- Posthumous National Honors Illegal, Says Belgore
By ‘Dotun Akintomide
Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere has said Southwest cannot be cheaply bought over with the yesterday’s announcement by President Muhammadu Buhari to officially recognize June 12 as democracy day, against May 29 usually observed since the start of the fourth republic in 1999.
In a telephone chat with The New Diplomat, the spokesperson of the pressure group, Yinka Odumakin, lauded the move, but cautioned that the presidency will fail if it aims at using the gesture to curry favour and support from Southwest ahead of the Ekiti and Osun governorhip elections, as well as the 2019 general polls.
“Well we’re aware that we’re in another election season and there are efforts to be made to woe different constituencies. Also, we must say there must be something that triggered this because if you had celebrated democracy day on May 29 and you made a broadcast without remembering that this should be done and now you’re doing it. There must have been some developments.
“Be that as it may, we welcome the decision, and we applaud it, however, there is still the trust test of whether it’s a believe in June 12 or it’s just a political gimmick ahead Ekiti election in July 14 and the general election next year. If we allow free and fair election to take place henceforth in this country, that will mean that we truly believe that the history of June 12 had been learnt, but if we continue to rig election and conduct do or die elections, while we’re honouring Abiola, it will be seen as a gimmick and mere lip service.” He stated.
When asked whether the gesture meant Buhari has finally succeeded in cementing a place in the heart of Southwesterners ahead 2019, Odumakin rebuffed, saying: “No no no, Yorubas are more sophisticated than that. Recognizing Abiola by declaring June 12 as democracy is not enough to win the heart of Southwest. For as long as people are being killed all over the place. All over Southwest now we’re gathering dead bodies, people are being kidnapped by hersdmen and nobody is calling them to order. Fulani hersdmen are killing our people all over the place, so we cannot say because they named June 12 after Abiola, we should vote for another four years of Miyetti Allah killing.
“We’re much more sophisticated than that. While we accept this one for Abiola, there are fundamental issues of nationhood. What of the restructuring issue. These people have no recourse for restructuring for the past two years and they just think by naming June 12 democracy day will buy Southwest? Foul!”
Odumakin condemned the conferment of GCON on Abiola’s running mate in the annulled 1993 election, Babagana Kingibe, positing that honoring Kingibe who is an ally of Buhari might be one of the factors that influenced the President’s decision.
Recalled, Kingibe was said to have betrayed Abiola after abandoning the entire ‘June 12’ struggle and was later appointed as a Foreign Minister during the dictatorial years of late Gen. Sani Abacha, who incarcerated his boss, Abiola till he gave up the ghost on July 7, 1998. However, Abacha also died of suspected cardiac arrest, on June 8, a month before Abiola’s demise.
“When you look at the Kingibe’s issue you will discover he didn’t not only betrayed Abiola, he also betrayed himself. But more than that the only person that is being honored here is Kingibe because now we had Belgore talking about the fact that national honors are not bestowed on dead persons. So as it is, it means the intention was to honor Kingibe, while decorating the whole thing with the dead Abiola and Gani Fawehinmi.
Odumakin stated that the omission of Kudirat Abiola, allegedly assassinated by elements in the military regime of the maximum ruler, Abacha speaks volume, hailing her as a “herione of democracy.”
“She’s herione of democracy, even if this government did not honor her, her honor will come one day and she’s honored in the sight of Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, a former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Alfa Belgore has said that the award of Nigeria’s highest national honour on late Moshood Abiola is illegal.
Belgore, who was CJN from 2006 to 2007, said the national honours cannot be awarded posthumously, let alone the GCFR, which is the highest honour in the land.
“It is not done. It is for people living.
“The only thing they could do is to name a place after him, but national honours award, no,” he told Premium Times.
ALSO READ:
https://newdiplomatng.com/2018/06/07/bombshell-afenifere-jaf-slam-buhari-for-honouring-abiolas-traitor-kingibe/
