Former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, expressed his disappointment yesterday over the removal of Siminalayi Fubara as governor, asserting that President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency contravenes the constitution.
Amaechi criticized the National Assembly for its lack of effectiveness, labeling it a weak institution that has facilitated the president in establishing an unlawful government.
He made these remarks at the 9th Edition of the Akinjide Adeosun Foundation (AAF) Annual Leadership Discourse, themed “Fearless Leadership: A Panacea for Sustainable Development,” hosted by the AAF in Lagos.
Additionally, he called on Nigerians to take a stand against poor governance, emphasizing that public indifference allows for bad leadership to persist.
“Do you agree that there is nothing like a fearless leader and there is nothing like courageous leadership? Do you (Nigerians) need a courageous leader where the system works? Just push the button, everything will give you the answer. It is only when there is a failed leadership that you begin to look at who is the courageous leader,” Amaechi said.
“There are different types of leadership traits, and fearless leadership is not one of them. There is the authoritarian leadership trait, which is one who knows it all. Such leaders tell you what to do without consulting and expect you to obey.
“You can either have a fearless followership or a docile followership. Does Nigeria resonate here as par the docility of followership? Does it resonate here? Yes. Good governance is about constitutionality and the rule of law. It is also about the concept of separation of power. The absence of good governance and rule of law breeds arbitrariness in governance. Arbitrariness here has to do with non-observance of the basic principles of law.
“For a governor or a president, who subscribes to such a concept, it is what he or she does that is law. It is not what is in the book that is law. There is also the non-observance of the basic principles of law. This is where government is not by law, but by the whims and caprices of an individual leader. Like the current pronouncement of an illegal and unconstitutional state of emergency in Rivers State, aided by weak institutions like the National Assembly, which is very weak.
“What is even more alarming is that the breach in the situation is not even about law. The president didn’t break any law. He broke the constitution. Now, this breach of the constitution is the breach of the sacredness and sanctity of the constitution. The constitution of a country is the Bible of that country. And its sanctity must be protected. Can we say the same in Nigeria? Obviously, the response would be a resounding no. The president looked at the whole Nigeria and removed an elected governor in Rivers State and appointed a military man, yet the country continued. Nothing happened.”
Jimi Agbaje, the 2015 governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that only an enabling environment would foster fearless leaders in Nigeria.
“Something happened yesterday where a whole state apparatus decided to leave their party for another. Is that fearless or fearful leadership? When you speak truth to power and your wife says: ‘small small, what is going to happen to us?’ What kind of environment are we creating to have fearless leaders?” Agbaje asked.
“If I speak truth to power, my wife should know that in the worst case scenario, the children will go to school and that there will be health for them if they fall ill, not a situation where if you speak truth to power, health and education benefits would be withdrawn from your family.
“Sometimes, it is an enabling environment that would help us in bringing about fearless leaders. If you look at developed countries where they speak out, it is because they know that they will survive no matter what they say.”
The event’s convener, Akinjide Adeosun, noted: “Our strategy at AAF is drawn from our mission of building great leaders. There needs to be a paradigm shift from bad to good; good to great; and great to excellent. The good behaviour of fearless leaders would stir the provision of good water, sustained availability of electricity, freedom from insecurity, world class industrialisation in an ecosystem. The bottom line is that the basic things of life will be assured.”