Corruption not Nigeria’s primary problem, Nwabueze tells Buhari OCTOBER 23, 2015 : IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE

Prof. Ben Nwabueze

The
Igbo
Leaders
of
Thought,
an
association
of
prominent
Igbo
personalities
led
by
foremost
constitutional
lawyer,
Prof. Ben Nwabueze, has said that corruption is not Nigeria’s
primary problem.
The Igbo leaders stressed that while President Muhammadu
Buhari engages in the fight against corruption, he should equally
address other critical problems, particularly what they described
as the ‘Nigerian question’ – the dysfunctional federal system
practised in the country.
Nwabueze made the group’s feelings known after an extensive
meeting in Enugu.
The Igbo Leaders of Thought, comprising mostly elder
statesmen, stressed that other vital issues like poverty, illiteracy
and security should not be neglected because of the campaign
against corruption.
Speaking to journalists, Nwabueze, however, observed that the
current preoccupation with the anti-corruption campaign had
unfortunately relegated other serious national challenges to the
background.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “Everybody is thinking that
all that we need is to fight corruption; it is important, but it is not
our primary problem.
“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.
“As important as the war against corruption is, we are of the
view that there are other issues that overshadow corruption.
“Another issue is what we call the national question.”
Shedding further light on the ‘national question’, Nwabueze said
Nigeria was not a nation.
He said the Federal Government must take necessary steps to
ensure that Nigeria becomes a nation, rather than a mere state.
He said, “The national question 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.”
Nwabueze spoke of the need to integrate the over 389 ethnic
nationalities that make up the country.
According to him, almost every Nigerian will be happy to see the
country unite.
In the same vein, the Igbo leaders urged Buhari to execute the
anti-corruption war without neglecting the rule of law.
“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; graver trouble than the
trouble of corruption,” he said.
The group also demanded the immediate relocation of the
detained Boko Haram suspects transferred to Ekwulobia prisons
in Anambra State.
Some of the Igbo leaders at the meeting were: Col. Ben Gbulie
(retd.), Prof. Chukwuemeka Ike, Senator Anyim Ude, Evengelist
Eliot Uko and Prof. Lawrence Ocho.