By Mfonobong UKPONG
The Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr Onofiok Luke has tasked his professional colleagues in the law profession and Nigerians in general to brace up to the role expected of them in the task of nation. He says the country was drifting due to bad leadership.
Speaking on Thursday at Royalty Hotels, Eket during the 2018 Bar Week and public lecture of the Eket branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, held in his honour, Luke emphasized the need for Nigerians irrespective of political or ethnic affiliation to come together to be able to salvage the nations democratic experiment from total collapse.
Citing the ongoing strike by health workers across the country and its attendant effects on healthcare delivery in Nigeria, the invasion of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by armed thugs, the recent refusal of the Inspector-General of Police to obey summons of the National Assembly, the recent attack and invasion of judiciary, and the seemingly targeting of members of the opposition in the anti-corruption fight of the Federal government, among several other issues, Barr Luke challenged the followership in Nigeria to rise up to the occasion by doing the needful in order to get things right in the country.
“As long as you are there and you want to make things right, you should be ready to face some challenges. Today, the Federal government is still paying subsidy unapproved. This is the the same things that were criticized under Jonathan.
“My position today is that the country is drifting. Let us rise above party lines so that we would be able to make progress. Forget the affinity you share with the man in power, let us join hands today above party line to save Nigeria. I am advocating for a bipartisanship approach in solving the problem that we have.”
The public lecture had as its theme:” Law, Politics and National Development; the role of Lawyers.
Barr Luke thanked the NBA for honoring him, saying he will not relent to contribute his quota to the development of the state.
Governor Udom Emmanuel who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters, congratulated the Nigerian Bar Association, Eket for a successful bar week, and reaffirmed the readiness of the state government to partner the NBA in the development of the state, particularly in the area of administration of justice.
In his address, the Eket branch Chairman of the NBA, Udoh Dick Imeh, thanked members of the Bar and guests for turning hope for the lecture session. Describing the body as the mouth piece of the masses, Barr. Dick appealed to the federal government to make its presence felt in the oil city, noting that Eket despite being an oil producing area, cannot boast of any Federal presence.
The occasion was Chaired by Justice Ifiok Ukanna, the Administrative Judge of Eket Judicial Division.
