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By Paschal Emeka, Abuja
Director General National Taskforce to Combat Illegal Importation of Small Arms Ammunition, Light Weapon, Chemical Weapons and Pipelines Vandalism (NAtforce) Chief Dr.Osita Emmanuel Okereke OON, has joined other well-meaning Nigerians to hail President Muhammadu Buhari for his uncommon courage in renaming the National Stadium Abuja ,after June 12 1993 democracy, Chief M.K.O Abiola.
DG Natforce gave the commendation while speaking with newsmen in his Abuja office yesterday; stating that such an unusual courage exhibited by the President would not have been contemplated by successive administrations in the country.
According to him; “every successive government at the centre did not find it worthy to recognise June 12 in this country apart from President Muhammadu Buhari because he is a man of principle and when he made a statement and promise ,he always try to fulfill them”.
“We are happy that President Buhari has renamed the former National Stadium after MKO Abiola because he was one among some Nigerians that had to pay the supreme price for the emocrcy we now enjoy.”
Reacting to questions fielded by reporters about the Certificate of Return issued to the immediate past governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Chief Okereke condemned the action in a strong terms adding that such should not have been the case considering the fact that the Returning Officer for Imo State West Senatorial District who presided over the election in that zone has come out to tell the World that he was coerced to announce the result for the zone at gun point.
The Natforce boss spoke further; “Nigerians saw in a live broadcast and in a national television when the Returning Officer lamented that he was forced to announce the result from that zone, we must be careful because the current INEC might be sending a wrong signal to the world. INEC should be an independent body, they should not have issued a Certificate of Returns to the former governor because of the heavy allegation made against him by the electoral officer who supervised election in that state.”
He explained further that even though INEC’s claimed that it issued the Certificate because of an Order from the Court, who mandated them to do so, they should equally have obeyed other Court Order that had earlier restrained them from issuing Rochas with the certificate.
On the way forward, DG Natforce used the opportunity to call on the relevant government authorities such as the National Judicial Council (NJC) to be watchful and critical on judges who are hell-bent on issuing controversial court Orders which might set negative precedence in the country.
