1999 constitution makes politics lucrative – Afe Babalola

Founder of Afe Babalola University, Afe Babalola has stated that the 1999 constitution makes politics lucrative in Nigeria.

Babalola who said this at an event organized by his university, called for a new constitution which will put a check on “transactional leaders”.

He said;

“There is a very simple solution to that. We need a new constitution where the different nations can develop at their own rate.

“West was doing well under the old constitution, east was doing well under the old constitution, north was doing well under the old constitution.

“But the present constitution puts leadership in a position that politics becomes the only lucrative business in Nigeria.

“We don’t want transactional leaders anymore; we want transformational leaders, who will be able to transform this place. The solution is a new constitution – the constitution of the people.”

In the early years in 1960 people were not earning salaries but allowances and they were doing well but now you see people selling their property to contest election because of money they will get in the office, that is not the ideal thing. The solution is a new constitution for the people. We need people who will serve without earning salaries. “