The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, has joined the growing clamour for the amendment of the Nigeria constitution, asserting that ‘it is no longer workable’.
Abia NUJ Chairman, Comrade Victor Ndukwe who made the call when he received in audience Gender and Constitution Review Network at the NUJ Press Centre Aba Road Umuahia, blamed the woes of the country on the inherent flaws and lopsidedness of the 1999 constitution.
According to the NUJ boss, if the 1999 constitution were reviewed to address genuine concerns of different groups, the various agitations and rising tension in the country will subside.
He appealed to the federal government to heed the clamour for the restructuring of the country by amending the relevant sections of the extant constitution to reflect the will of the people.
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‘It’s better for us to admit the fact that the current constitution is no longer workable, and then work towards changing it for all-inclusive governance’, Ndukwe said.
He commended the group for its advocacy for gender sensitivity and sustained campaign against harmful practices against women and the girl child, assuring it of full support of Abia Journalists.
Speaking earlier, the State Coordinator of the NGO, Lady Ugo Kalu, solicited the support and partnership of Journalists in the fight against discrimination against women.
Lady Kalu who regretted that Nigeria’s current constitution was not gender-friendly, said the group was mobilizing women across the country for a gender-friendly constitution that would guarantee more space and leadership roles for women.
She also advocated a new constitution that would recommend stiff penalties against harmful widowhood practices, violence against women, and other obnoxious traditional practices against women.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK