Igbo Leaders Urge Buhari Not To Sacrifice Other Social Crises For Corruption

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, National News, News Friday, October 23rd, 2015

By Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

President Muhammau Buhari has been urged to look into other serious issues as poverty, illiteracy and security alongside, while the fight against corruption is on.

Professor Ben Nwabueze-led Igbo leaders of Thought, (ILT) made this call Thursday in Enugu, South east Nigeria.

The body noted that while the fight against corruption remains important in Nigeria, “other vital issues like poverty, illiteracy and security should not be neglected”.

Speaking to newsmen shortly at the end of its meeting in Enugu, Chairman, of the group, Professor Nwabueze, pointed out that the current preoccupation with fighting corruption distracts Mr. President from addressing other vital national issues arising from the dysfunctional Federal system practised in Nigeria.

The renowned constitutional lawyer said: “Everybody is thinking that all that we need is to fight corruption, it is important, but it is not our primary problem.

“The primary question is that there are other issues that are even more important than corruption.

“We have the question of illiteracy, the question of poverty, the question of security.

“Important as the war against corruption is, we are of the view that there are other issues that overshadow corruption.

“Another is the question of what we call the national question. This means the problem of evolving Nigeria into a nation.

“Nigeria is not a nation, it is a state, we all want to belong to that state, but we deceive ourselves always by thinking and painting the picture that we are already a nation, we are not.” he stressed.

The leader of the group also said that the major problem had to do with coalescing the over 389 ethnic nationalities into one nation, adding that almost every Nigerian would be happy to see the country unite as a nation.

He therefore, urged President Buhari to fight corruption without neglecting the constitutional limitations on power imposed by the Federal system under which Nigeria operates.

“Fight corruption; fight it relentlessly but that fight should be subject to constitutional limitations especially limitations arising from the Federal system.

“The Federal system is a conspicuous device to limit power. If you do away with the limitations on power arising from the Federal system we will be in trouble, much graver trouble than the trouble of corruption,” Nwabueze added

The ILT Leader also called for the immediate relocation of the detained Boko Haram suspects transfer to Ekwulobia in Anambra State by the Federal government.