School Closure In North For Ramadan Unpatriotic, Unlawful – Onovo – Independent Newspaper Nigeria

Chief Martin Onovo, a seasoned activist and politician, is the 2015 presidential candidate of the Nationwide Conscience Occasion (NCP). Presently, the Head, Coverage Positions, Motion for Elementary Change (MFC), Onovo, who’s an oils sector knowledgeable, on this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, speaks on closure of colleges by some state governments over the Ramadan, Senate dealing with of the sexual harassment allegation in opposition to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, amongst different essential points. Excerpt:

What’s your tackle closure of colleges in some states within the North as a result of Ramadan? To what extent do you suppose faith and tradition ought to be allowed to affect nationwide life?

First, there was faith with the creation of Adam and Eve. Then, tradition, from tradition, we set up our legal guidelines. So, faith and tradition naturally dictate the legal guidelines. In Nigeria, we see the legal guidelines as very clear. Based on our legal guidelines, there is no such thing as a state faith. Subsequently, freedom of faith and spiritual toler­ance is required. The closure of colleges in some northern states for Ramadan is unpatri­otic, illegal and oppressive. Unpatriotic as a result of, schooling is crucial to nationwide develop­ment and the closure subverts the schooling of our residents. Illegal, as a result of it violates our legal guidelines. Oppressive, as a result of it’s imposed and undemocratic. Additionally, it isn’t the follow. The Christian Affiliation of Nige­ria (CAN) has threatened to go to courtroom to reverse the closure. It have to be reversed.

What’s your tackle the Supreme Courtroom ruling on the disaster in Rivers State?

Now we have beforehand pub­lished in 2023 that the Supreme Courtroom initiated the entire collapse of the nation with the 2023 presidential election judgment. We preserve that po­sition. In 2024, HE Chief (Dr.) Obasanjo, a former President of Nigeria, publicly confirmed that the nation was in ‘close to collapse’. This judgment now follows the identical pattern, pushing the nation additional to a com­plete collapse. The judgment has been rejected by the folks of the Niger Delta, together with Ijaw Nationwide Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) and Pan-Niger Delta Discussion board (PAN­DEF). In our interpretation of the regulation, the Rivers State Native Authorities elections nullified by the Supreme Courtroom confirmed extra “substantial compliance” to the regulation than the 2023 pres­idential election fraud upheld by the identical Supreme Courtroom. This Supreme Courtroom has been utterly rubbished by its personal judgments. Based on the Hon. Justice Datijo Mu­hammed, ex-Deputy Chair­man of the Nationwide Judicial Fee (NJC), “It has been within the public house that courtroom officers and judges are simply bribed by litigants”. Accord­ing to Fola Ojo, “the Nigerian judiciary is tainted with ava­rice, greed, and graft”. Dr. Oby Ezekwesili spoke of “The rot­tenness of our judiciary”. Ac­cording to Ambassador John Campbell, “A judiciary noto­rious for accepting bribes and awarding beneficial rulings to the best bidder”. Based on Dr. Olu Fasan, Ph.D., “Judg­es are the largest bribe takers”. Based on Dr. Farooq Kper­ogi, Ph.D., “Nigeria’s Supreme Courtroom is, definitely, a rotten gaggle of ineffective, pur­chasable judicial bandits. The very best bidder will get their decide­ment”.

What do you suppose ought to be achieved for actual peace to be restored in Rivers State?

The Tinubu civilian dicta­torship have to be constrained by the folks. The persons are the constitutional sovereign. That is becausea dictatorship is above the regulation and can’t be constrained by the regulation.

How do you see the latest melodrama within the Lagos Home of Meeting the place an impeached speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, was introduced again to workplace?

That’s proof that we’ve a civilian dictatorship and the place of the bulk is ir­related. The dictator over­rides the bulk. You noticed the abuse of energy with the misuse of regulation enforcement officers.

What does the Lagos Home of Meeting disaster inform you about pol­itics and governance in Lagos?

There’s disaster within the La­gos Home of Meeting. Lagos State is Tinubu’s state of res­idence the place he was a gover­nor. There’s disaster in Osun State. Osun State is Tinubu’s state of origin. There’s disaster in Rivers State. Rivers State is without doubt one of the states the place Tinu­bu misplaced the election woefully like in Lagos and Osun States, however the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) selected to publish fraudulent re­sults. These details level to the supply and motive behind the disaster.

What’s your tackle the sexual harassment allegation in opposition to Senate President Godswill Ak­pabio by Senator Natasha Akpo­ti-Uduaghan?

First, sexual harassment is widespread in Nigeria. The Senate President ought to have stepped apart for the Deputy Senate President to preside over the Senate till the matter is trans­parently investigated and con­cluded. The details claimed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Udu­aghan clearly recommend sexual harassment. She claimed her listed movement was eliminated and her seat was improperly reas­signed. The gang up in opposition to her by some ‘Senators’ to droop her additionally suggests responsible con­science and an unscrupulous try to kill the allegations oppressively. That isn’t settle for­in a position to us whilst subjugated residents.

A cross part of Nigerians is asking on Godswill Akpabio to step apart to permit for correct investi­gation of the sexual harassment allegation in opposition to him. Do you suppose that is vital?

Senator Akpabio has dis­gracefully set himself up as a decide in his personal case. He’s a lawyer and is aware of that he can­not be the decide in his personal case. He’s the accused. So, he can not preside over the case. All the selections of the Senate on the matter, together with the suspen­sion have to be nullified.

What’s your tackle the approaching Anambra State governorship elec­tion? Would you say the time has come for energy to alter palms to a different political get together within the state? In that case, which get together ought to be thought of by the folks?

Governance in Nigeria is constitutionally social demo­cratic. So, all of the events are comparable as all of them have social democratic ideologies consistent with the Structure. The dif­ference in governance shouldn’t be made by the get together, however by the particular person in workplace. Subsequently, Anambra State voters should choose the very best candidate on the subject of moral integrity, vi­sion and competence.

There’s ongoing disaster over the proposed Abia Airport over the big expanse of land earmarked for the challenge. How do you suppose the state authorities ought to resolve the is­sue with the land house owners who need the federal government to go away enough space for them to dwell and farm?

There have to be a design for the airport. The design will certainly point out the scale of land required. The Abia State gov­ernment should discover a appropriate website the place the environmental impression of the challenge is mini­mal. The constitutional pur­pose of presidency in Nigeria is the safety and welfare of the folks. Authorities should make the lives of the folks guess­ter and never put folks in peril. That’s the ethical and constitu­tional criterion.

As an oil sector stakeholder, how do you see the latest discount of petrol worth to N860 per litre first by Dangote Refinery and later by NNPCL?

NNPCL is owned and con­trolled by the Nigerian gov­ernment. NNPCL may be very dys­practical as a result of the Tinubu regime may be very dysfunctional. The dysfunctional NNPC ru­ined its personal 4 refineries, corruptly wasted billions of FOREX {Dollars} on failed re­finery rehabilitation tasks after which, senselessly resorts to importing PMS with public assets to interact the domes­tic Dangote refinery in a worth struggle. That’s incompetent, un­patriotic and harmful to the Nigerian financial system. It immediately subverts our GDP. The NNP­CL, whether it is purposeful, ought to repair its personal home refineries after which, it will possibly interact Dan­gote refinery in a worth struggle and enhance our nationwide econ­omy with home produc­tion. The NNPCL has turn into harmful to the Nigerian financial system.