Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, on Wednesday, warned that if Nigeria refused to do away with the 1999 Constitution, it would be hard for anyone to fix the country.

He described Nigeria as a pluralistic country that needed to address its diversity with true federal constitutions.

“To those who think that the trouble with Nigeria today is the political leadership, I would say that as long as we have the 1999 Constitution as our grundnorm, not even Angel Gabriel or Malaikah Jibrin as leaders can successfully tackle the divisiveness, the underperforming economy with the resultant poverty, the insecurity, the humongous corruption, and the other major challenges currently facing Nigeria,” Anyaoku said.

The elder statesman spoke at the launch of the book: “The Noble Academic and Patriot: A Biography of Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun,” held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Anyaoku, who was the chairman on the occasion, said, “I start from the clearly undeniable fact that Nigeria, like many other countries across the world, is a pluralistic country, that is, a country whose population consists of groups of peoples long established in their separate geographical areas with different histories, cultures, languages and religions.

“The universal lesson is that pluralistic countries which have survived as single political entities in unity and progress are those that addressed their pluralism, that is their diversity, with genuine federal constitutions. Examples of such countries are India, Canada and Switzerland.

“I believe, therefore, that if our pluralistic Nigeria is to achieve true unity and political stability, and to successfully tackle the serious challenges that the country currently faces, it must have a truly federal constitution.”

Lauding Osuntokun, Anyaoku recalled how the renowned professor campaigned for him when he was vying for the position of Secretary General at the Commonwealth.

“I first knew of Jide Osuntokun when he was Adviser to Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, General Ike Nwachukwu, and accompanied the Foreign Minister in his journeys to campaign for my candidacy for the office of Commonwealth Secretary-General.

“I was then running against the man who had been the Prime Minister of Australia for seven and a half years.”

According to him, Osuntokun is not only an accomplished academic, “but also a patriot who was deservedly recognised last year by the prestigious Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, through the conferment of an award with the title HLF on him, which means a role model for our young people in how to achieve success through hard work and integrity.”

On his part, a former governor of Ekiti State and the book reviewer, Dr Kayode Fayemi, explained how Osuntokun authorised the biography in 2021, though the idea was conceived by the authors in 2018.

Fayemi took the attendees through the genealogy of the professor, including his academic and family life, as documented by the authors.

“The authors informed us that the book project was conceived in 2018 after Prof Osuntokun served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. Prof Osuntokun graciously authorised the biography in 2021 by granting the authors extensive interviews and two virtual interviews in addition to providing access to his library and archives.

“The book manuscript, in nine crisp and concise chapters, with three appendices, started in the first chapter by tracing the genealogy of Prof Osuntokun.

“The authors provide extensive evidence of family history, entrepreneurial acumen and pacesetting influence in the community to explain the values and attributes we later associate with Professor Osuntokun.

“The chapter covered in great detail the struggles, his bold forbearance waged in the course of establishing a clan in Oke-Mesi and their involvement in the federating military of Ekiti and Ijesa against the rampaging Ibadan army in the Kiriji war.

“Another of his forebears had fought in the First World War on the side of the British. His own father had gone in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, as far afield as the mines of Ghana, and became a wealthy itinerant trader, all the while his employers returned from Ghana, in the course of which he married his mother, and settled the family in Ilawe-Ekiti.”

Speaking at the event, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, said he had so much to learn from Osuntokun “because if you have taught these wonderful people who spoke about you today (I have a lot to learn from you).”

He, however, lamented that Nigeria had cultivated a culture of celebrating those who contributed nothing to nation-building, noting that it was destroying society.

Obi said, “When the National Universities Commission Secretary-General said they are looking for PhD people to teach in our universities, I called him and said, why do you want anybody to do PhD when you don’t pay them and you pay thugs 100 times what they are paid. We are choosing the least among us to be our role models. And that is destroying our society.”

The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Tunde Bakare, extolled Osuntokun as a great teacher, whom he also said was very crucial to his sojourn as a student at the University of Lagos.

Bakare, who did the unveiling of the book, said “He (Osuntokun) and his late wife were a blessing to me at one of the most critical periods of my life.

“I present the book today and it is my great privilege sir and you don’t know how overwhelmed I am at this stage.”

He prayed that “God Almighty will ensure that those who will read and benefit from this (book)” would be among those who will build the nation.

Other dignitaries who graced the NIIA venue for the launch included the Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, represented by Senior Special Adviser on Policy, Strategy and Logistics, Wahab Alawiye; Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; TV anchor and former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati; Chairman of the Editorial Board of Nation Newspapers, Sam Omastseye; the governorship candidate of the LP in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, among a host of others.

PUNCH