Lest We Forget
Daily Times
Last military govt accused
December 31, 1979
The last administration has been accused of tampering with the final copy of the country's constitution.Professor Alli, who was a member of the Constituent Assembly, said he was disappointed to see clauses which were eliminated during the constitutional debates entrenched in the Constitution.
"The constitution which we now operate is not the same thing at all. It has been extremely mutilated to my disappointment.
The Governor said the constitution we now have is full of problems "much of which we have tried to eliminate at the Constituent Assembly level".
He hoped common sense would carry Nigerians through.
Professor Alli said he drew the attention of the former Head of State to the anomalies in September at the Institute of International Affairs, but nothing had been done to correct the copy.
He called on the present administration to amend sections which had been tampered with.
Professor Alli said he went into politics so as to correct the ills of the society.
He said he had got the inspiration during travels when he found that Nigeria was under-utilising its resources.
So he went into the Constituent Assembly to get stimulated for the task ahead. "And having drawn up a constitution, I should see to it that it works".
Between the lines
(Only for those who can see)
Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari, the popularly, constitutionally and democratically elected civilian Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, deposed in a military coup by General 'Dan BUZU' and some few treacherous collaborators on December 31, 1983, and held in detention without charges, without trial for the past 20 months - one full calendar year and 8 months is sick - grievously sick! What to do with him and how to conceal this from the Nigerian public is the latest rumblings now from the Supreme Military junta Lagos. And as usual, divisions have merged within the rank and file of the junta.One group insists the President has to be flown out of the country for special medical treatment in view of the lack of drugs and equipment in the country's hospitals which in the words Nigeria's medical doctors have become "glorified mortuaries".
The other group comprising Idiagbon, Buhari and, of all people, Nawal Rafindadi, the pot-bellied Director-General of the National Security Organization (NSO), and once leading foreign affairs spokesman nd defender of the Shagari Presidency, would not hear of such nonsense".
Their reasoning being that to allow President Shagari to travel abroad, possibly to London or the United States of America, will be politically expedient; what, with the likes of Umaru Dikko and Isyaku Ibrahim, two of Shagari's close associates that have refused to recognize the military junta in Lagos living in these countries. They would prefer the President remains in Nigeria, in detention.
They would prefer his condition deteriorates with each passing day. They would prefer he eventually dies quietly just as it is being rumoured that Professor Ambrose Ali, the UPN Governor of Bendel State is - may it not be true almost dead! What manner of people are these? Nigeria's leaders? Tufia!
Let the word go forth - should any of the politicians detained die in the hands of the sadistic and callous military junta, Nigeria will be turned into a field of Golgotha, oozing blood, fire and brimstone. Already, many of the detained politicians, particularly the old ones have had their health plummet. Some now do not have any long life expectancy. Their detention is not serving the Buhari military junta any purpose. President Shagari and others like him who have fallen sick must be allowed proper medical treat- ment they are Nigerians, too, like Buhari's son who was in London recently for medical treatment, like Air Vice-Marshal Muktari Mohammed who was also here on medical treat- ment and had the occasion of going to play polo, like all other members of the Military Party of Nigeria (MPN).
A word is enough to the wise.
Black performing arts forum
Temba Theatre Company in co- operation with "LIFT '85" (London International Festival of Theatre) hosted a three-day forum (Friday 26, 27, 28 July 1985) on the topic: "The future of black performing arts in Britain - equal opportunities or a new direction?' at the Battersea Arts Centre Lavender Hill, London SW11.Companies and performers working in Britain as well as companies, directors, writers and artists from Africa, the Caribbean, the USA, Canada, and the Indian sub- continent, provided a wide range of performances, workshop panels and discussions.
The aim was to celebrate some of the achievements of the Black Per- forming Arts and to explore, debate and challenge new directions for the future. The workshop provided experience of working with different styles and techniques towards short performances. The forum identified areas of co-operation, and decided positive initiatives which may lead to definite actions not only within Britain, but internationally.
Topics aired in the work- shops included 'New directions in theatre through fusion and innovation' chaired by Dr Al Crichton of the University of Guyana Drama Department whose work fuses traditional oral heritage with new directions in Caribbean theatre.
