Former Commonwealth Secretary-Normal, Emeka Anyaoku, on Wednesday, warned that if Nigeria refused to eliminate the 1999 Charter, it could be crispy for any person to healing the rustic.
He described Nigeria as a pluralistic nation that had to deal with its variety with true federal constitutions.
“To those who think that the trouble with Nigeria today is the political leadership, I would say that as long as we have the 1999 Constitution as our grundnorm, not even Angel Gabriel or Malaikah Jibrin as leaders can successfully tackle the divisiveness, the underperforming economy with the resultant poverty, the insecurity, the humongous corruption, and the other major challenges currently facing Nigeria,” Anyaoku mentioned.
The elder statesman spoke on the starting of the secure: “The Noble Academic and Patriot: A Biography of Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun,” held on the Nigerian Institute of Global Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Anyaoku, who was once the chairman at the presen, mentioned, “I get started from the obviously indisputable fact that Nigeria, like many alternative nations internationally, is a pluralistic nation, this is, a rustic whose family is composed of teams of peoples lengthy established of their sovereign geographical boxes with other histories, cultures, languages and religions.
“The common lesson is that pluralistic nations that have survived as unmarried political entities in solidarity and journey are those who addressed their pluralism, this is their variety, with authentic federal constitutions. Examples of such nations are Republic of India, Canada and Switzerland.
“I believe, therefore, that if our pluralistic Nigeria is to achieve true unity and political stability, and to successfully tackle the serious challenges that the country currently faces, it must have a truly federal constitution.”
Lauding Osuntokun, Anyaoku recalled how the famend mentor campaigned for him when he was once vying for the location of Secretary Normal on the Commonwealth.
“I first knew of Jide Osuntokun when he was once Helper to Nigeria’s Overseas Minister, Normal Ike Nwachukwu, and accompanied the Overseas Minister in his trips to marketing campaign for my candidacy for the place of work of Commonwealth Secretary-Normal.
“I was then running against the man who had been the Prime Minister of Australia for seven and a half years.”
Consistent with him, Osuntokun is not just an achieved educational, “but also a patriot who was deservedly recognised last year by the prestigious Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, through the conferment of an award with the title HLF on him, which means a role model for our young people in how to achieve success through hard work and integrity.”
On his phase, a former governor of Ekiti Shape and the secure reviewer, Dr Kayode Fayemi, defined how Osuntokun accredited the biography in 2021, regardless that the theory was once conceived by means of the authors in 2018.
Fayemi took the attendees in the course of the family tree of the mentor, together with his educational and nation hour, as documented by means of the authors.
“The authors knowledgeable us that the secure venture was once conceived in 2018 upcoming Prof Osuntokun served as Professional-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the Ekiti Shape College, Ado-Ekiti. Prof Osuntokun graciously accredited the biography in 2021 by means of granting the authors in depth interviews and two digital interviews along with offering get right of entry to to his library and archives.
“The secure manuscript, in 9 sun-baked and concise chapters, with 3 appendices, began within the first bankruptcy by means of tracing the family tree of Prof Osuntokun.
“The authors grant in depth proof of nation historical past, entrepreneurial acumen and pacesetting affect within the nation to give an explanation for the values and attributes we after laborer with Mentor Osuntokun.
“The bankruptcy lined in superior trait the struggles, his daring forbearance waged during forming a extended family in Oke-Mesi and their involvement within the federating army of Ekiti and Ijesa towards the rampaging Ibadan military within the Kiriji warfare.
“Another of his forebears had fought in the First World War on the side of the British. His own father had gone in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, as far afield as the mines of Ghana, and became a wealthy itinerant trader, all the while his employers returned from Ghana, in the course of which he married his mother, and settled the family in Ilawe-Ekiti.”
Talking on the tournament, the presidential candidate of the Labour Birthday party within the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, mentioned he had such a lot to be informed from Osuntokun “because if you have taught these wonderful people who spoke about you today (I have a lot to learn from you).”
He, alternatively, lamented that Nigeria had cultivated a tradition of celebrating those that contributed not anything to nation-building, noting that it was once destroying nation.
Obi mentioned, “When the National Universities Commission Secretary-General said they are looking for PhD people to teach in our universities, I called him and said, why do you want anybody to do PhD when you don’t pay them and you pay thugs 100 times what they are paid. We are choosing the least among us to be our role models. And that is destroying our society.”
The Serving Overseer of the Castle International Society Church, Tunde Bakare, extolled Osuntokun as a superior trainer, whom he additionally mentioned was once very an important to his sojourn as a scholar on the College of Lagos.
Bakare, who did the disclosing of the secure, mentioned “He (Osuntokun) and his past due spouse had been a blessing to me at one of the crucial crucial classes of my hour.
“I present the book today and it is my great privilege sir and you don’t know how overwhelmed I am at this stage.”
He prayed that “God Almighty will ensure that those who will read and benefit from this (book)” can be amongst those that will assemble the country.
Alternative dignitaries who graced the NIIA venue for the starting incorporated the Spouse of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, represented by means of Senior Particular Helper on Coverage, Technique and Logistics, Wahab Alawiye; Lagos Shape Commissioner for Data and Technique, Gbenga Omotoso; TV anchor and previous spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati; Chairman of the Editorial Board of Community Newspapers, Sam Omastseye; the governorship candidate of the LP in Lagos Shape, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, amongst a number of others.