₦airaland Forum

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has declared that President Muhammadu Buhari has violated the provisions of the federal character as contained in Section 14 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the appointments the President had made.

Ekweremadu, who spoke in a lecture at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University on Monday, argued that Buhari violated that section of the constitution in his initial appointments, contending that such appointments ought to reflect the diversity of the country.

He said the appointments “made so far by the current administration are clearly lop-sided that it left the South-East totally empty-handed”.
He added, “I think in this country that is just recovering from a most divisive and bitter fought presidential election in its history; in a country where vicious civil war had been fought and scars are fresh; in a country where a presidential election, believed to have been won by (someone from) a part of the country was annulled; in a country which has deteriorated from one that citizens held high political and civil service offices outside their places of origin to one in which they hardly do so any more; and indeed in a country where there has been consistent outbreaks of militancy and restiveness by people who believe they have been shortchanged, maltreated, and, therefore, better off outside the Nigerian commonwealth, I firmly believe from the depth of my heart and conscience that you do not even need a soothsayer or compulsion of the constitution to know that you must necessarily carry every part of the country along.”

In his lecture entitled, ‘The Politics of Constitution Review in the Multi-Ethnic Society’, organised by the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Ekweremadu said it had become imperative to review the nation’s constitution on grounds of ambiguity and failure to make provisions for some critical matters of state.

He noted that difficulties in amending the constitution were caused by mutual suspicion of the elite as “mutual ethno-sectional and religious suspicions have become so ingrained in our body polity that even the most patriotic and altruistic intentions are almost always interpreted from myopic prisms of such sentiments and interests”.

Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States, Prof. George Obiozor, said it would amount to fallacy for anybody to say that Nigeria’s unity was not negotiable, noting that Nigeria had failed to learn the lessons of history.

Obiozor stated, “The reality over the years remains that in spite of the best efforts of all our leaders past or present, Nigerian unity is not guaranteed. It is simply at best, an aspiration and not yet an achievement.”

The ex-envoy advised that if the country would realise its potential, it must stop “the syndrome of self- delusion about Nigerian historical exceptionality”.

“Today, if the truth must be told, our diversity has turned into disorder, and our democracy is an invitation to incremental anarchy,” Obiozor said.

chukwudi44:
Buhari is an illiterate gworo chewing bigot

chukwudi44:
Buhari is an illiterate gworo chewing bigot

Dannyset:
Isn't it a shame to you and your lot that claimed to be literate that an illiterate(according to you) is your President. I now think somebody need to tell you that your education is a waste and overrated.

donphilopus:
If not for the Saraki who can kill his father just to be in position, people like this wouldn't even have the mouth to speak in this administration. Ekweremadu should just shut up. Did Jonathan forget that there was something called Federal Character as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution during his Appointments? Abeg joor!!

The SGF was an Easterner, the CoS was a Southerner, the Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of HoR were Easterners. Petroleum, Finance and other top Ministries were headed by Southerners under Jonathan. Did the Northerners complain. These South Easterners are just angry that the South South is more represented in Buhari's regime than the Easterners. You see why they (Easterners) shouldn't be called our (Southerners) brothers? They're angry because we are getting more appointments than them!

Noneroone:
Buhari is sure to fastfoward the doomsday with his illiteracy and bigotry

chukwudi44:
"South-south" man has spoken!!!! The igbos were so jealous of the south-south that they voted overwhelmingly for a south-south man in the last elections!! Buhar even had more votes in the south-south than in the SE during the last elections!!

chukwudi44:
Buhari is an illiterate gworo chewing bigot

Euro31:
I am an ediot Igbo bastard ... My fada nd Azikwe are 5he foools

chukwudi44:
That is why Nigeria is reffered to as a Zoo!! It is only in a zoo that an illiterate bigot is elected as president.

dayo23:
Ekweremadu is a certified f0ol, he is so stewpid and fo0lish!

donphilopus:
Hadn't been your father was a bigot and an illiterate maybe he would have been opportune to be made the Councillor representing your ward since those are the criteria for holding a political position in Nigeria. A literate like you can't even spell 'fast-forward'. What a shame!

donphilopus:
I'm from the South South. Wherever you choose to come from does not matter to me. Buhari had more Votes from the South South than the Southeast. Fact! Edo gave Buhari the highest vote in the South and the only Appointment we have gotten so far is the Ministerial Position which rightly belongs to us. Cross River didn't give him much votes, yet all his appointees from the South South are from there. Did we complain? No! Then why would a region who gave him little or no vote complain?!

Noneroone:
Mr lecturer, you see your life @ the bolded

BTW my father is not a baboon like yours. only monkies in the zoo elect an illiterate bigot to lead the zoo in the 21st century.

sammyj:
Ekweremadu will continue this rubbish when he get convicted and jailed for his forgery scandal!!!

chukwudi44:
Buhari is an illiterate gworo chewing bigot

temitemi1:
Buhari the unrepentant general!