Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, on Wednesday called on Nigerians to resist all forms of tyranny and dictatorship currently manifesting in the polity.
He made this call at the 3rd annual lecture of the Ogun State Correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, which held at the NUJ secretariat, Iwe Irohin, Abeokuta.
The Rivers governor, who was the guest speaker, noted that unless Nigerians rise against bad leadership and install leadership that was passionate about the country, there would be no progress.
He said, “Leadership is an extremely important factor, if we are going to build a nation. Unless and until we have leaders with ability, integrity, commitment and vision, we cannot succeed as a country. We cannot succeed by leadership that is not functional”.
Ahead of the 2015 general elections, which he noted is just about nine months away, Amaechi stressed that it was up to Nigerians to do away with bad leadership at all levels.
He said, “It is in your hands to choose and to change the leadership. Nigerians must begin to insist that they deserve better than they are getting.
“We believe that Nigeria of our dream is Nigeria with leaders who are not only consistent, transparent but also passionate about our country.
“Can we say that the crop of leadership at various levels is passionate about us as a country? Can we say that the current crop of leadership at the federal level is transparent in their dealings?
“Can we say that the present crop of leadership at the federal is consistent with policies that will build the nation? I think that the answers to that is the reason why some of us left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress”.
Amaechi, who said that current form of federalism was also deficient, decried the situation whereby the federal government determines what allocation should be given to states, without recourse to the governors of those states.
The Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, chairman also described the recent banning of ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ protests by the FCT commissioner of police, Joseph Mbu, before it was overruled by the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, as unconstitutional.
He said, “Nigerians must say no to tyranny. Nigerians must say no to dictatorship. The people get the kind of leadership they deserve.
“It appears that Nigerians have been docile. Nigerians should insist that they deserve more than they are getting”.
Amaechi, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Information, Ms Ibim Semenitari, spoke on the theme, “Nigeria: The Leadership Question”.
Citing another form of unconstitutionality, Amaechi revealed that he bore the burden of tyranny in the state by having the chief judge foisted on him by the National Judicial Council.
He said, “It is in the Constitution that the governor should be the one to appoint the chief judge, but this was not the case in Rivers. It was the National Judicial Council that appointed the chief judge. This is unconstitutional”.
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