Oputa, Others Warn Over Neglect Of Masses' Wish
From CHARLES OGUGBUAJA, Owerri
Eminent Nigerians at the second Senator Emeka P-Echeruo Memorial Lecture yesterday, at the Imo Concorde Hotel, warned of possible crisis in the country if the wish of Nigerians are consistently ignored by the ruling class.
The lecture was organised by the Echeruo International Centre for Public Policy and Diplomacy, Owerri.
Former Supreme Court Judge, Chukwudifu Oputa warned that darker days that could lead to Nigeria's fall is likely to occur if the leadership continues to ignore the led.
Professor Anthony Oye Chukwurah, a professor of Law and jurisprudence, legal icon, Chief Mike Aham (SAN) and Professor Acholonu, wife of Justice Pat Acholonu of the Supreme Court all added their voices to the issue.
In attendance were the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnachebe Achebe; Minister Of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji and the Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor Ben Obumselu, who was Chairman of the occasion.
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, who had been pencilled to deliver the lecture on Governance and Good Leadership in Nigeria neither came nor send a representative.
"When the citizenry is not contented with the nation, it falls. We are reaching a state where good governance is in short supply in Nigeria. This is very true. Let Nigeria stand up before darkness falls. Greece, Egypt and Rome, did they not fall," Oputa asked "You cannot have good governance without good justice. No way. Democracy should be by the people if the people voted you in there," he said.
To him, the only panacea is for Nigerians to be under God.
In his lecture on "Good Governance And Civil Society In Nigeria Today," Professor Chukwuma, who was chosen alternate lecturer of the day, liberally quoted The Guardian and the paper's editorial board Chairman, Dr. Rueben Abati on their contributions on how democracy has faired in Nigeria and said the only way out is a convocation of national conference or sovereign conference if possible.
He said, in the painstaking and carefully emotionally speech, that "without any further delay, the call for a national conference, a sovereign one if possible, should be taken seriously. Let Nigerian men and women rise up to the occasion before the darkness falls and things fall apart."
Chukwurah equally called for a well thought out constitution amendment and not the type from the inputs of the National Assembly.
"Until Nigerians give themselves an acceptable constitution that assures them true federalism, the constituents of Nigerian federalism will remain disadvantaged and dependent on the central government virtually for everything. Under such acceptable relationship, justice will be enslaved and it will be possible for the party in power at the centre to stifle any opposition and over time turn the entire nation into a one party state. This will not be good for democracy in Nigeria, for the process of democratisation which presently is making slow progress will be aborted, giving way to anarchy and violence," he said.
In their contributions, Igwe Achebe and Professor Obumselu noted that enthronement of good democratic rule would solve Nigerian problem.
Udenwa pledged the sum of N1 million to the centre, for developing the land donated to it and directed Principal official of Imo State government to internalise the contents at the lecture. Close to N2 million was realised as donations.
Chief Ebere Udeagu, Deputy Governor, represented Governor Achike Udenwa of Imo State.
Others at the ceremony, which was partly to honour the former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany (1999-2002), were the President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Chief Charles Ugwu; Echeruo's wife, Dr. Chinelo Echeruo; former Managing Director of Daily Times, Chief Innocent Oparadike; former Secretary of establishment and management services, Chief innocent Nwoga; Imo and Abia Federal Commissioner in Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Dr. Otuokere Njaka; Vice Chancellors of Imo State University, Abia State University and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Professors Anthony Anwukah, Ogwo E. Ogwo, and Jude Njoku respectively.
