By Ime Silas
The South-south Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 constitution has been declared open by the Senate President, His Excellency, Distinguished Sen Godswill Obot Akpabio GCON, with a call on participants from the zone to contribute towards building rather than destroying.
Holding in the ancient town of Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, the two-day Public Hearing is witnessing a large turn out of stakeholders from the six states of the geopolitical zone.
Speaking on its significance, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio via a release circulated in the media noted that the event was not just a mere formality, but a democratic rite aimed at providing the Stakeholders the opportunity to speak to the nation.
“Today in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, I declared open the South-South Zonal Public Hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution”, Akpabio said, stressing that no democracy was perfect, but work in progress.
He continued “Today’s event is not merely a formality. It is a democratic rite—a solemn moment in which the people, not politicians alone, speak into the soul of the nation. It is an affirmation that in a democracy, every voice counts.
Let us not forget that democracy is a work in progress. No constitution is eternal in its original form, and no democracy is perfect—because man himself is not perfect. But it is in our collective pursuit of perfection—that more perfect union—that the true beauty of democracy lies”.
Emphasizing that the event was not a platform for complaint, Akpabio noted that it was a testament to the Senate’s belief in dialogue and democratic principles.
“Therefore, the review of our Constitution is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. It is not a complaint against the past, but a commitment to the future. We amend not to abandon, but to realign—to adapt our national charter to the changing realities, dreams, and demands of the good people of Nigerian.
Every Nigerian is a stakeholder in Nigeria’s democracy. This public hearing is a testament to the Senate’s unwavering belief that truth emerges not from silence, but from dialogue; not from monologue, but from the aggregation of honest opinions. That is why we are here—not as party men, but as patriots. Not as political actors, but as nation-builders.
“The demand of this moment is that we speak freely and boldly. Let us argue passionately, but reason truthfully. In this sacred moment, politics must give way to national interest. The Constitution belongs not to the elite, but to every Nigerian who wakes up each day in the hope of a better tomorrow.
My dear compatriots, this is our moment. Our children are watching. Posterity is listening. History is recording. We have come together not to tear down, but to build up—to construct the scaffolding of a stronger, more inclusive, and more just Nigeria”.
The Public Hearing would have participants drawn from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo, Delta and Rivers States.
