Don’t Keep Silent In Face Of Injustice – Nuhu Ribadu

Former Chairman of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission,
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Thursday
in Kaduna said the greatest
disservice to the country and its
democracy was for Nigerians to
keep silent in the face of injustice.
According to Ribadu, citizens
engagement is the fertilizer that aids
the growth of true democracy.
He said, "Without the oversight of the
legislature, the inquisitiveness of the
media and the doggedness of the
civil society, democracy is no
different from oligarchy and
dictatorship."
The former EFCC boss stated this in a
goodwill message at a one-day
seminar on, 'The Role of a Legislator
in a Democracy', organised by the
Center for Development and Rights
Advocacy in Kaduna.
Ribadu also called on Nigerian
youths to be focused and steadfast
in the course of nationhood and
resist any attempt by any individual
or group to set them against one
another.
He said, "Let me also use this
opportunity to, once again, call on
our youths to remain focused and
steadfast in the course of our
nationhood. You should resist any
attempt by any selfish person to
manipulate or set you against each
other.
"Don't listen to anyone who will tell
you that your Christian or Muslim
neighbour is your enemy or obstacle
to your progress. Your real enemy is
the one trying to incite you against
your fellow citizens, while he has
looted you blind, depriving you of a
decent future. This is what we must
resist."
He added, "It is important that we
have more of this type of assembly
as a necessary avenue to dialogue,
ask questions and proffer the way
forward for our country, especially at
a critical time like this.
"We must continue to ask questions.
Questions, no matter how politely
they are asked, often rattle the one in
whose direction they are thrown,
especially if the person has no ready
explanation for such legitimate
questions.
"But we should not be deterred. The
greatest disservice we would do to
our country and democracy is to
keep silent. Citizen engagement is
the fertilizer that abets the growth of
true democracy."
Executive Director, Human Rights
Monitor, Mr. Festus Okoye, took a
swipe at the governors of the 35
states of the federation for rubber-
stamping members of the states
Houses of Assembly and preventing
them from performing their
legislative functions.
Okoye, who was guest speaker at the
event, said the governors were not
allowing the lawmakers to perform
their statutory duties,stressing that in
most cases, some governors had
become so powerful that they
dictated to the Speakers what to do.