Nigeria, Nsukka, the nation's first indigenious university established
a week after the country's independence
IT was thus fitting that the big green coloured anniversary cake
prepared by the university was decorated to also capture Nigeria's
54th independence anniversary that was marked a week earlier.
However, Founder's Day events in campuses are also opportunities by
universities to sound off statesmen on contemporary issues. For UNN,
the 54th Founder's Day was an opportunity to hear from one of its most
popular alumni, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy president of the
Senate and concurrently, speaker of the ECOWAS parliament.
For Senator Ekweremadu who graduated from the University's law
programme more than twenty five years ago and subsequently taught
constitutional law in the school, it was a sort of homecoming.
Not much apparently would have changed in the eyes of the senator
especially given the seeming failure of the university town to develop
despite hosting the country's first university for more than 54 years.
The venue of the lecture was the Princess Alexandra Hall, and
dignitaries from far and near were around.
Among them were the governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano,
Brig-Gen. Benjamin Alanotu who as commander of the army brigade in
Maiduguri apprehended the, Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, the
managing director of AIT News Mr. Imoni Amarere and a surplus of
leading lights of the academia led by the UNN vice-chancellor and
chief host, Prof. Chukwuma Ozumba.
The event had commenced shortly after noon with the academic
procession led by the vice-chancellor.
Though he was in the procession, Ekweremadu was difficult to point
out, reason being that he was clad in the academic robe of the
university.
Sonorous renditions
He was also more difficult to identify because of the unusual attire
of an Adams Oshiomhole like khaki suit he wore. He was to later
explain that he donned the attire of a comrade essentially because of
the revolutionary ideas he had prepared to propound in the lecture.
Following prayers, a welcome address by the vice-chancellor and
ceremonies interspersed with sonorous renditions by the university
choir, Ekweremadu was called on to deliver his address.
His lecture was titled "Key Governance Issues in Nigeria: My
Perspectives." He surely had many perspectives, given his political
antecedents.
From local government chairman, to chief of staff to the Governor of
Enugu State and subsequently, secretary to the state government,
senator, and for the past seven years, deputy president of the Senate,
Senator Ekweremadu offered revolutionary proposals to ameliorate the
malaise in governance in the country. It was to some, an act of class
suicide as he proffered radical steps to the structure and synergy in
the Nigerian federation.
Arguably, the most revolutionary proposal in the about 90 minute
lecture was his call for the abrogation of the 36 state structure and
the replacement of such with a six geo-political zones federating
units.
"My take is that we should return to the regional arrangement with the
six geopolitical zones as the federating units. This will help us to
shrink the size and number of government and increase the volume of
resources available to the regions. It will also help the federating
units to benefit from the economy of scale, doing mega development
projects as we had in the First Republic."
The senator also used the opportunity to reiterate his call for the
establishment of multi-level policing saying that recent developments
had vindicated him. It was also noted that several stakeholders,
notably, northern governors who had in the past opposed him on the
issue have recanted on the issue.
Corporate entities
He said: "My take is that we cannot continue to live in denial. The
cost and embarrassment are clear like daylight. And whether we accept
it or not, many of our states, communities, and corporate entities
states, communities, and corporate entities are already practicing
multilevel policing by using vigilantes, the Sharia police or Hisbah,
neighborhood watch, and other assorted arrangements aimed at beefing
up security around. My worry, though, is that they are largely
illegal, poorly regulated, prone to abuse, and indeed often abused."
"Decentralised or multilevel policing is the order of the day because
it enables sub-national entities such as the states, local
governments, and communities as well as organisations such as
universities to have their own police under strict regulation and
supervision. It allows for competition in the provision of security as
a way of attracting investment and quality residents. These levels of
government and corporate entities package and prioritise the security
of lives and property to suit their local challenges and resources.
The system is so effective in the United States of America, USA, that
the police pays you a compensation if they fail to answer a distress
call by being physically present at the scene of distress in eight
minutes and something untoward happens thereafter. That way, crimes
are averted, and when they occur, because they inevitably do, response
is timely and solid, while punishment is quick and certain."
Perhaps in line with his revolutionary zeal, Ekweremadu sought to
bring the welfare and issue of the common man to fore as he lamented
that the "dominant public sentiment is that leaders show insufficient
commitment to the citizens' welfare and gravely under appreciate the
need to use powers to achieve public good and national interest".
"The welfare of citizens should not depend on the goodwill of those in
power, but should be the center piece of government policies and
programme; hence I consider it obscene and irreligious when those in
governance insist that the people role out the drums to celebrate and
glorify them for providing them with what they in government were
elected to do in the first place", he added.
He insisted that "only an aggressive pursuit of citizens' welfare can
mute the uneasy feelings and agitations percolating in the society
about leaders' insensitivity to citizens' welfare".
Senator Ekweremadu added: "Those in politics have the binary moral
choice to make: to use power for evil or to use it for good; this is
an era of immense challenges and the nation needs leaders who use
their powers for the good of the nation. The logical and serious way
to recapture public trust is by providing honest and effective
leadership.
Good leadership will assuage citizens discouraged and alienated by
what they view as insensitive, corrupt, and ineffective leadership at
various levels of government"
Before concluding he offered a ray of hope for Nigeria, saying:
"There is legitimate optimism about the future of Nigeria, as problems
that bothered us seem to be dissipating; hence nothing should alter
our mindset, vitiate our commitment, enfeeble our resolve or distract
our purpose. We must work together for to make Nigeria a better, more
secure, and more prosperous nation", he urged.
Another act of class suicide that many in the senator's Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP would be quick to disown was the proposal for
the introduction of proportional representation in the election to
parliament.
Through that process, smaller political parties would be represented
in the legislature based on the total number of votes scored in the
election.
Following his presentation, the discussants Prof. Sam Egwu, Brig. Gen.
Alanotu, Prof. Ben Elo Amucheazi and Mr. Amarere took turns to offer
their insights into the issues raised by the senator.
They without exception agreed with the deputy Senate president on the
proposals he pushed.
Brig. Gen. Alanotu was to add the need for the nation to have a data
base to capture all persons living in the country saying it was
essential in the light of contemporary security needs.
Mr. Amarere even while applauding the submissions, however, questioned
Mr. Amarere even while applauding the submissions, however, questioned
the capacity of the electoral body to superintend over an election
based on proportional representation as he pointed at regular
questions pointed at the electoral register.
It was the 54th Founder's Day for the University, but for Ekweremadu
and many who were there, the ideas proposed last Wednesday could well
be the platform for the foundation of a truly more viable Nigeria.
-Vanguard
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