A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and immediate past Chairman of
the Nigerian Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Friday, adduced
reasons why President Bola Tinubu should probe all the past administrations.
According to him, examination and audit of all books and
records, as well as past expenditures, would provide an insight into “why the
economy is grounded; why the refineries have collapsed in spite of billions, if
not trillions of Naira that have been allegedly expended at refurbishing them.”
Chief Olanipekun spoke at a colloquium that was held in
Abuja to mark the 25th anniversary of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama as a SAN.
In a paper he presented at the event, entitled; ‘The Nigeria
Of Our Dreams: A Call To The Patriots’, the senior lawyer equally called for
the renaming of the country.
He said: “My position is that we should stop mocking
ourselves by the retention of the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning
appellation given to us by Lugard’s mistress.
“It is intriguing that, to date, we have not mustered
sufficient courage to drop this denigrating appellation. Come to think of this,
the French named their French colony Niger, which the British gave the
ridiculous appellation Nigeria.
“What is the difference between Niger as pronounced in
French and Nigeria as pronounced in English? A citizen of Niger is called a
Nigerien, while a citizen of Nigeria is called a Nigerian.
“Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference is
between these names? It is a difference without a distinction, and the recent
development in the Republic of Niger has brought to the fore this stark
reality.
“As a person, I keep asking myself why I am described and
addressed as a Nigerian, a name imposed on us/me by the imperial masters.
“Thus, the first
takeaway from this Colloquium is a challenge to all of us, to offload this
appellation or nickname, and decide to give ourselves a name that is indigenous
to us; that is arrived at through a consensus, and that evokes in us a strong
sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry meaning that proclaims a
destiny or actualization of a dream, worth being proud of.”
On his call for President Tinubu to probe past
administrations, Olanipekun, SAN, said: “Let us remind ourselves that we cannot
make omelet without breaking eggs. What do I mean? The President has to ask
questions, and sordid questions indeed, about how we have come to this sorry
pass; why we are in a big mess; why the economy is grounded; what have happened
to the previous budgets and the trillions of Naira allocated to road
rehabilitation, healthcare delivery, security, infrastructural rehabilitation,
institutional restoration, etc.
“Why have our airports, particularly the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport, Lagos, which is our gateway to the outside world, plunged
into such a shambolic state, constituting an eyesore to any rational human
being- despite the billions of Naira purportedly earmarked and expended towards
rehabilitating them; why our youths and professionals of all cadres, at their
prime, exiting the country in droves (JAPA) in search of golden fleece which
does/do not even exist in several instances.
“For example, it is now common knowledge that many Nigerians
are left destitute without jobs, after travelling to the United Kingdom.
“Lest I forget, the government must also interrogate a very
profound question as to why the national currency, Naira has fallen so
abysmally, almost from Grace to grass, and virtually becoming valueless with
N900 exchanging for just one USD.
“The present administration must examine and audit, all
books and records as well as past expenditures, whether real or otherwise,”
Olanipekun, SAN, added.
On his part, the celebrant, Chief Gadzama, SAN, said the
Colloquium was organized to bring Eggheads together to address some of the
issues affecting the country.
“There is a consensus that is building up, that Nigeria is
at the brink of collapse. What then can we do as compatriots, as patriots,
nationalists, major stakeholders, community leaders and politicians.
“A lot has been said. What we want to do is to ensure that
what have been said are put in the public domain, particularly at the feet of
those in government to see what they can do to have a new order in the approach
to national issues.
“Corruption has been identified, nepotism, electoral
rigging, etc. We need good governance, we need transparency in this country, at
all levels,” Gadzama, SAN, stated.
Among dignitaries at the event that was chaired by a retired
Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs. Mary Odili, included the Attorney-General of
the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
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