[Democracy Day] Labeling Someone Enemy Of The Country For Asking Questions Is Not Patriotism — NBA President, Akpata

*Calls On President Buhari To Respect The Right To Freedom
Of Expression Of Citizens

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide
Akpata, has said that democracy entails the right to speak and ask
questions

He said this in his goodwill message on Democracy Day, June 12,
which coincided with the birthday of the former Chairman of the
Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu.

Akpata poured encomium on Chidi whom he described as a brightest
mind.

“Chidi, as he likes to be addressed represents different things
to different people. For some, Chidi is simply the Senior Team
Manager for the Africa program of the Open Society Justice
Initiative (OSJI), for others, he is the former Chairman of the
National Human Rights Commission and whether you are a fan or a
critic, there is near consensus that he exercised the duties of
that office with admirable grace and altruistic passion that is
lacking in many of our public office holders today. To others, he
is a fiery human rights lawyer who has consistently held his own in
that chosen field from his early days at the Civil Liberties
Organisation to the present day. To others still, he is a straight
talker who suffer no fools gladly especially on his preferred
social media platform of choice, Twitter.”

Akpata said Chidi served the Bar creditably in different
capacities, most notably with the NBA Section on Public Interest
and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) which he founded. He expressed
belief that Chidi still has a lot more to offer. He said Chidi
contributed significantly to Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in
1999 and he continues to ensure that that democracy is
sustained.

He said “By some extraordinary divine orchestration, exactly a
quarter of a century after Chidi was born, one of the most
important events in the history of Nigeria’s democratic journey
occurred, the ultimately ill-fated June 12 1993 election which is
still adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the country’s
history. It is altogether fitting therefore that as we celebrate
the anniversary of that occasion today, we also devote some time to
celebrate the birthday of our brother Chidi Odinkalu. And how
better to celebrate it than to convoke a soul searching discussion
on democracy in Nigeria.”

Akpata said Part of the most critical elements of a democratic
system of government are the fundamental rights which the people
have, not as a privilege or gift by the government which can be
withdrawn or suspended at will, but which inure to them by virtue
of their humanity. It is for this reason, according to him, that
the rights are enshrined in the Constitution and therefore cannot
be amended at will even by the Legislature.

He said citizens have the right to ask questions when they
perceive that things are not going right and to speak truth to
power. However, some persons tend to see those who ask questions as
enemies of the country. To him, such is not patriotism, but
sycophancy.

“One factor that bedevils democracy, especially the variant we
practice in Nigeria, is that we are quick to label anyone who asks
questions of government as an enemy of the country. That is not
patriotism, that is sycophancy, and we are doing ourselves
disservice. So when I hear Nigeria’s democracy failure, instead of
viewing the topic as naysaying, I rather see patriots who are
discussing and charting Pathways to salvage our democratic
experiment. This accords with Chidi’s day job of protecting basic
democratic rights around the world especially in the face of
autocratic repression that constantly seeks to suppress
dissent.

“Speaking in my individual capacity, and not necessarily as the
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, it is sometimes
difficult to be optimistic about the democratic system of
government in Nigeria. For too long we have viewed democracy as
being about elections and nothing more. For this reason, we tend to
concentrate on election years, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023 etc and more
often than not we de-emphasise the period in between which is what
the democracy is actually about. It is also for this reason that
the previous constitutional alterations by the National Assembly
have rather been about the political process than about the people
of Nigeria for and on whose behalf the government exists.”

Akpata raises several questions on 2023 which everyone seems to
be talking about.
according to him, it is important to address the pressing issues
that threaten to derail our democracy in Nigeria and which if not
adequately addressed, there might be no 2023. “How do we ensure
adequate citizen engagement in the democratic experience? How do we
tackle the problem of insecurity that threatens the corporate
existence of the country? How do we address the corruption that
plagues our democracy which finds expression in such ills as vote
buying, snatching of ballot boxes etc? How do we ensure that the
National Assembly carries out the electoral reform needed to
improve our democratic experience in Nigeria?” he asked

He then concluded, “In ending, I join the call on the Federal
Government of Nigeria to continually respect the rights of
Nigerians including the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of
expression, including the right to protest. The greatest dishonour
and disservice that will be done to the memory of Chief M. K. O.
Abiola and the other patriots who gave their lives to the struggle
for the return to democratic rule will be to turn today to a day of
suppression and wanton disregard and disrespect for the fundamental
rights of Nigerians. In the same way, those who are seeking to make
a statement today by exercising their right to protest and express
themselves must also remain law abiding and conduct themselves in a
manner that does not deprive others of their fundamental rights. As
we sat, where one’s right stops is where another’s begins. It is
possible for us to coexist peacefully and the government and people
to live in peace and mutual respect for one another. That is what
Chief M. K. O. Abiola stood for, and that is what Chidi Odinkalu
represents.”

