… Reaffirm Support for Restructuring
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… Urge FG to Obey Court Orders

By Emmanuel Elebeke

Notable Nigerians from all walks of life on Tuesday converged at Merit House, Maitama Abuja to celebrate the renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze on his 88th birthday for his distinguished legal practice and outstanding contribution to nation-building.

Leading the park of discussants at the event was the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who described Prof. Ben Nwabueze as an icon.

He affirmed that the celebrant remained special not only to the South East but to Nigeria and the world as a whole, whose legacies and values would remain a lesson for younger generation to tap from.

‘‘We are celebrating an icon, an extraordinary personality, a special gift to South East, to Nigeria and the world. This man has a gift that is not common. His intellectual capacity is one that is beyond ordinary imagination. With 33 books already written, I do not know any lawyer in Nigeria who passed through the university and law school without reading one of his books. I think this is what we should be very proud of.

‘‘I call him a special gist because all the honour that any intellectual giant can have in Nigeria, he already has them. I thought that would have been all the gifts that God gave him but he gave him far more integrity because this is a man that keeps promise. We believe that you are a very good role model that younger Nigerians have a lot to learn from you. We must rediscover many of those values that made us great in the past that we need to make us great now and in the future, and one of that is hard work.

‘‘This is a man wherever he had gone to, had flown the flag of our nation very high and we believe many people will continue to learn from him.’’

He prayed God to preserve his life for the good of so many people so that he will continue to impact positively in the same manner he had done that the world is proud of him.

In his remarks, the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who sang for Prof. Ben Nwabueze said the Octogenarian put his gifts into full use for the wellbeing of mankind.

According to him, the grace of God was abundant in his life as he had demonstrated in his outstanding legal practice.

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Arch. Obong Victor Attah said Prof. Nwabueze was instrumental to the G34 movement that stopped Abacha from transiting into civilian President.

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He described him as a man who fought for the better and restructured Nigeria all his lifetime.

‘‘As a member of G34, they resolved that Abacha would not transit into a civilian president. He is a man who fought for the emancipation without being manipulated. He has been fighting for a better and restructured Nigeria.’’

He prayed God to grant him long life to see the realization of a better Nigeria in his lifetime.

On his part, the former deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu described the celebrant as an inspiration to all.

For him, the celebration was a great honour to a legal luminary, who was being celebrated alive.

I don’t’ think that the challenge is on the 33 books written by Prof. Ben Nwabueze but on the number of credits on those books and other accolades.

He thanked him for his encouragement during their trying moments as leaders of the senate.

According to him, their hands were clean in the charges on forgery of their house rules. Our hands were clean, we were simply innocent. The information files did not mention one single name of any of us from page one to the last page. The reason why we were charged is yet unknown to any of us. We want to thank you for standing by us.’’

‘‘Nigeria has to be independent in the true sense of the word. We need to restructure Nigeria while you are alive. We want to see a good life where the people of Nigeria will say we are proud of our country. And that will happen in your lifetime. You are not going to depart from this world until that is accomplished. Our prayer is that God will give us more people like you.’’

The Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe also joined other speakers in eulogizing Prof. Ben Nwabueze at 88.

Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark described him as a great scholar and a true Nigerian. ‘‘Prof. Ben is a great man, scholar, a Nigerian to the core. I congratulate you as the first African lecturer to teach me in London.’’

Former Inspector General of Police, Sir. Mike Okiro on his part described Prof. Nwabueze as the foremost cerebral mind produced in Nigeria. He said the Octogenarian remains the most admired Nigerian because of the respect he commands and a model for all Nigerians to emulate.

VANGUARD