2020 Message: Finding Light In The Dark Tunnel Of A Broken And Bruised Country, EBF Governor, Long Williams

Governor of the Eastern Bar Forum, S. Long Williams Esq., had said that Nigeria as presently constituted is a broken country.

This was made in a statement titled, “Finding Light In The Dark Tunnels Of A Broken And Bruised Country”.

According to him, the country is broken not in the literal sense but in spirit and psyche by the actions and inactions of persons whom we are so miserable unfortunate to have allowed assumed the helm of affairs.

Below read his letter to Eastern Bar Forum

A LETTER BY S. LONG WILLIAMS, GOVERNOR, EASTERN BAR FORUM.

Dear colleagues,

Compliments of the season and a Happy New Year to you all.

Before I delve into the gamut of this letter, may I use this opportunity to wish all colleagues a Happy New Year and welcome us all to a new decade.

This is my first letter as Chairman of the Eastern Bar Forum. I decided to do this, first, as a member of the Eastern Bar Forum and as an indigene of one of the states that constituted the Old Eastern Region of Nigeria.

Not a few will agree with me that only a neophyte, deluded, myopic, selfish, dysfunctional and deceitful Nigerian will stand bold and proclaim that our country; Nigeria is at its best and peak in the barometer of socio-economic, religious and political positivism at this time in our history as a country.

Whether the deluded or the realist agree with me or not, I make bold to say that Nigeria as presently constituted today is a broken country. Broken, not in the literal sense but broken in spirit and psyche by the actions and inactions of persons whom we are so miserably unfortunate to have allowed assumed the helm of affairs.

Never a time in our country’s history have we been so divided, broken and bruised. Divided by religion and ethnicity, broken by skewed, myopic and insensitive policies, bruised by total disrespect to the rule of law and disdain to the rights of citizen and flagrant breach of the Fundamental Principles of State Policy.

How did we get to this sorry pass? Who do we hold accountable for our present woes as a people? No other than ourselves as the fault is not in our stars. The tell tale signs were vivid for us to see, but out of sheer stupidity, greed, ethnicity, religious bigotry and lack of appreciation of history, with our eyes, ears wide open and our senses unfettered, we dug our grave with our hands and now persons who are not fit to manage an hamlet are spitting on us.

This letter will not go into the unfortunate misery of reminding us of what we are all going through as a people, everyone with a sound mind, conscious of the environment with a sense of history and mindful of the future of our children and unborn generation knows that the road to perdition is rife. Policies, actions and appointments are being thought and churned out weekly executed with disdainful ferocity all aimed at achieving what the Turks achieved in Constantinople.

We as a people, what are our strategies for the future going forward? How do we respond to this frontal attack on our sensibilities, our psyche, our interest and protect the future of our children and generations unborn? Do we fold our hands and leave our fate to faith and chance? Recall that even the Good Book records that faith without works is death.

As we move into a new decade, a new beginning, we must resolve to stand for what we believe, cherish and adore. The days of absolute power in the governance of Nigeria has been dead and interred. We must not allow it to resurrect and rear out its grotesque monstrous head as such will be to our detriment and that of our generations unborn.

We must begin to work and take interest in what goes on around us, in our communities, villages and in our various states and country. There will never come a time where we will be found helpless and hopeless. We must speak out and shout to the roof tops when we perceive our neighbour is being oppressed, defiled, trampled, chained and bruised. “Why are we lawyers sef” some will ask, are we lawyers just to put bread on our tables or we are lawyers schooled to observe best practices, defend the constitution, promote rule of law and defend the defenseless?

This is a clarion call to all lawyers especially lawyers from the east of the Niger, its either we wake up now, take the bull by the horns or those who survive will be too ashamed to tell the tales of what is to come to our children.

We must stand strong and united, ready to make sacrifices for our common good, for our future and for our interest. Never again shall we allow politics or any other primordial interest create schism in our midst. We must all be ready to kill our personal good for the common good and we must not be afraid to give up the good for the great. At all times, we must be vigilant as hope charts the future while vigilance protects it. We must find light in the dark tunnels of a broken and bruised country.

God bless you all.

S. Long Williams Esq.
Governor, Eastern Bar Forum