By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor
Last WEDNESDAY was the 54th Founder’s Day of the University of 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 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 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.


Source: Vanguard