Foremost constitutional lawyer
and leader of The Patriots, Prof.
Ben Nwabueze, yesterday
explained that he opted out of the
National Conference Advisory
Committee because of long battle
with prostate cancer.
The elder statesman was
nominated by President Goodluck
Jonathan as a member of the 13-
man committee to formulate
modalities for the convocation of a
national dialogue, but he excused
himself in a letter to the President
on October 2. Nwabueze
explained that he would be
abroad “for medicals and may be
away from Nigeria for some time,”
and suggested another elder
statesman, Chief Solomon
Asemota (SAN), as his
replacement.
Disclosing the nature of his
ailment in a statement made
available to National Mirror
yesterday, the former Minister of
Education and Youth
Development said he had to cut
short his stay in London for
medicals and returned to Nigeria
last Saturday to keep a long-
standing commitment to chair the
Anambra Literary Creativity
Festival at Awka scheduled for
today. He added that he would be
back in London after the Awka
engagement to continue his
medicals.
The statement reads in part: “It is
not generally known to people
that I have been fighting prostate
cancer for some years now, and
have been kept going by
consultations from time to time
with and treatment by a
Consultant Oncologist at Charing
Cross Hospital, London.
“My appointment with the
Consultant Oncologist had been
shifted many times because of
several postponements in the
dates of The Patriots meeting with
President Goodluck Jonathan and
the National Summit at Uyo, both
of which eventually took place on
29 August and 3/4 September
respectively, leaving me free at
last to travel to London on 8
September for my medical
appointments.
“After The Patriots fruitful
meeting with the President, a
member of our team who has
access to him on a personal basis
was mandated to go back to get
him to set up the Committee on
the National Conference of which
he had earlier given a hint.
“My understanding from the
contacts with him was that The
Patriots would be asked to
nominate a member to the
committee. I never expected to be
appointed chairman or member of
the committee, and would, quite
frankly, have considered such an
appointment inappropriate in the
circumstances.
It is an appointment for a younger
person, not for an old man of 83
years afflicted by ill-health.”
Nwabueze assured the
commitment of The Patriots to
work with the committee and to
give it all necessary assistance, if
called upon to do so.
He said: “While still in London
and before the setting up of the
Presidential Committee was
announced, I wrote to 13
prominent lawyers and political
scientists to join me in a
committee to prepare a Draft
People’s Constitution which will
be submitted for deliberation at
the Uyo National Summit when it
re-convenes in terms of
Paragraph 7 of the communiqué
adopted at the 3/4 September
meeting, and thereafter to be
presented to the Presidency and
the National Assembly as a
working paper for the National
Conference proper.
“This is the area in which I think
my contribution to the work of the
conference would be particularly
useful, and I do not see this as in
any way conflicting with the
Terms of Reference of the
Presidential Committee, although
they (i.e. the Terms of Reference)
contain a somewhat vaguely
worded item, to wit, to advise
government on legal procedures
and options for integrating
decisions and outcomes of the
national dialogue/conference into
the constitution and laws of the
nation.”

tomakint: I wish him good health as he battles for survival!
@Afam4eva, I think you are totally wrong on your observations, in the case on Nwabueze, he is an octogenarian that needs to take care of his ill-health so the issue of he is a member in a committee where a junior to him is the chairman is not convincing enough! We are talking about health issues here common!

Afam4eva: I think Professor Ben Nwabueze is just using his ailment as an excuse. I think the reason why he opted out is because he feels he was sorta demoted. How can the president appoint a certain Senator Okurunmi to head such a commitee that prof Nwabueze is a member? It's similar to what happened in 1979 when Obasanjo setup a similar commitee and asked the last professor Rotimi Williams to head when Awolowo was a member of the same commitee and Awolowo also opted out.

Afam4eva: I think Professor Ben Nwabueze is just using his ailment as an excuse. I think the reason why he opted out is because he feels he was sorta demoted. How can the president appoint a certain Senator Okurunmi to head such a commitee that prof Nwabueze is a member? It's similar to what happened in 1979 when Obasanjo setup a similar commitee and asked the last professor Rotimi Williams to head when Awolowo was a member of the same commitee and Awolowo also opted out.

DaLover:

Your wrong, I think Ben nwabueze refuse to honour the call because he is older than Jonathan , the president. How can the president who is his junior make him a member of such a small committee,

Afam, you are wiser than this, please

Afam4eva: I think Professor Ben Nwabueze is just using his ailment as an excuse. I think the reason why he opted out is because he feels he was sorta demoted. How can the president appoint a certain Senator Okurunmi to head such a commitee that prof Nwabueze is a member? It's similar to what happened in 1979 when Obasanjo setup a similar commitee and asked the last professor Rotimi Williams to head when Awolowo was a member of the same commitee and Awolowo also opted out.

tomakint: I wish him good health as he battles for survival!
@Afam4eva, I think you are totally wrong on your observations, in the case on Nwabueze, he is an octogenarian that needs to take care of his ill-health so the issue of he is a member in a committee where a junior to him is the chairman is not convincing enough! We are talking about health issues here common!

Dudu_Negro:

Afam has no sense. When non-Ibo is appointed as headman it upsets their brain..........people like him soon start believing that only Ibos can qualify to lead over others.

Prof Nwabueze is an activist on constitution law, Senator Okurunmu is an activist on principles of democracy. This job is civic, not legal.

So who ought to lead it?

homesteady:

Oga please don't tribalize my thread!
What brought about the igbo talk here?

Dudu_Negro:

We are talking Nigerian politics here dude........everything is ethno-conscious. If you are not comfortable with it stop opening threads to discuss national politics. National Conference is about ethno interests. Get it right!

homesteady:

Oga! Go and read the comments above yours, did you see anybody referring to tribes?
Or are you the only ethno-conscious person here?

Dudu_Negro:

When I say its lunch time, i dont need to recite menus and recipes for people to know Im getting food...........but to people like you it needs breaking down;

A for Apple
B for Ball
C for Cat
D for Dog

........National Conference for ethnic interests!

Lunch for food
Break for relief
Club for relaxation

You get it now?

Danhumprey: I still don't really get you! Are you speaking in tongues or proverbs?

Dudu_Negro:

Both!

Folks that are thin skinned and feel intimidated by Yorubas should not open topics on national politics.

I will remind you again, there is no Yoruba that will support an Ibo or Hausa political interest unless doing so is in favor of Yoruba agenda. Likewise, Hausa will only support a Yoruba or Ibo if the action is a net benefit to Haisa agenda. Ibo is no different, it only seeks its own interest against the other two.

So whats too hard to grasp here? You are befuddled by a campaign to end tribalism and ethnicity in Nairaland. It will never happen.
If Nairaland is staking interest in Nigerian politics then it must not be immuned from the reality of its ethnic-rich politics.

So get off your ignorance and do one of two things

1. Stop posting on national politics topic
2. Get a thick skin and learn to stake your turf in the mud fight.

Yeye don rot!

sleekdre:

Are you this dull? Running your mouth like a leaking tap... Get a plumber!!!

payless: "Common"? What about come on? Oma se o!

Dudu_Negro:

Afam has no sense. When non-Ibo is appointed as headman it upsets their brain..........people like him soon start believing that only Ibos can qualify to lead over others.

Prof Nwabueze is an activist on constitution law, Senator Okurunmu is an activist on principles of democracy. This job is civic, not legal.

So who ought to lead it?

tomakint:
Thanks for the correction my 'Mona Monkey' and how is your Wife?