NWOKO: THEM AN WHO‘ ENDED’ NIGERIA’ S RECESSION
When the military midwifed the current civilian dispensation in 1999, Prince Ned Nwoko, a Nigerian-born but United kingdom- based maritime and human rights lawyer, was among top Nigerians who won elections to sit at the National Assembly.
Nwoko blazed the trail because amongst the ranking human rights campaigners who fought for the emergence of democracy after over four decades of military interregnum, he was one of the few who decided to take the bull by the horn by venturing into the arena of partisan politics. But at the back of his mind was to render selfless service to his fatherland and his people and not for money making. He gave his all to win the coveted position to sit amongst the national legislators to build the democratic institutions that would become legendary in bringing about prosperity to the people.
Ned Nwoko’s political trajectories can be likened to a beautifully packaged journey whose destination has a very liberating and an inspirational mindset.
He was amongst the Nigerian legal minds who helped shaped global narratives during the military regimes that won some mileage for the country to an extent that the then military ruler General Sani Abacha was persuaded by superior logic to set up the National Human Rights Commis- sion in conformity with the Paris principle and indeed best global practices.
During those periods when the country faced sanctions for failing to embrace democracy, Prince Nwoko who was doing very well as a legal practitioner in Great Britain, volunteered to speak for the international interest of corporate Nigeria. He did virtually on pro bono basis because of his love for fatherland.
His formidable background may have formed the basis for his positive and indeed impressive performance as a legislator representing his immediate constituency of Delta State at the Federal House of Representatives. He has a monumental legislative record before returning to his first love which is international practice.
But many years after he left the political terrain, Nigeria has now for the umpteenth time gained a lot from his astuteness in such a way that he played pivotal role in negotiating for the payments to Nigeria by Paris Club of the debts refund which invariably has financially stabilised our country to a substantial level.
We are speaking about billions of United States dollars. For this humongous amount to be brought into our economy that was at its lowest performance index, is to put it mildly, liberating. That Nigeria has been in economic meltdown is a notorious fact.
Emmanuel Onwubiko; www.huriwa@blogspot.com