A retired judge of the Appeal Court, Port-Harcourt Division, Rivers State, Justice Saidu Tanko Hussain, has said the situation where injustice pervades the society amidst the accumulation of wealth by some few individuals at the detriment of the masses, will always breed insecurity and anarchy.
Justice Husain spoke on Sunday, during a reception organized in his honour as he retired as justice of the Court of Appeal, Port-Harcourt Division, which was held at his home town, Kotonkarfe, Kogi LGA, Kogi State.
He said it was unfortunate that the greater majority of the populace could not provide for their needs even in the midst of plenty.
“Is it right to preside over and encourage excessive accumulation of wealth by few individuals to the detriment of the greater majority?” he asked.
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He said it is sad that the beneficiaries of the benevolence of the good old days that have now found themselves in positions of authority as chief executives in government or ministerial departments with enormous resources under their control have failed to channel such resources to the benefit and common good of the citizenry.
“And that is why there is hunger everywhere, poverty is all-pervading, as unemployment is the order of the day,” he said.
He added, “The system which supports the idea of the survival of the fittest only, or that might is right, is evil. Yes, it is evil because it is not in tandem with the letters and spirit of the constitution. Such a system breeds insecurity, and anarchy as it can be seen all over the place.”
He said it is not too much for the government in the discharge of its social and constitutional duties to set aside funds that should meet the needs of the weak, the aged and the unemployed, noting that doing so will curb social vices in the country.
Justice Hussain, however, said the time is now ripe for Nigeria to amend its existing constitution to give room for rotational presidency between all geo-political zones of the country in the interest of inclusiveness.
“Unless and until this constitutional amendment is effected, the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will continue to elude some zones, including the zone I belong,” he said.
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