Professor Ben Nwabueze is a respected constitutional lawyer in the country. As the first Nigerian academic to be conferred with the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) title, he has been variously eulogized as a professor of professors and the oracle of law in the country. He earned the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) for his achievements in that field of study. Later, he co-founded The Patriots – a group of eminent Nigerians who stood up on the side of the people when it appeared that the nation was losing focus – with the late legal icon, Chief Rotimi Williams, and others.
For many years, he was the voice of the Igbo nation as the secretary-general of the pan-Ndigbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze. His, indeed, was a voice no one could possibly ignore, as he is seen as a firm believer in constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Perhaps, it was in recognition of his academic attributes that he was appointed as a member of a panel to prepare the groundwork for the soon-to-take-off National Conference. For health reasons, he rejected it but named a replacement. When he allegedly demanded that President Goodluck Jonathan grant him the sole right of writing a draft of the nation’s constitution, criticisms followed. Many accused him of intellectual arrogance. But he has remained undeterred.
As the chairman of The Patriots, Professor Nwabueze had, while contributing to discussions at a forum of 25 ethnic nationalities, insisted that the right to self-determination must be subjected to a debate at the conference. This is a radical position, though many other opinion leaders hold the same view.
What does Professor Nwabueze really want? He was given the opportunity to canvass whatever opinion that suited his fancy as a member of the Okorounmu panel. But he repudiated it. Now, he is trying to obfuscate the entire process.
Nwabueze, on all scores, is an elder in this country and elders in all climes are relied upon for their wise counsel and maturity in the assessment of situations. Therefore, he should have waited for the conference to take off before making such radical statement.
We hope something good would come out of the National Conference that the professor of constitutional law has been enthusiastic about. Nothing shows, however, that anything to be discussed at the conference will be taken seriously. Conferees like Nwabueze should enjoy the N7billion already budgeted for the talks and talk their hearts out. Even secessionists should have their say. But we are convinced that, whether they are allowed to air their views or not, Nigerian unity is assured. Certainly, octogenarians like Professor Nwabueze understand this. He is not just a member of The Patriots; he should be a true patriot.
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