Tinubu and our national values, institutions,
It is important to remind all elected or appointed holders of lofty political offices that, irrespective of how high those offices are, they are there to “serve”, not “rule”. Nigeria is a republic; a democracy, not a monarchy or any form of absolute dictatorship whereby the “ruler” and his courtiers do whatever they like without regard to consequences.
President Bola Tinubu has either proactively initiated, or allowed to be initiated for him, steps that tend to disregard the hallowed values and institutions of the nation. That he followed what appeared like “due process” in most of them hardly suffices, given that our democracy has virtually lost effective checks and balances built into the 1999 Constitution to prevent impunity.
He did not subject his desire to restore the colonial National Anthem: “Nigeria We Hail Thee”, to public approval. He merely railroaded it through the National Assembly, which blithely rubber-stamped it. Tomorrow, another adventurer can decide to revert to “Arise, O Compatriots” or compose a new one altogether. That’s no way to treat national values or symbols.
In March 2024, Tinubu accepted the unconscionable renaming of Abubakar Imam International Airport, Minna, to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport. This decision by Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State to cancel an honour properly done to a revered indigene (who was a distinguished journalist and writer) and transfer it to a visiting president was widely condemned as being politically motivated. If Bago acted overzealously, could the president and his handlers not have insisted on prudence?
The latest act of questionable morality was the renaming of the Abuja International Conference Centre, AICC, Abuja to Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, to mark its renovation. The AICC was constructed by the General Ibrahim Babangida regime without naming it after him.
In advanced countries from where we copied this tradition, state buildings, infrastructure and institutions are named after people to honour their memories and inspire the people, especially the youth, to emulate their contributions to the growth of society. The real honour is in being considered for such recognition after office or posthumously.
A political appointee renovating a national institution and renaming it after his appointor, the incumbent president, is unwholesome. Where is the honour? Officials who pursue this course of action must be reminded that honours not duly deserved or approved by the public attract ridicule. It is liable to be reversed by a future corrective regime.
We fully acknowledge the fact that President Tinubu and his Abuja Minister, Nyesom Wike, have done more in developing Abuja in two years than his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, and his FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, ever accomplished in eight years. If they continue in that direction, Nigerians will remember and honour them long after their tenure of service.
Nigeria is bigger than any of its citizens.
The post Tinubu and our national values, institutions appeared first on Vanguard News.
,
It is important to remind all elected or appointed holders of lofty political offices that, irrespective of how high those offices are, they are there to “serve”, not “rule”. Nigeria is a republic; a democracy, not a monarchy or any form of absolute dictatorship whereby the “ruler” and his courtiers do whatever they like without […]
The post Tinubu and our national values, institutions appeared first on Vanguard News.
, , Emmanuel Okogba, {authorlink},, , Vanguard News, June 20, 2025, 12:48 am
