Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described the declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State as a clear case of abuse of office and power by the three arms of Government.
Jonathan made this assertion in his speech as chairman of the annual colloquium organised by the Haske Satumari Foundation in Abuja, with the theme: “Promoting social change and development through diversity, equity and inclusion.”
Jonathan said: “As a former President and also from the Niger Delta, when the issue of suspending the Governor of Rivers State came up, I think people called on me, President Jonathan and ex-President Obasanjo to say something.
“People expected us to say something about what is happening. Of course, people don’t even know that traditionally all over the world, former presidents hardly make statements about what the current presidents are doing because of the tension it could create in the country.
“In most cases, look at America, look at everywhere…So, for former presidents to make statements …and of course, what is happening in Nigeria today regarding the situation in Rivers State is like an Indian proverb that says that if somebody is sleeping, really sleeping, you can easily wake up that person.
“But if that person is pretending to sleep, you find it difficult to wake up that person.
“The key actors in Nigeria, from the executive to the legislature, judiciary and the Senate and others are here.
“And the judiciary, they know the correct thing to do. But they are refusing to do it.
“They are pretending to sleep and waking such a person is extremely difficult because the person knows the right thing, a clear abuse of office and clear abuse of power cutting across from the three arms of government, from the executive to the parliament and the judiciary.
“And I always plead with our people that whatever we do affects everybody and sometimes we do things and we think that it doesn’t affect us.
“Why is it that our passport is not valued that much? Why is it that Nigerians are not given the kind of treatment we’re supposed to receive at international airports?
“Sometimes, we think it’s because of ‘yahoo’ boys or 419. Not only them, yes, they are part of the problem. But whatever happens in the country, decisions that are taken by the executive arm of government, decisions that are taken by the parliament and judicial decisions affect everybody.
“For example, no businessman can bring his money to invest in a country where the judiciary is compromised,
where government functionaries can dictate to judges what judgment they will give.
“No man brings his money to invest in that economy because we are taking a big risk. So whatever we do affects everybody and if we want to build a nation where children are grandchildren will live, no matter how painful it is, we must strive to do what is right.
It may cost us, but we must end the…and pay the price to insist on doing what is right.
“Whether you are holding an executive office as a president, a minister, or a governor, or a civil servant, an executive, whether you are holding an office in the parliament, Senate, or House of Representatives, whether you are a judicial officer at the High Courts or appellate courts, we must strive to do what is right. If we want to build a nation that our children would be proud of.
“As we engage in these discussions, let us remember that promoting social change is not a one-time event, but a continuous process.
“It requires our sustained commitment, collective action, and unwavering dedication to the values that promote good governance.
“Let us also recognise that social change is a shared responsibility, one that requires the active participation and engagement of all stakeholders including civil society, the private sector and governments.”
Culled from The Nation
