Interior Minister, Ezekwesili Clash At NBA Confab Over Nigeria’s Socioeconomic Woes

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, were locked in war of words yesterday at the ongoing conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Enugu over  state of affairs in the country.

This is even as protesters stormed the confab venue over alleged ‘political imprisonment of a member of Enugu House of Assembly.

While the minister contended that what Nigeria needed to do to prosper was engage in research and pay much attention to production, rather than consumption, Ezekwesili said the federal government plunged Nigerians into abject poverty by virtue of its subsidy removal policy which she described as good reform policy done  in wrong direction.

‘’China spends so much on research and development, whereas Nigeria spends so much on the provision of infrastructure.  Until this is done, economic growth and prosperity would continue to elude the country,’’ Tunji-Ojo said.

But reacting, Ezekwesili insisted that policies such as the removal of oil subsidy was well intentioned but wrongly implemented, hence the spiral inflation that followed such move.

“It is a tough job to have to defend the APC government. You can do the right policies but if you do it the wrong way, there will be a problem,’’ she said.

Taking the price of petroleum for instance, she lamented that the reform was ill-prepard and ill-conceived.

She added:  “That is not how to do reforms. The reform was not prepared for. It was a good reform done the wrong way. It is bad because inflation is punishing the populace. You really have to prepare for reform.”

She criticized President Bola Tinubu’s announcement of “subsidy is gone,” moments after his inauguration, saying the declaration plunged many Nigerians into penury.

“Inflation hits the poor so hard and they have nowhere to run to. It was a good reform done wrongly,” she maintained.

Addressing the lawyers, Ezekwesili urged them not to reward prebendalism or pander to the wish of the political class that cared less about the poor masses.

“133 million Nigerians are in a state of poverty. The lawyers are determining the rule of law in Nigeria. There should be evaluation of the political class. This country lies prostrate for the poor. I am praying for the legal profession. Any profession that is rewarding prebendalism is not a profession, “ she lamented.

She urged lawyers not to allow their profession suffer corrosion by politicians, and cautioned them to “stop trading with your profession.”

Another panelist, George Etomi, lamented that the judiciary was at cross roads in the civilian era, pointing out that the judiciary did better during military interregnum.

“Our judiciary was more independent under the military.  I don’t know what the new law is. They are abusing democracy today.  We must protect the judiciary,” he posited.

Etomi pointed out that instead of concentrating on governance, government of the day was dissipating energy on the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

Protest rocks NBA Conference over alleged ‘political imprisonment’ of Enugu lawmaker

Meanwhile, protests rocked the conference yesterday, with a large number of protesters pleading the release of an imprisoned NBA member and lawmaker in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Bright Ngene.

Ngene of the Labour Party, who represents Enugu South Urban state constituency, was sentenced to seven years in prison by an Enugu Magistrate court over a resurrected community matter, which many believed was politically motivated.

The protesters, who were mainly his constituents, said every attempt to appeal the magistrate court’s decision in the state high court had met a brick wall, with no less than two judges recusing themselves from the matter.

The protesters carried placards with such inscriptions as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene now, a political prisoner of conscience,” “Say no to miscarriage of Justice,” “NBA is the voice of the voiceless, speak now,” and “NBA please help Bright Ngene to represent his constituency,” among others.

One of the leaders of the protest, Mr Benedict Kachukwu, told newsmen: “We are here to register our peaceful protest to tell the world what has been happening in Enugu State for the past one year.

‘’Since July 28, 2024, Bright Emeka Ngene that won the House of Assembly seat in Enugu South Urban has been unjustly incarcerated. 

“Charges that were put on him were baseless, the judicial process was not followed, and in less than two weeks, judgment was dispensed. And the man has been in detention since then. Efforts to take the matter to the high court have proved abortive because judges are now recusing themselves from the case. 

“The chief judge has refused to assign the case to a new judge. So ever since then, this man, Bright Ngene, has been in detention for no just cause, all because he won an election.  Somehow, he has reaffirmed the decision of the mandate of the people on August 16, 2025, where he won overwhelmingly again, even from detention.

“So, we are here to plead with the Nigerian Bar Association to look into this matter, so that the judicial process will be followed. Let me make it clear that we are not afraid of going through the judicial process, we have consistently asked them to assign the case, no matter the judgment that comes, we will take it in good fate. 

‘’But up till now, we have not seen, we have not heard, and the case has been in comatose state at the state high court.’’

The protesters were prevented from gaining access into the main bow of the International Conference Centre where the NBA conference is taking place, but they made a peaceful demonstration around the arena and left.