Don’t be surprised Nigeria is named after Tinubu, human rights advocate blast Wike, Umahi

By Kingston Magare 20.7.2023A Human rights lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, said it is appalling hear minister of works David Umahi and minister of the Federal Capital Territory naming national monuments after President Bola Tinubu in an unrestrained sycophantic conduct.Mr. Effiong was reacting to Mr. Umahi’s naming of the yet to be completed Lagos Calabar Highway after President Tinubu. He also knocked Wike for naming of public assets after the President.
“I have never understood the logic behind it; at a time the country is grappling with economic crisis, at a time that we are borrowing to refund our indebtedness, at a time that the government is almost running on a deficit,” Effiong told Arise TV during a chat.
“Why are we decipating trillions without transparency, don’t forget the company that is handling this road projects is one whose antecedents has been called to question.
“So when when you look at it in the light of the renaming, the way we are going, given how dubious the national assembly changed our national anthem within 24 hours, we may wake up tomorrow and it becomes Federal Republic of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Effiong described the trend of renaming public infrastructure after the President as excessive praise by government officials.
“It’s unbridled sycophancy. Is there a competition between appointees of the President and federal institutions over who is going to praise the President the most?” he asked.
The lawyer explained that under Nigerian law, there is a distinction between public institutions whose names are protected by legislation and those that can be renamed by the executive.
“There are public infrastructures or institutions whose names are statutory. Where Parliament has assigned a name through legislation, you cannot rename such institutions through executive fiat. But where there is no statutory backing, the executive has the discretion to ascribe a name.
“If you are a President who believes you have truly served the Nigerian people, you should allow history to judge you rather than seeking to entrench your name on public infrastructure.”