The session started with an introduction of the speaker by The Convener, Pastor Poju Oyemade.
Pastor Poju who also hosted the session asked the guest speaker the first question which was “How can we use the law to engage every Nigerian citizen in the task of nation-building?”
In answering the question Prof. Kanyinsola first wishing everyone a happy anniversary. He stated that society carries on when there are peace and order which in turn can only happen when there is a legal system. He explained that a legal system depends largely, if not wholly on the people. The people are to make the legal system work rather than expect the legal system to work for them.
Quoting John F. Kennedy, he said: “Ask what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you”. He went on to state that today, being the 60th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence is a call on us to take up our civil rights, our constitution and our laws. Prof. Kanyinsola opined that the laws give us benefits but also imposes duties and the way forward is self-regulation and obeying simple laws.
He also encouraged Nigerians to hold their legislators to account.
Thereafter, Pastor Poju went ahead to ask the second question, which is “How can the law drive the change of detribalizing people?”
Prof. Kanyinsola answered by disagreeing with the concept that defines Nigerian citizenship by indigenes and tribes, rather than by residence. He talked about the principle of federal character which promoted brotherhood that Muritala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo introduced, describing it at laudable and also talked about its inclusion in the 1979 constitution that has bastardized our diversity instead of making it a source of strength and unity. He also stated that not one part of the body is more important than the other. He advised that we look at merit rather than ‘tribe’ in giving positions.
According to Prof. Ajayi, the constitution was supposed to give us a sense of belonging, and not division. He also said that we have given our country to mediocre people who have combined mediocrity and corruption to whip up tribal and religious differences to keep themselves in power. We have ignored the commonalities in our circumstances and because we have failed in positioning the right people who refuse to give us what we need, we go back to fighting for our tribes to be in power because we believe we will have what we should have when they are in power.
The third and last question was on the debate of centralised power in the Federal government and the argument for the power to be channelled to smaller units to drive competition.
Prof Kanyinsola described our governors and leaders as lazy and mediocre and claimed that that mediocrity was the driving force for corruption.
He opined that the Federal Government is not too strong and that the state governments are powerful enough to drive themselves.
He also stated that instead of the state governments to use their power to drive businesses, they use the same power to drive the businesses to the ground.
He also encouraged Nigerians to get rid of mediocrity and to begin to look at getting a new constitution.