Recently, lawyer, activist and founder of Nigerian
Advance Party (NAP), Dr Tunji Braithwaite,
celebrated his 80th birthday with pomp and
pageantry in Lagos. In this interview culled from
Daily Trust, he speaks about his life, career and
burning national issues.
Excerpts:-
You are a right activist, lawyer and politician;
how have you been able to combine all of these
together over the years?
Dr. Tunji Braithwaite: Interestingly, all three are
inter-related. If you are a lawyer, you’ve got to
know what the constitution of the country where
you are, says. Beyond that, if you are expansive,
you will even know the constitutions of other
nations not to talk about the United Nations. And
you become really international because the
world has become a global village kind of. So as
a lawyer, concerned with the rights of the society,
corporate society and the rights of individuals,
you will see that the three: law, activism and
politics are related. The profession of law offers
better platform for any budding politician. This is
not to say other professions; other disciplines
are averse to being in politics, but the profession
of law gives the lawyer a head start ahead of
others. So, it has not been difficult to combine
these three together.
Besides, when I started law practice 52 years
ago, there were lots of political challenges and as
a young lawyer, I was quickly drafted into the
defense of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. So, at the
very early stage of my life, I had my work cut out
for me especially the human rights aspect of it
and politics. I was one of the young lawyers who
defended him.
Having practised law the much you have, many
wonder why you are not a Senior Advocate of
Nigeria (SAN)?
I am not interested in the archaic and backward
title called SAN. If you know my title, I abhor
anything like that. They are characterized by
standards that are below mine. Besides, I have
said enough about SAN. It’s an importation from
Britain, former colonial masters not only Nigeria,
but many other countries of the world.
Divisions deliberately created and foisted on the
people for the benefit of the British colonisers.
The biggest democracy in the world which also
has the biggest scope for lawyers, the United
States of America, does not have room for such
nonsense unlike the artificial titles by British
lawyers. They are ego-massage titles. And it is
quite unfortunate that this could make some
Nigerians to go to any extent, willy-nilly to
acquire these titles. We should discourage it.
You have cited revolution as a panacea to
challenges bedeviling Nigeria and many will
remember how your house was used as a
gathering point for many rights activists. Were
you motivated in all of these by your conviction
of a revolution and do you really think Nigerians
are indeed ready for a revolution?
Again, the power mongers among us, the
impostors who have been trampling on the rights
of Nigeria will have you believe that Nigerians
can never come together to overthrow them.
There is nothing farther from the truth. In fact, the
period you alluded was a pointer to that effect.
And it also showed at the time that even without
the labour union, the people of this country can
organize a revolution. The leadership of the
labour unions betrayed the cause of that
revolution. That has always been the modus
operandi. Labour will alongside the civil society
follow a struggle to a point, but when labour is
settled, you have the cause of that struggle being
compromised.
The fuel subsidy protests were the first set of
protests that we bring people together across
board. We had done it before on a small scale.
But that of 2012 has already demonstrated that
any non-performing or corrupt government is a
sitting duck for a revolution. This is a sort of
thing we would be remembered for and that gives
us joy. That is better than joining government to
steal people’s money. So, don’t come here and
voice a brainwashed opinion that Nigerians are
not ready for revolution.
As you earlier observed, young people converged
here under our leadership and they didn’t
converge for the fun of it. There were grounds.
There were political, socio and economic bases
for them to converge here. They took their
destinies into their own hands. By the way, you
may not know. That was the slogans of NAP.
That Nigerians must take their destinies into their
own hands. That kind of the progressive minds
cannot be on the decline but will rather be on
ascendancy for the sake of this country.
And that leads me to another issue, unless we
have a constitution acceptable to Nigerians
instead of the military handed down decree
known as 1999 constitution before 2015, there
will be no election in this country. I said there is
a need for a new constitution that is acceptable.
Then we also say before there could be a new
constitution, there is a need for a Sovereign
National Conference. And whether or not
Sovereign National Conference takes place,
Nigerians most freely agree on the constitution
that will bind them together. Not the one that was
imposed on them. We have never had the
people’s constitution agreed by Nigerian people.
The time has now come.
It is also interesting that the timing of this
coincide with when Nigeria is to mark 100 years
of amalgamation. All these combined; indicate
that the issue of Nigerians agreeing freely to hold
a national conference is not a mere coincidence
with the 100 years anniversary. If you think it is
mere coincidence, I bet it is not.
Year 2015 will be a defining moment for Nigerian
future. Nigerian future as presently constituted
has become rags and tatters. It is completely
worn out. A new corporate existence must
emerge. People should know that it is not about
the agenda of some people who are fragmenting
one party or the other with the aim of displacing
one another in 2015. That is not the agenda for
Nigeria. The 2015 will be a defining moment for
Nigeria. It will unfold beyond the elections.
On his visit to President Goodluck Jonathan
Yes, I will put that one too into contest. It was a
returned visit. The President first visited me in
Lagos and we discussed many things about the
country. President Jonathan has many things
going for him among which are humility/
humbleness, personal charm and I believe
transparency. With these three qualities any
honest unbiased person will find himself in a
position of wanting to give him a chance, unlike
some abrasive, uneducated, pompous, stealing
successors that were before this young man. With
those three qualities, I am interested in nothing
but good governance, so, why would I antagonize
or turn my back against such a person? I said he
visited me first when he came to Lagos and I
returned the visit in Abuja and we examined a few
things for the progress of this country. When the
press accosted and asked me: ‘What have you
come to do in Aso Rock?’ and I told them, I came
to Aso Rock to discuss with the president one
topic: the betterment of this country. If he needs
my advice, I will give him.
The downside of this I have told you is the nature
of the cabal; the ruling elite. He is a hostage
among wild animals.
You mean the President?
Yes. We are talking about the President. I said
President Jonathan, because of the nature of the
corrupt politics of this country. President
Jonathan would appear to be surrounded by or
being held hostage by power mongers like wild
animals. He is a hostage of them.
Notwithstanding that, for the sake of this country,
he still needs the existence of unbiased
Nigerians, well meaning Nigerians to advise and
guide him right. Not for any consideration but for
the well being of Nigeria.
As an elderstatesman and as someone who has
interacted with the President, how do you think
he can break loose from these so-called wild
animals?
By the support, prayers and hard work of well
meaning Nigerians. And there are many well
meaning Nigerians who do not look at any
situation from the prism of reward or material
reward, he would get out.
As a strong advocate for the convocation of
Sovereign National Conference, what do you
make out of the recent call Senate President on
the need to have a national conference that
would however not be attached with the term
“sovereign”?
I do not engage in semantics. The Sovereign
National Conference which we envisage and
which will come on stream is that which does not
require the approval of the National Assembly.
With or without the National Assembly, the
national conference will come because we are
talking about the sovereignty of the people. The
present National Assembly is a product of a
defective constitution. So, how can this National
Assembly be the one to anoint or approve the
Sovereign National Conference? Let your readers
analyse this. The Sovereign National Conference
is coming on stream with or without the National
Assembly’s approval.