By Valentine Amanze
Constitional Lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze, has raised the alarm that Nigeria is being administered as if it belongs to just one section.
This was coming on the heels of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s statement that the only way democracy could function was for the right thing to be done at all times.
During the public lecture in commemoration of the thirrd anniversary of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s administration in Port Harcourt on Monday, Professor Nwabueze said that the country belonged to all Nigerians.
His words: ‘We are all Nigerians and we abhor what is happening today. We want an all-inclusive government.”
The elder statesman pointed out that the promotion of nepotism and sectionalism was killing the country.
He said that the the country needed to cross the river of pervasion, to stop the several pervasive actions that undermines democracy.
He said: “It is the pervasion of Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the residence of a serving governor to be searched.
“You can investigate the governor, but you cannot execute a search warrant on the residence of a governor. If the residence of the President cannot be searched, why should anyone search the residence of a governor?”
Nwabueze said that the salvation of Nigeria rests with youthful leaders, who were expected to drive the development process.
“Governor Wike is one of the young people that can take over. My generation is gone. My generation cannot save this country. We are charging Governor Wike as a leader of this generation, with the energy of youth to take up the mantle,” Nwabueze said.
Remarking, Wike said that the will of the people was critical for the survival of democracy.
He assured that the Rivers State Government would always rise in defence of the mandate of the people, irrespective of the negative actions of anti-democratic forces.
The governor said that it was not in the interest of democracy for the people to sit idly and allow criminals undermine democracy.
“The system in Nigeria has intimidated the judiciary and INEC. If the people did not resist the invasion of the court, APC and Police would have gotten away with it”, he said.
He said that opposition leaders in Rivers State play self-centred politics which makes it difficult for them to appreciate the state-wide development.
In his lecture titled: “Democracy in Nigeria: Still Many Rivers to Cross”, Guest Speaker and Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Most Reverend Mathew Kukah, said that any assault on the judiciary was the greatest threat to democracy.
He advised Nigerians to find a way of developing a country of democrats where democratic tenets could thrive.
The cleric said that Nigeria must invest in the architecture of peace by making the nation’s environment sufficiently habitable.
Rivers State former Governor, Dr Peter Odili; High Court Judges, Legislators, Traditional Rulers and the academia attended the event.
