"Disposition Of Above The Law By Political Leaders Implies That Democracy Is Growing In The Reverse In Nigeria", Fmr. SGF Anyim.

The former Secretary to Government of the federation, Senator Pius Anyim said the growing disposition of the political leaders in the country to be above the law implies that democracy in Nigeria is growing in the reverse.

Anyim called for the evaluation of the The ‘ABOVE THE LAW’ executive political leaders attitude with a view to measuring its effect on the desire of aspirants to political offices, particularly, with the attendant rise in corruption and nepotism.

Chief Anyim made this remarks in a keynote address he delivered at the International Research Conference on 50 years post Nigerian civil war, issues and challenges and prospects towards National integration organized by the centre for health and allied, legal and demographical development research and training of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

He stressed that the winner takes all outlook of the political system needs be interrogated with emphasis on the attendant ‘do or die’ attitude of the politicians which he said has escalated electoral violence and manipulations.

The former SGF lamented that the nation is at a critical junction of her political history adding that the challenges are existential and require a complex combination of renewed national vision, honest engagement with their past, credible electoral process.

He prayed that Nigeria would grow to a point when it would not matter to any Nigerian where the president is from but that the rule of law and equality of all citizens are promoted to engender patriotism.

He called for equality amongst the regions or geo-political zones, stressing that it is an option that will significantly douse tension and that the Nigerian state would derive immense benefits, including state legitimacy and citizen psychological relief from a freely negotiated constitution.

"The growing disposition of our political leaders to be above the law implies that our democracy is growing in the reverse. The ‘ABOVE THE LAW’ executive political leaders attitude need be evaluated with a view to measuring its effect on the desire of aspirants to political offices, particularly, with the attendant rise in corruption and nepotism.

"The winner takes all outlook of our political system needs be interrogated with emphasis on the attendant ‘do or die’ attitude of our politicians as this has escalated electoral violence and manipulations.

" The current security crisis combined with rising poverty present fresh, and many argue, difficult but surmountable challenges that we need to confront as a nation.

"Rebuilding faith in Nigeria, building a new national consensus and deescalating the rising tension all over the country should be the most urgent task of the national leadership. I task the Center to inquire into the leadership recruitment strategy of the current democratic experience to identify improvement options that will enhance patriotism and commitment to rule of law.

" Equality amongst the regions or geo-political zones, as we have them today, is an option that will significantly douse tension. In the opinion of many, the Nigerian state would derive immense benefits, including state legitimacy and citizen psychological relief from a freely negotiated constitution".