Our lives are worth more
Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa, Former member – House of Representatives, Lawyer and Policy Expert
I wish we will all understand this. Where we are now is anti-life; complete bastardization of the human being @ 1 cow =1 person. Given the number of deaths that have occurred outside the troubled North-East Zone, it is debatable whether the casualties of the Nigeria-Biafra civil war are really more than the casualties all over the country in largely peace-time. Hmmmm! How did we get here?
We were led into error by the zeal to improve our national life by embracing CHANGE. What we got instead is shocking! Whatever gains the government may have recorded, they lost woefully with their complete helplessness in the security and welfare of the people. Ironically, this is the primary purpose of Government in line with the provisions of section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
For whom are they improving the economy? In whose interest are they fighting corruption? For whom are they constructing railways/ roads?
Certainly, not the people who may not live to enjoy those benefits. The people who die needlessly everyday! The people that are frequently given mass burial by the same government!
Get something clear, human life is sacred! Be they Christians, Muslims, African Traditional Religionists, Atheists or whoever! They are under our laws guaranteed by section 33 of our constitution.
The president must stop given excuses about the wanton destruction of life and properties going on in our country. It is his duty to enforce extant laws in our country sequel to section 5 of our constitution and he has the powers to appoint the inspector General of police under section 215 (1)(a) of the constitution or to remove him under section 216 of the Supreme law of our land.
In addition, he has the powers to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces as the Commander In Chief under section 218 of the same constitution.
What is left, nothing. The president has the knife and has the yam. Why does he continue to give excuses about been unable to cut the yam. Is that not why he was elected? He cannot enjoy the perks of office without delivering effectively on his duties directly or through his appointees. Throughout his tenure so far, it has been pretty clear that a number of appointments were ill conceived. Why then did the President not do the needful in good timing? The serving Inspector General of Police is in my opinion of very low reckoning by all and sundry. He has spent more time flexing muscles with the National Assembly than doing his job. An exercise that is not only unproductive but laced with partisan coloration.
It is time to get serious in the guarantee of our right to live freely in our country. It is a cardinal right that flows from our citizenship of Nigeria. It is protected both by our local laws and International instruments.
Enough is enough. No cow is worth killing anyone for. If the laws are made to work, cow rustlers will have no place to hide. They exist because the security community is not alive to its responsibilities. The buck stops on the President’s table and no where else.
Dr. West-Idahosa.