Senator Seriake Dickson has called for a comprehensive review of the 1999 Constitution, citing insufficient mechanisms for accountability by leaders as a major issue that needs to be addressed.
Speaking on the socio-political program on Channels Television on Friday, Senator, representing Bayelsa West said, “The biggest emperor that the Nigerian Constitution has created is the President, but there are also 36 and now 37 (Ministers of the FCT).
“There are 37 emperors because of the insufficient mechanisms for accountability built into the constitution, which is what we must address. Accountability in terms of the use of power.”
The Senator, who served as Bayelsa State governor from February 2012 to February 2020, emphasised his commitment to financial transparency during his tenure.
“For eight years as governor, I never tampered with one naira of the local governments’ fund. I was rather giving them a percentage of IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) to support them,” he said.
Senator Dickson expressed his support for a national dialogue to address major existential issues in the country.
“I think we should have a robust national dialogue. It would be nice if the President convenes but it’s about selecting a team and consulting on areas of broad national consensus like state police or even the judiciary,” he stated.
The lawmaker also expressed his support for a shift from the presidential system to a parliamentary government, asserting,
“I believe that a nation that is as plural as we are, as diverse as we are, and culturally, religiously, and socially diverse as we are, the system of government that best suits our purpose should have been the Westminster Parliamentary System.”
Senator Dickson lamented that the current Nigeria does not measure up to the goals and aspirations of the country’s founding fathers at independence over six decades ago.
He criticised the Nigerian elite for their lack of shared values and ideals for Nigeria’s development, stating, “A nation that has not invested heavily in education will be dreaming too high to get quality leadership.”
