ABUJA— THE Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Professor Jerry Gana said yesterday that any attempt by President Olusegun Obasanjo to succeed himself in the 2007 would spell doom for Nigeria, as there was no constitutional provision for third term in the present constitution.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja at the end of a Public Lecture organized by thePatriotic Youth Association, in reference to the speculation, the Presidential Adviser said “ it is the most wicked and cheapest blackmail as the constitution does not give room for it and if Obasanjo attempts a third term in office, it would spell doom for the country””.
Gana’’s declaration came on the heels of speculation that the President was making moves to succeed himself in 2007. He was the Special Guest of Honour on the occasion.
He had earlier stressed the need for peaceful co-existence as “Nigeria is a must for us to live”, adding that “the government owes Nigerians the constitutional duty of providing adequate security to the people as peace and security serves as sine qua non for meaningful development and progress. If we must move forward, there must be the provision of Peace and Security””.
He noted that the political climate should be one that would be free where the electorate must be allowed to choose leaders that would meet with the yearnings of the people in an election devoid of rigging, adding that the government must strive at providing water and other social amenities to the people as good governance entails making the people happy.
The former minister called on the youths to avoid involvement in conflicts and avoid being used by the political elite class to achieve their selfish desires knowing full well that the future belongs to them and must not be destroyed or marred for any reason.
His call on Nigeria youths to see themselves as veritable vehicle for disseminating the message of peaceful co-existence was earlier emphasized by the Presidential Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Matters, Chief Ojo Maduekwe who asked the youths why they no longer have fire in their bellies.
According to Chief Madueke ““the youth have little passion for the Nation with total skepticism on total governance hence the reported cases of youth landing in trouble”, urging the youths to galvanize enough energy for a new Nigeria State or else “we risk the danger of sitting on a time bomb”.
The Presidential Adviser who was the Chairman of the Occasion noted that the Igbos, since the Civil War in which he participated, have no reason to cry of marginalisation as the Igbos had produced a vice President some years after the war. “