*Calls On President Buhari To Respect The Right To Freedom
Of Expression Of Citizens

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide
Akpata, has said that democracy entails the right to speak and ask
questions

He said this in his goodwill message on Democracy Day, June 12,
which coincided with the birthday of the former Chairman of the
Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu.

Akpata poured encomium on Chidi whom he described as a brightest
mind.

“Chidi, as he likes to be addressed represents different things
to different people. For some, Chidi is simply the Senior Team
Manager for the Africa program of the Open Society Justice
Initiative (OSJI), for others, he is the former Chairman of the
National Human Rights Commission and whether you are a fan or a
critic, there is near consensus that he exercised the duties of
that office with admirable grace and altruistic passion that is
lacking in many of our public office holders today. To others, he
is a fiery human rights lawyer who has consistently held his own in
that chosen field from his early days at the Civil Liberties
Organisation to the present day. To others still, he is a straight
talker who suffer no fools gladly especially on his preferred
social media platform of choice, Twitter.”

Akpata said Chidi served the Bar creditably in different
capacities, most notably with the NBA Section on Public Interest
and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) which he founded. He expressed
belief that Chidi still has a lot more to offer. He said Chidi
contributed significantly to Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in
1999 and he continues to ensure that that democracy is
sustained.

He said “By some extraordinary divine orchestration, exactly a
quarter of a century after Chidi was born, one of the most
important events in the history of Nigeria’s democratic journey
occurred, the ultimately ill-fated June 12 1993 election which is
still adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the country’s
history. It is altogether fitting therefore that as we celebrate
the anniversary of that occasion today, we also devote some time to
celebrate the birthday of our brother Chidi Odinkalu. And how
better to celebrate it than to convoke a soul searching discussion
on democracy in Nigeria.”

Akpata said Part of the most critical elements of a democratic
system of government are the fundamental rights which the people
have, not as a privilege or gift by the government which can be
withdrawn or suspended at will, but which inure to them by virtue
of their humanity. It is for this reason, according to him, that
the rights are enshrined in the Constitution and therefore cannot
be amended at will even by the Legislature.

He said citizens have the right to ask questions when they
perceive that things are not going right and to speak truth to
power. However, some persons tend to see those who ask questions as
enemies of the country. To him, such is not patriotism, but
sycophancy.

“One factor that bedevils democracy, especially the variant we
practice in Nigeria, is that we are quick to label anyone who asks
questions of government as an enemy of the country. That is not
patriotism, that is sycophancy, and we are doing ourselves
disservice. So when I hear Nigeria’s democracy failure, instead of
viewing the topic as naysaying, I rather see patriots who are
discussing and charting Pathways to salvage our democratic
experiment. This accords with Chidi’s day job of protecting basic
democratic rights around the world especially in the face of
autocratic repression that constantly seeks to suppress
dissent.

“Speaking in my individual capacity, and not necessarily as the
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, it is sometimes
difficult to be optimistic about the democratic system of
government in Nigeria. For too long we have viewed democracy as
being about elections and nothing more. For this reason, we tend to
concentrate on election years, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2023 etc and more
often than not we de-emphasise the period in between which is what
the democracy is actually about. It is also for this reason that
the previous constitutional alterations by the National Assembly
have rather been about the political process than about the people
of Nigeria for and on whose behalf the government exists.”

Akpata raises several questions on 2023 which everyone seems to
be talking about.
according to him, it is important to address the pressing issues
that threaten to derail our democracy in Nigeria and which if not
adequately addressed, there might be no 2023. “How do we ensure
adequate citizen engagement in the democratic experience? How do we
tackle the problem of insecurity that threatens the corporate
existence of the country? How do we address the corruption that
plagues our democracy which finds expression in such ills as vote
buying, snatching of ballot boxes etc? How do we ensure that the
National Assembly carries out the electoral reform needed to
improve our democratic experience in Nigeria?” he asked

He then concluded, “In ending, I join the call on the Federal
Government of Nigeria to continually respect the rights of
Nigerians including the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of
expression, including the right to protest. The greatest dishonour
and disservice that will be done to the memory of Chief M. K. O.
Abiola and the other patriots who gave their lives to the struggle
for the return to democratic rule will be to turn today to a day of
suppression and wanton disregard and disrespect for the fundamental
rights of Nigerians. In the same way, those who are seeking to make
a statement today by exercising their right to protest and express
themselves must also remain law abiding and conduct themselves in a
manner that does not deprive others of their fundamental rights. As
we sat, where one’s right stops is where another’s begins. It is
possible for us to coexist peacefully and the government and people
to live in peace and mutual respect for one another. That is what
Chief M. K. O. Abiola stood for, and that is what Chidi Odinkalu
represents.”