Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has decried the never-ending process of reviewing Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, describing it as a futile ritual that wastes time and public resources without yielding meaningful results.
Speaking while receiving the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review at the Government House in Yenagoa, Governor Diri, a former lawmaker and ex-member of the same committee, voiced deep frustration over the lack of political will to implement critical recommendations from past reviews.
“I was a member of this same committee from 2015 to 2020, and nothing came out of it,” the governor said. “Every National Assembly comes and repeats the same process. It is time we stop this ritual and act.”
He expressed hope that the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu would break the cycle by implementing substantive changes, calling him a “democrat” with the capacity to move Nigeria forward.
Governor Diri also emphasized the need for fiscal federalism and justice in the distribution of national resources. He cited the case of Bayelsa State, an oil-producing state with just eight local government areas, as an example of structural imbalance.
“It’s an injustice for a state like Bayelsa, which is bigger than nine others in landmass and contributes significantly to the economy, to have only eight LGAs,” he argued. “True federalism is the only way to ensure justice and sustainable national development.”
Earlier, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee and Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, lauded Diri’s leadership and legacy, noting that the consultation tour of the South-South zone (Bayelsa, Edo, and Delta) was aimed at gathering genuine grassroots input.
“We are here to deepen consultations, not just tick boxes. Only a transparent, participatory process will yield the kind of Constitution Nigerians deserve,” Ihonvbere stated.
The House team praised Governor Diri for his developmental strides in Bayelsa, describing him as a shining example of people-focused governance in the South-South region.
