By Henry Umoru, ABUJA

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has said that nationhood and belief in one country would put Nigeria on the right path and lead to the growth and development of Nigeria.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja at a lecture/colloquium in honour of the 61st birthday of the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu described Akpabio as a man who was committed to the value of national development.

The President said: “The opportunity you (Akpabio) offered us to listen to the lead speaker and his recommendations will definitely look into deeper legislative activities and collaboration with all of us. 

“We will work together. While we consider the affairs of this country, the nationhood and the belief in one country will put us on the right path. Having you as a partner, I think  Tajudeen Abbas as a partner, as the Speaker, is good enough for me to succeed.

“Insha Allah, we will succeed. I appreciate Godswill Akpabio, God will help you, and God will guide you.

“I believe in the person of Godswill Akpabio, he is truly God’s will. I know him as as a governor, as a commissioner in Akwa Ibom. We share a vision even though he was a commissioner, he is extremely inquisitive.

“He transformed Akwa Ibom tremendously. He built one of the most effective drainage systems in Akwa Ibom. Today, up till now, no matter how heavy the rain is, you will never find casualties.”

Section 315

Guest speaker, and former President, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, noted that for Nigeria to tackle insecurity, peace and security must be developed.

He said: “The first question is how can we find peace. Is it by armed forces. It will be by executive and legislative processes. 

“We can’t win, in my opinion, the war by armed forces. So, I will suggest to the National Assembly to consider the possibility of inviting the ethnic nationalities, the owners of Nigeria.

“The traditional rulers that are being ignored, I believe they have a hand in the constitutional process. If this is done we will achieve peace.

“Together with our traditional rulers, who I think are being ignored in the process, we might  be able to resolve these Boko Haram, IPOB.”

Agbakoba who called on the National  Assembly to unbundle the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which he said was doing far too much and has nothing with printing of papers, said: “INEC is doing far too much. In the Uwais report, we recommended creating the Electoral Offences Commission. 

“The Electoral Act makes a mockery of democracy, so we can correct that bypassing all the recommendations of the Uwais panel.”

Agbakoba who urged the 10th Senate to do away with Section 315 of the con against the backdrop that it was a creation of the military and has become obsolete, said that the country has a legal failure and it must be re-written, adding that the current Supreme  Court should wake up and do its work, as Nigeria should adopt the Rwanda model in order to have a good legal system. 

Deputy Senate President, Sen. Jibrin Barau who was also the host of the event said that the colloquium was the culmination of events to mark the 61st birthday of Akpabio. 

On his part, the celebrate,  Akpabio said that the renewed hope agenda of the current administration “is real and this government is a correcting government.

“Our legislative agenda is going to be  people-centred.

We have taken note that we should unbundle INEC, we have taken note that we should involve our traditional rulers.

Vanguard News