigeria’s constitution needed to be reviewed so that it reflects the reality on the ground in the country.

The Senior Advocate made these remarks at the weekend while fielding questions from newsmen in his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, after the 28th Scholarship Award Scheme and 5th Empowerment Programme of the Wole Olanipekun Foundation.

He said, “When I was the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), 2002 to 2004, we initiated it, we originated it. It was one of the proposals we brought to Obasanjo as President; he rejected it then.

“Beautifully crafted. By that time we presented it to him, we said, Mr President, for us to stabilise this Republic, please, experiment this. We either go for parliamentary or if we are going to go on with this presidential system of government, we suggested to him a single term of five or six years; he flared up.

“Not the way they are bandying it now, our own was well worked out. We worked on it. We researched on it.

“And what were we suggesting then, that there are six geo-political zones in Nigeria. If the president comes from the South-West, for example, there will be six vice presidents, but each of the six vice presidents must have a portfolio. We will have a vice president who will be in charge of the Ministry of Justice as Attorney General, we will have one who will be in charge of Education, we will have one in charge of Defence, one in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, and one in charge of Works.

“A geo-political zone that has a vice president who holds the portfolio of Education will not have a Minister of Education. We worked it out. We did everything for him, and that if peradventure, the president from a particular geo-political zone—whether he is impeached, whether he dies in office—the vice president, whether he is holding the portfolio of Education or Attorney General or whatever, from that geo-political zone will complete his tenure. And then, next time around, it moves to another geo-political zone. By now it would have moved round; it would have come to the turn of the South-West again.

“We would have stabilised the system, but he didn’t want to hear anything of such. In fact, he told me, let me quote him (Obasanjo), he said, ‘Look at you, I have dribbled and my ball is now in the 18, you are suggesting law, what kind of a president are you?’”

The legal luminary continued, “I am still of the view that we have to do something about our constitution. We have to look into it. 

The constitution, to me, is not federal. The constitution, to me, does not reflect what we have on ground as Nigeria, as people of Nigeria, as the content of Nigeria, as the context of Nigeria.

“We should have a constitution that is homegrown. No constitution is perfect, but then, we cannot be going on with an imperfect constitution, amending and amending just like a house that does not have a good foundation. I believe that something has to be done about our constitution.”

Speaking on the programme, Olanipekun revealed that his love for giving and impacting humanity informed his decision to institute the scholarship and empowerment programmes.

“Life is about you impacting on humanity. You will always be remembered for what you have done to impact meaningfully on humanity.

In 1996, we started the scholarship scheme. I asked myself, would I have been richer if I had not instituted the scholarship scheme? No! Would I have been happier if I had not instituted it? The answer is no! Am I happy that we instituted it and we see people who have passed through it becoming somebody in life, becoming recognised in the society, becoming lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers, business men, and so on? Am I happy? Yes! It is only a sadist who does not want other people to progress.

“When you now talk of 4,219 beneficiaries, I don’t know them, but then they are happy where they are, and they will appreciate God even if they don’t appreciate me.”

According to him, the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme (WOSS), which started in 1996, had initially produced a total of 3,019 beneficiaries, while the Wole Olanipekun Foundation (WOF), which commenced five years ago, had produced 800 beneficiaries. 

He said in the 2024 edition, 150 beneficiaries covering students in and outside Nigeria benefitted from the scholarship scheme. In the empowerment programme, 50 widows, 50 aged people, and 150 young entrepreneurs benefitted, making a total of 4,219 beneficiaries.

The philanthropist urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of what has been given to them and appealed to them and other well-to-do Nigerians to emulate his kind gesture by giving back to society, as government alone cannot do everything.

Olanipekun hailed the Governor of the State, Biodun Oyebanji, for fostering unity across political, cultural, and social divides in the state, which, according to him, is a rare example of harmony and collective purpose in governance.

In his remarks, Governor Oyebanji lauded the uncommon gesture of Olanipekun, describing him as a legend and a blessing not only to Ekiti people but to humanity. He urged other privileged Nigerians to emulate Olanipekun’s spirit of service and dedication to humanity.

“You are a gift not only to Ikere, not to Ekiti State alone, not to Nigeria but to humanity. Thank you for being a selfless leader, thank you for your love for your people, and thank you for always identifying with them.

“What Chief is doing in Ikere, Ekiti State, Nigeria, and globally speaks to a man that loves God. A man that wants to share his blessings with the less privileged, and I commend him and his family for the support.”

The Chairman of the occasion, Senator Mohammed Sanni Musa (CON), commended Olanipekun for his untiring commitment to impacting lives and urged the beneficiaries to emulate Olanipekun by also impacting the lives of others.

The Senator representing Niger East and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, said, “The event reflects not just giving out scholarships, and not just supporting entrepreneurs. The event reflects that for someone who has gotten something from somewhere has vowed to give something to somebody. From a noble upbringing, God has prospered him.

“I listened to him very carefully. He said, if you are given, think and work towards also giving out. I hope the beneficiaries of these scholarships will make the best use of them, and the entrepreneurs will also build more entrepreneurs. Because when you are an entrepreneur with a skill, you are transferring and teaching others how to learn those skills, and by so doing, you are multiplying many entrepreneurs.

“As we celebrate this milestone, I also want to extol the remarkable leadership of His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji.

“I came into Ekiti, right from the first village, I saw that when we passed, everybody was running to come to the street, thinking it was their Governor passing. That shows how acceptable you are; that shows your humility.

“Your Excellency, the legacy Ekiti people will want you to leave is the legacy that somebody will come to try as much as possible to see how he can catch up with you. And when you do that, posterity will judge you right.”

The monarch of the community, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adejimi Adu, hailed Olanipekun for his kind gesture to the people of the kingdom. He described Olanipekun as an outstanding and distinguished leader of the community.

The Sun