Constitutional Lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze and the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola have disagreed on the single tenure proposal of five or six years pending before the National Assembly for political appointees.
While the professor feels that the proposal was in the best interest of Nigeria since it will provide more opportunities for those seeking elective offices more easily than the present two terms. The governor said he is not yet convinced about the single term tenure proposition, stating that the power of the electorate to say no is inherent in multi term tenures and would be removed if there is only one term to be served. They both spoke when the professor paid a courtesy call to the governor in Alausa, Lagos.
Fashola thanked the eminent scholar for his kind words for the present administration adding that the credit for the strides recorded should rather go to the members of the team with whom he has shared triumphs and tribulation and the public servants.
He maintained that the street sweepers, the market managers and those who pay their taxes to make it possible for government to embark on projects are the real champions of the successes of the present administration. Governor Fashola admitted his personal reverence for Professor Nwabueze and the leadership role played by him in the nation and across many sectors by his scholarship, adding the he as an example has had his character formed knowledge wise by the books the legal icon has published.Fashola said the culture of impunity will persist unless government takes decisive step to address the menace.
“There must be a capacity to punish. You cannot fight impunity if it is only the Federal Government that can build the prisons as it exists in the Exclusive legislative list. We must do a lot more. The age long solution to impunity is to repeal it by law, to punish those who offend. The capacity to punish those who offend would not be there if there is no capacity for law enforcement. We should increase the policing level in a collaborative manner across different tiers of government”, he explained.
He told the visitor that few weeks ago judgment was delivered by a Lagos High Court against the police for killing a citizen during the last fuel subsidy protest, explaining that when the incident happened the Lagos State Government took the lead in action against the law enforcement agents for their actions against citizens.
He stated that the High Court agreed with the position of the state government and awarded what may be regarded as tokens for lost lives, adding that what is however uppermost that justice has
Professor Nwabueze later presented a copy of Volume 1 and 2 of his new books tltled, “Ben Nwabueze: His Life, Works and Times-An Autobiography” to the governor during the visit which was witnessed by members of the State Executive Council including the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaiye who was represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mr Lawal Pedro, Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye and Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba.
