….. Sole admin appointment is being contested
– Barrister Dantani
By Our Correspondent
Human rights activist, Barrister Hamza Dantani, has warned the Rivers state sole administrator against cheap political stunts.
In an open letter to the military administrator, the renown human rights activist stated that Rivers state is entirely unknown to the constitution, which borders on the legitimacy of his appointment as a sole administrator.
“Nevertheless and to ensure that your cheap public stunts never again impugn the integrity of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), I must address your baseless claims directly and unequivocally”.
The NBA and the Rule of Law
Hamza noted that “NBA was established to champion the rule of law and to hold every government accountable to its people. This fundamental mandate extends to every level of governance and every state, including Rivers State. Our historical record shows that the NBA has not avoided confronting powerful military dictators, even during military regimes. Our fearless stance in holding those in power responsible remains unaltered, regardless of the theatrics of any so-called “sole administrator.”
We will never be cowered or silenced by your antics or any attempt to subvert constitutional order.
Reaffirming their stand for democratic governance, he stated “Let there be no misunderstanding: the actions of the NBA do not condemn the good people of Rivers State. On the contrary, the NBA’s stance is a show of unequivocal support for the citizens of Rivers State, whose people deserve to be led by their democratically elected officials. It is not the people or the state that the NBA has discredited; the unconstitutional method has resulted in your appointment. A sole administrator—a position with no constitutional basis—is a thinly veiled attempt to bypass the will of the people of Rivers and undermine democratic governance. The NBA will not shut its eyes to the same, as democracy ultimately dies when good people refuse to speak up”.
On the change of the venue of NBA Annual General Conference (AGC), Barrister Dantani said “it the must be stressed that the NBA’s decision to relocate its AGC from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to a state with a democratically elected government was not a denunciation of Rivers State per se but a principled stand against condoning unconstitutional practices”.
He said as is standard practice in organizing such conferences, the donation made by the democratically elected governor of Rivers State was an unconditional act of support. “Such voluntary contributions are sought from governmental agencies whose budgets allocate funds for corporate social responsibility and whose visions align with the NBA’s.
“Therefore, any claim that seeks to demand a refund of that donation is both legally and ethically misplaced. Only the democratically elected government that donated could, if it so chooses, call for its refund, not someone occupying an unconstitutional role.
“It is pertinent to mention that the NBA has previously hosted the AGC in Rivers state under a democratically-elected government. So, the difference this time around is that the NBA will not be bullied to participate in the lie that a sole administrator, a position unknown to the constitution, is legitimate.
He said “the motto of the NBA is promoting the rule of law and hosting the AGC in a state where the rule of law has been subverted is “anathema to that mandate”.
