Why Tinubu must investigate past administrations – Olanipekun
…calls for restructuring and renaming Nigeria
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA
A senior Nigeria lawyer and outgoing chairman of the Nigerian Councillors, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Friday laid out the reasons why President Bola Tinubu should investigate all past administrations.
According to him, reviewing and verifying all books and records, as well as past expenditures, would provide insight into “why the economy is anchored; why refineries have collapsed despite the billions if not billions of Naira that would have been spent to refurbish them. »
Chief Olanipekun spoke at a symposium held in Abuja to mark Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama's 25th anniversary as SAN.
In a paper he presented at the event, titled; “The Nigeria of Our Dreams: A Call to Patriots,” the lead attorney also called for the country to be renamed.
He said: "My position is that we should stop making fun of ourselves by keeping the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning appellation given to us by Lugard's mistress.
"It is curious that to date we have not mustered enough courage to abandon this denigrating appellation. Come to think of it, the French named their French colony Niger, while the British gave the ridiculous appellation Nigeria.
“What is the difference between Niger as it is pronounced in French and Nigeria as it is pronounced in English? A Nigerian citizen is called a Nigerian, while a Nigerian citizen is called a Nigerian.
“Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference between these names is? This is a difference without distinction, and recent developments in the Republic of Niger have highlighted this harsh reality.
"As a person, I keep wondering why I am described and called Nigerian, a name imposed on us by the imperial masters.
Related News“So the first takeaway from this colloquium is a challenge for all of us: get rid of that appellation or nickname and decide to give ourselves a name of our own; it is achieved through consensus, and it evokes in us a strong sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry a meaning that proclaims a destiny or the realization of a dream, which is worth being proud of.
On his call for President Tinubu to investigate past administrations, Olanipekun, SAN, said, “Let's remember that we can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. What do I mean? The President needs to ask questions, and sordid questions, about how we got to this sad situation; why we are in a big mess; why the economy is anchored; what happened to previous budgets and trillions of Naira allocated for road rehabilitation, health care delivery, security, infrastructure rehabilitation, institutional restoration, etc.
“Why are our airports, especially Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, which is our gateway to the outside world, plunged into such a state of chaos, constituting horror for any rational human being? - despite the billions of Naira allegedly earmarked. and spent on their rehabilitation; why our young people and professionals of all ranks, at their peak, are coming out of the country (JAPA) in droves in search of the golden fleece which does not/does not even exist in many cases.
“For example, it is now common knowledge that many Nigerians find themselves destitute and unemployed after traveling to the UK.
"Let us not forget that the government must also grapple with the very deep question of why the national currency, the naira, has fallen so catastrophically, almost from grass grace, and has become virtually worthless, with the 900 naira trading for a single dollar.
“The current administration must review and audit all books and records as well as past expenditures, whether real or not,” added Olanipekun, SAN.
For his part, the celebrant, Chief Gadzama, SAN, said the symposium was organized to bring Eggheads together to address some of the issues affecting the country.
“There is a growing consensus that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. What can we do then as compatriots, patriots, nationalists, key players, community leaders and politicians.
“A lot of things have been said. What we want to do is ensure that what has been said is made public, especially at the feet of members of government, to see what they can do to bring about a new order in the approach to national issues.
"Corruption has been identified, nepotism, election rigging, etc. We need good governance, we need transparency in this country, at all levels," said Gadzama, SAN.< /p>
Among the dignitaries present at the event presided over by retired Supreme Court Justice, Ms. Mary Odili, were...
…calls for restructuring and renaming Nigeria
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA
A senior Nigeria lawyer and outgoing chairman of the Nigerian Councillors, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Friday laid out the reasons why President Bola Tinubu should investigate all past administrations.
According to him, reviewing and verifying all books and records, as well as past expenditures, would provide insight into “why the economy is anchored; why refineries have collapsed despite the billions if not billions of Naira that would have been spent to refurbish them. »
Chief Olanipekun spoke at a symposium held in Abuja to mark Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama's 25th anniversary as SAN.
In a paper he presented at the event, titled; “The Nigeria of Our Dreams: A Call to Patriots,” the lead attorney also called for the country to be renamed.
He said: "My position is that we should stop making fun of ourselves by keeping the name Nigeria, a hypocritical and demeaning appellation given to us by Lugard's mistress.
"It is curious that to date we have not mustered enough courage to abandon this denigrating appellation. Come to think of it, the French named their French colony Niger, while the British gave the ridiculous appellation Nigeria.
“What is the difference between Niger as it is pronounced in French and Nigeria as it is pronounced in English? A Nigerian citizen is called a Nigerian, while a Nigerian citizen is called a Nigerian.
“Have we bothered to ask ourselves what the difference between these names is? This is a difference without distinction, and recent developments in the Republic of Niger have highlighted this harsh reality.
"As a person, I keep wondering why I am described and called Nigerian, a name imposed on us by the imperial masters.
Related News“So the first takeaway from this colloquium is a challenge for all of us: get rid of that appellation or nickname and decide to give ourselves a name of our own; it is achieved through consensus, and it evokes in us a strong sense of belonging and ownership because it will carry a meaning that proclaims a destiny or the realization of a dream, which is worth being proud of.
On his call for President Tinubu to investigate past administrations, Olanipekun, SAN, said, “Let's remember that we can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. What do I mean? The President needs to ask questions, and sordid questions, about how we got to this sad situation; why we are in a big mess; why the economy is anchored; what happened to previous budgets and trillions of Naira allocated for road rehabilitation, health care delivery, security, infrastructure rehabilitation, institutional restoration, etc.
“Why are our airports, especially Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, which is our gateway to the outside world, plunged into such a state of chaos, constituting horror for any rational human being? - despite the billions of Naira allegedly earmarked. and spent on their rehabilitation; why our young people and professionals of all ranks, at their peak, are coming out of the country (JAPA) in droves in search of the golden fleece which does not/does not even exist in many cases.
“For example, it is now common knowledge that many Nigerians find themselves destitute and unemployed after traveling to the UK.
"Let us not forget that the government must also grapple with the very deep question of why the national currency, the naira, has fallen so catastrophically, almost from grass grace, and has become virtually worthless, with the 900 naira trading for a single dollar.
“The current administration must review and audit all books and records as well as past expenditures, whether real or not,” added Olanipekun, SAN.
For his part, the celebrant, Chief Gadzama, SAN, said the symposium was organized to bring Eggheads together to address some of the issues affecting the country.
“There is a growing consensus that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. What can we do then as compatriots, patriots, nationalists, key players, community leaders and politicians.
“A lot of things have been said. What we want to do is ensure that what has been said is made public, especially at the feet of members of government, to see what they can do to bring about a new order in the approach to national issues.
"Corruption has been identified, nepotism, election rigging, etc. We need good governance, we need transparency in this country, at all levels," said Gadzama, SAN.< /p>
Among the dignitaries present at the event presided over by retired Supreme Court Justice, Ms. Mary Odili, were...
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