‘Not Every Igbo Believes
Hitting the age of 60 in a country where the life expectancy is 54.33 years, is a privilege that may not easily be available to many. The Chairman, Council of Legal Education, turned 60 on Sunday, July 11, 2021, and in a chat with Onikepo Braithwaite and he defended his unflinching faith in the Nigerian nation, and why he doesn’t believe in IPOB’s agitation for self-determination, but rather a country based on equitable distribution of resources, appointments and projects. He also makes a case for Devolution of Powers and State Police
Congratulations on your 60th birthday, Learned Silk. We wish you many more happy, useful, and prosperous years. As you have just turned 60, do you still have faith in the Nigeri-an nation, given the present insecurity, eco-nomic and ethnic challenges?
Thank you so much, for your best wishes and prayers. I must also use this opportunity, to thank you for the giant strides your team in This Day Lawyer has been recording over the years. You have done a lot in improving legal education and awareness among legal practi-tioners, judicial officers and law students. Your law pages every Tuesday are a ‘must-read’ for many of us in legal practice. Any Tuesday with-out your law page. is not complete for me. Please, keep it up.
Specifically as to your question on whether I still have faith in this country given the insecurity, economic and ethnic challenges facing us, my answer is a straight 'Yes.' My faith and belief in the oneness of this country, has never been shaken for a second. All the challenges you mentioned, constitute a passing phase in our journey to nationhood. Insecurity is a global challenge. There is hardly any part of the world, that does not have its own share of security challenges. Even in America - the ho-mestead of democracy - we read reports of violent shootings every now and then. The epidemic of gun violence in that country, has not made Americans question the oneness of their nation. The menace has even become accepted as a way of life, leaving the hapless citizens to the mercy of God. You just pray not to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. In the West African sub-region, the insecurity challenges we face are not restricted to Nigeria; they are also prevalent in Ghana, Niger, Bur-kina Faso, Chad, Sierra Leone and some parts of Cameroun. Just Google 'insecurity in Africa', and you will discover that the challenge is not restricted to Nigeria. The other day, there were public demonstrations against rising insecurity in Ghana. Same also took place in Burkina Faso. So, there is no basis for anyone to question the oneness of the nation simply because we have security challenges.
Similarly, the economic challenge
Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN Jude Igbanoi, we face is al-so global. No country in the world - in the af-termath of the coronavirus pandemic - is free from economic crisis. It is also a passing phase.
On ethnicity and its challenges, it has been with us since independence, but we shall surely overcome it. The young generation of Nigerians we are breeding today, are more urbane and cosmopolitan than our own generation. With inter-tribal marriages that have risen signifi-cantly in the country, the challenge of ethnicity will pale into insignificance with time.
As a leader of thought in Igboland, what are your thoughts on the recent re-arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of the proscribed IPOB, and its implications for the self-determination strug-gle of the Igbos vis-à-vis the larger Nigerian polity?
Because everything concerning the arrest, re-arrest and re-arraignment of Nnamdi Kanu is now before a court of law, I believe it is more honourable for me to refrain from commenting on it. The only thing I wish to state is that, in line with the provisions of our Constitution, he’s presumed innocent and is entitled to fair trial. I will urge the prosecuting authorities to ensure that he gets a fair trial, in line with in-ternational best practice. Not every Igbo believes in IPOB’s self-determination agitation. However, I believe that nearly every Igbo is in-terested in the equitable distribution of resources, appointments and projects in the country. It will serve us better living in a united and progressive Nigeria, anchored on equity and fairness.
What are your views on the clamour for re-structuring of Nigeria? Do you support it? Should there be the drawing of a brand new Constitution or amendments to the existing one are enough to take care of the changes that may be required? What does restructur-ing mean to you?
“YOU HAVE DONE A LOT IN IMPROVING LEGAL EDUCATION AND AWARENESS AMONG LEGAL PRACTITIONERS, JUDICIAL OFFICERS AND LAW STUDENTS. YOUR LAW PAGES EVERY TUESDAY, ARE A ‘MUSTREAD’ FOR MANY OF US IN LEGAL PRACTICE. ANY TUESDAY WITHOUT YOUR LAW PAGE, IS NOT COMPLETE FOR ME”
I wholeheartedly support the clamour for the restructuring of the country. With the experi-ment we have had so far with the parliamentary and presidential systems of government, it’s not in doubt that we should be able to fashion out a made-in-Nigeria system of government, that will suit our peculiar purpose. We have seen the good and bad aspects of the two systems of government. We should be able to extract the good aspects and jettison the bad aspects. And that is where the concept of restructuring becomes relevant. Devolution of powers is also part of restructuring. We should embrace it, in order to make the country grow. The Federal Government controls so much at the expense of the State and Local govern-ments. The security challenges we currently face, have thrown up for our consideration the concept of State Police, despite some of its