Former governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi has slammed the Nigerian Legislature headed by Senator Godswill Akpabio as a weak institution that aided President Bola Tinubu’s unconstitutional sack of democratically elected governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State.
Amaechi said this while speaking at the 9th Edition of Akinjide Adeosun Foundation, AAF, Annual Leadership Discourse themed: “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” organised by AAF in Lagos on Thursday.
Again the former minister of transport said the declaration of a state of emergency by President Tinubu was in breach of the constitution.
He urged Nigerians to be proactive in reacting to poor governance, saying docility was an enabler of bad leadership.
Amaechi said, “Do you agree that there is nothing like a fearless leader and there is nothing like courageous leadership? Do you (Nigerians) need a courageous leader where the system works? Just push the button, everything will give you the answer. It is only when there is a failed leadership that you begin to look at who is the courageous leader.
“There are different types of leadership traits, and fearless leadership is not one of them. There is the authoritarian leadership trait, which is one who knows it all. Such leaders tell you what to do without consulting and expect you to obey.
“You can either have a fearless followership or a docile followership. Does Nigeria resonate here as par the docility of followership? Does it resonate here? Yes. Good governance is about constitutionality and the rule of law. It is also about the concept of separation of power. The absence of good governance and rule of law breeds arbitrariness in governance. Arbitrariness here has to do with non-observance of the basic principles of law.
“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law. This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader. Like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.
“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the constitution. Now, this breach of the constitution is the breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the constitution. The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected. Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened.”
Tinubu had in March declared a controversial state of emergency in oil-rich Rivers State and sacked all elected representatives of the people, including the governor, without constitutional authority.
The matter had since gone to the Supreme Court for review. But the apex court had yet to hear the matter weeks after the case was filed, despite its huge importance.
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