Nwabueze declines nomination for National Conference

By The Citizen

National Chairman of The Patriots, Professor Ben Nwabueze, SAN, has written President Goodluck Jonathan, asking to be excused from the 13-man Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue, which will be inaugurated today.

Writing from his hospital bed in London, Nwabueze said he would be away for sometime and hence might not be available for the one-month exercise that Senator Femi Okurounmu will lead. He consequently nominated legal icon, Chief Solomon Asemota, SAN, to replace him in the committee.

In a two-paragraph letter to President Jonathan dated October 2, which Vanguard got yesterday, Nwabueze wrote: 'I am presently in London for medicals and may be away from Nigeria for some time.

'I will be glad if I could be replaced in the Presidential Advisory Committee on national dialogue/conference by Mr. Solomon Asemota, SAN who is a member of The Patriots.'

Nwabueze, 83, is an erudite constitutional lawyer, who had taken part in the making of the 1979 Constitution and many constitutions in Africa. His input would have helped the panel greatly in its assignment.

Nwabueze's letter came as The Patriots commended President Jonathan for taking steps to organize the national conference before the 2015 polls just as the Trade Union Congress, TUC, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and Igbo Youth Movement (IYM) tasked the advisory panel on a thorough job.