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Lawyer advocates special assistance for Anambra
EMMA OKEREKE,Special
Correspondent
THE federal
government has been enjoined to give sympathetic attention to the seeming
unending imbroglio in Anambra State with a view to arresting the crisis.
Owerri-based attorney Barrister Eze
Duruiheoma who made the plea also specifically appealed to President Olusegun
Obasanjo to give special assistance to the restoration of peace and rebuilding
of the destroyed infrastructure.
According to Duruiheoma: "Anambra deserves
some kind of Special Assistance. What has happened there is horrendous. They
deserve a federal treatment, indeed a special attentions."
He expressed surprise that the recent
mayhem by arsonists took place in spite of the presence of the police who were
authorized to safeguard lives and property.
"Look at the fingers being pointed at the
police. They were alleged to have looked the other way, in fact in some cases
assisted the hoodlums. That is not a good thing, "Chief Duruiheoma, who spoke in
a exclusive interview with Saturday Champion reasoned.
Accusing the federal government of being
vicariously responsible for what had happened in Anambra, he said it should
assist in rebuilding the destroyed facilities.
He attributed the continued saga in
Anambra to the non-chalance of the authorities.
Anambra imbroglio he further said seem to
have survived till now because some people who ought to do certain things to
ensure that the Anambra situation is stopped are not doing what they ought to
do.
Duruiheoma, a former idea to south local
government chairman, and Special Assistant to Governor Achike Udenwa (Special
Duties), cited the abduction saga, the withdrawal of Governor Ngige’s security
details, the recent mayhem and the recent attack on the governor’s convoy as
cases that should name elicited prompt and decisive action.
"The thing that pains me most is that when
the history of what is happening in Anambra State is written, all of us will
find somewhere reserved for our condemnation", he stated adding "we are not
doing enough. We are not saying enough it is unfortunate."
He however commended the recent judgement
of the Appeal Court sitting in Enugu which nullified Justice Stanley Nnaji’s
controversial order of January 2004 directing Inspector-General of Police to
remove the governor from office.
The judiciary he noted had done
tremendously well adding "even a jaundiced critic would give it to the judiciary
that it has performed wonderfully well".
"There are so many landmark cases and that
is the essence of democracy", he declared.
Duruiheoma therefore called for the
independence of the judiciary contending that it ought to be in a position to
look after itself without depending on the executive arm reacting to the call
for the removal of immunity granted to the president and governors, the lawyer
said our democracy had not grown to that stage.
His words: "Those people who are
advocating that the provision should be expunged are looking at only one side.
Have they thought about a sitting governor being harassed with frivolous suits?
So why do we have to throw away the dirty water with the child just because you
think one or two governors have done something wrong.
"Have they thought about the consequences
of such action. People will now feel emboldened to start slamming all the
governors, even the president will not be spared, with all sort of law suits,
and the governor will now have leave the delicate job of looking after one court
room and the other. No I don’t think we are ready for that now."
He commended Governor Achike Udenwa for
the landmark projects of his administration which the president commissioned
recently.
He described the president’s visit as a
very successful event whose dividends will unfold very soon.
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