A legal practitioner, Boye Lemiyu, has said that persons from the age of 18 and below are too young to marry or vote as that is the age of ‘experimentation’.
While speaking on Channels Television’s flagship programme, Sunrise daily, Lemiyu,explained that an 18 year old does not have the emotional capability to handle the stress that comes along with the two responsibilities.
Disagreeing with the globally recongised adult age of 18-year old, the lawyer claimed that 21 should the precise age for adulthood because when an individual of 18-year old commits a crime, he or she is still viewed as a minor before the law.
Reacting to the controversial amendment of the 1999 constitution, Mr Lemiyu said few Nigerians “have actually made input into the amendment that is being passed presently. Most people are busy with their day to day activities.”
He also questioned the arrogation of the powers of the National Assembly to be the authority to formulate a new constitution for Nigeria.
The National Assembly perhaps is a representation of the sovereign will of the people but when you talk about the formulation of a new constitution, “I think the people themselves ought to be directly involved.”
“It should be something they are consciously doing.”
He also said that “political actors in the country today are arrogating to themselves powers that sometimes they do not possess.”
“They need to be reminded that ultimately sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria.”
Asked if what Nigeria needs is an amendment to a proper implementation of the laws, the lawyer said “the operation of the constitution can be better done than it is presently being done. I don’t think the present actors are particularly mindful of public interest.”
Their vision, about where they want to take the country, is not clear, he added.