The Executive Director Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Comrade Abdul Miliki Idris, has called on Senator Smart Adeyemi to apologize to the people of Kogi West over his recent comments on the floor of the Senate where he promoted military rule over the nation’s democracy,Blueprint reports.
The call was contained in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Saturday while responding to the purported contribution of Senator Smart to the debate on a bill for the Establishment of Electoral Offences Commission at the Senate plenary sitting on Wednesday.
The human right activist noted that lawmakers at all levels both in Nigeria and other climes are products of laws and constitutionalism, saying no matter its flaws, the senator who is a product of the democratic process ought to have exercised restraints in his comments.
“We are not happy with the statements credited to the senator Adeyemi . Instead of him making laws for the promotion of good governance went for the triviality of passing judgement on the nation’ s democracy” the statement added.
He said it was frustrating and demoralizing to see Senator Adeyemi who tried fruitlessly to convince Nigerians that the military Junta, which the People of his age fought to bring to an end in Nigeria and consigned to the dustbin of history should be praised by the distinguished senator.
“All Senators must always be living examples and must have sound moral values. How could someone who is a beneficiary of the democratic process like Senator Smart Adeyemi, a third timer to the Senate, make such undemocratic comparison.
“We call on Senator Smart Adeyemi to retract such undemocratic statement in the interest of the rule of law, constitutionalism and democratic principles. Senator Adeyemi needs to live and represent the democratic values of the people of Kogi West Senatorial District which he was voted to represent.
“He must be seen and heard to be doing everything to promote the respect and dignity of Kogi West senatorial district who sent him to represent them.
“We call on the people of Kogi West senatorial district to pay more attention to the Senator as this particular pronouncement represent anti-democratic forces and we call on him to desist forthwith. The people of Nigeria have worked hard to achieve the current democracy which he is a beneficiary,” he warned.
How can someone who came in through the barrel of the gun like adeyemi appreciate the values of democracy?