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OMOKRI TO ABATI: YOUR PHD IS A BAD REFLECTION ON NIGERIA’S EDUCATION SECTOR .
It is rather unfortunate that Dr. Reuben Abati asked that President Bola Tinubu be impeached by the National Assembly for declaring a State of Emergency in Rivers State.
That same National Assembly gave the President the power to suspend a Governor via the Emergency Powers (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill of 2018.
However, it is possible that people like Dr. Reuben Abati are either unaware of that law, perhaps think it is unconstitutional, or even have a different interpretation of the law, which is understandable and acceptable.
In that situation, what a prudent man should say is that the suspended Governor and members of the suspended House of Assembly should go to court to seek a judicial interpretation of the law.
Also, Dr. Reuben Abati misinformed his viewers by calling President Tinubu a “dictator” for giving the administrator powers to make laws.
President Tinubu did not say that the Administrator would make laws for Rivers State under the supervision of the Federal Executive Council. In fact, the President was clear that “The Administrator will not make any new laws.”
The President said, “He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.”
It would be very sad for Nigeria’s educational system if a PhD holder like Dr. Abati does not know the difference between a regulation and a law.
A law sets the legal framework for the government, while regulations provide the detailed rules necessary for compliance with the law.
In any case, using the platform of a cable news station to call for the impeachment of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces based on a limited understanding of the law and to misinform your viewers is rather callous and could trigger further instability.
RENO OMOKIRI
