Nigeria’s Supermen Work For Themselves, Not For The Masses – Edo Deputy Governor

By Ayodele Oni

Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has said that the sustainability of Nigeria’s democracy is hinged on the rule of law.

Speaking at a Leadership Summit of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in Benin, Shaibu pointed out “that we must make sure that our personal sentiments do not influence our official conduct as public servants.

“Today, we have supermen as against strong institutions. When we have supermen, they work for themselves. When you have strong Institutions, it works for everybody.

“What we need to sustain democracy is to obey the rule of law, where the Inspector-General of Police can work without being influenced.

“Where a University Vice Chancellor will not be controlled by the President/Governor; where the Local Government Chairman will not be controlled by the Executive because there’s an account joining the two Tiers of Government. Until  and except this is addressed, Nigeria will not move forward.”

The forum was organized by the Office of the NANS Vice President Inter-Campus Affairs with the theme: “Student Unionism and a Quest for a Better Society”, aimed at ‘fostering a better relationship within higher institutions in Edo.’

Shaibu, a former President of NANS, charged the students to regard themselves as leaders of today and not tomorrow and not to exercise fear in the course of their struggle for better society.

“In my address, as a keynote speaker, I charged the students to work hard without fear of intimidation by the ‘strong men’ in Nigeria for the sustenance of the nation’s democracy, while admonishing them to be diligent, focused and determined in pushing for the growth and development of the country.

“As a former President of NANS, I narrated my journey into students’ unionism and my contributions to the emergence of democracy in Nigeria, as a way of encouraging and impacting the students.

“I recall how I was tortured by the military for leading the NANS Zone C “Abacha Must Go” rally, and detained in Gashua prison in now Zamfara State for one month, until I was released following a report by a Journalist called Jacob, who published my detention story.

“I told my listening audience that we fought the Military because we wanted a Government of the people, by the people and for the people.

“We wanted an ear-giving Government; one that is there by the power of the people. We, young and vibrant activists back then, didn’t give the Military rest.

“Sadly, some of our colleagues didn’t survive it, some of them died, some brutalized and some till today are on wheelchairs. But the good thing is that their spirit was not killed.

“They are always interested in the Nigeria that will be an egalitarian country. I sustained injuries while under severe torture in one of my sojourns in detention and it led to my being operated on for appendicitis.

“I reminded them that the last election was a test case for the youths – whether conscious of their future – they all came out to vote, while charging them not be weary regardless of what happened.

“I told the students that they are the leaders of today, and challenged them to stop paying attention to those telling them that youths are the leader of tomorrow; that tomorrow begins today.”