OVERBEARING TENDENCIES, GREED OF EX-GOVERNORS, RESPONSIBLE FOR CRISIS IN SOME STATES – Prince Ikani
By Ahiaba Douglas, Abuja
The Managing Partner, Citadel of Justice law firm, Abuja, who is also a former Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice in Kogi State,between 2003 and 2007, Prince Ben Ikani, has said that the overbearing tendencies and greed of Political godfathers was responsible for the political Crisis rocking some States in Nigeria.
According to Prince Ikani, this Scenario is Commonly witnessed in Some of the States where Some Governors were at daggers drawn with their predecessor, due to their craving to control or dictate for their Successor, at times, making high financial demands as Compensation in the name of “I brought you, you must do my bidding”, this ugly trend was responsible for the Crisis in Some of the States , he noted.
The legal luminary further stated that, it is highly unthinkable for an Ex-Governor or so Called godfathers to imagine that he would continue to control or dictate to a Successor whom he thinks he has planted,even if that Successor was his biological child, he would definitely at a point in time try to take Charge, just as “Water naturally flowing, it cause”, Prince Ikani Posited.
The former Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice’s Statements or Comments was not unconnected to the Political Crisis in Rivers State, between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Wike backed Rivers State assembly Members, under the leadership of Martins Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and with the recent Supreme court judgement that recognized the Amaewhule’s faction, and other decision of the Court that undermines the opinion of the Citizens of the State.
The former Director, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and also Director / Persecution, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Prince Ikani also said it is uncalled for and undemocratic for some Ex-Governors to think that they could always Control or micromanage the affairs of the State they had already govern for four or Eight years, pointing out that, history has Shown that Since 1999, 90% of State Governors fall apart with their predecessor after less than a year , reason adduced to the fact that , most predecessor (godfathers) wants their Successor to Satisfy their insatiable greed, to the detriment of the needs of the Masses who gave them the mandate, Prince Ikani asserted.
He further bemoaned the fact that, technicalities of the law was becoming the basics of most of the judgement been passed by the Nation’s apex Court, without taking in to cognizance the opinions of the masses that the judgement affects.
” like in the case of Rivers State, there are arwful evidences to show that the Martins Amaewhule’s led 27 Assembly members actually defected to a particular political party, affidavit Sworned to that effect and even Photographic evidence abound”, but the Court feigned blind to all those evidences”.
He opined that the apex Court should have resort to what he called “amicus curiae” a legal term that implies, inviting leader or experts from a particular place to provide their opinion or insight before passing a judgement.
Here him, ” What the Supreme court should have done, is to invites respected leaders and opinion moulders in Rivers State, seek their opinions, so, that they could pass a judgement that represents the interest of the majority of Rivers State Citizens.
