One of the leading voices in the business sector of the economy, Mrs. Morenike Babington-Asaye has thrown her weight behind the on-going clamour for the review of the Nigerian constitution and the restructuring of the country.
Babington-Asaye who is the Chairman and chief executive officer, ACCERS Accounting Education and Research Services stated that reviewing the constitution will help in addressing some of the anomalies inherent in the system.
Renowned for her expertise on tax matters, Babington-Asaye argued that the agitation for the restructuring of the country and the clamour for the Republic of Biafra were not unconnected with the fact that many Nigerians are not happy with the present state of things in the country.
According to a statement made available to THISDAY, the public commentator and tax expert maintained that governance was made possible through the society’s commonwealth. Taxation and the society is a platform to discuss and advise the government and the people on good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Continuing, she said: “The review has three major areas of the constitution to address which are the political, social, and economic orders. These are common areas in many constitutions of a democratic world. Has it ever occurred to you to ask yourself the question, ‘Am I an enemy of the world?
“The place of peace is in your heart and each time you terrorize, oppress, exploit, dehumanize, and discriminate against others because of their race, colour, religion, tribe, language, age, size, class, disability, and for whatever other reasons, you are an enemy of the world. More importantly whenever you steal the wealth of the nation, you are the worst enemy of the world. The world is a small place and all resources move around for the well-being of the peopleâ€.
She argued that whenever there is war or disharmony or agitation in any country it affects other countries and the good people of the world directly or indirectly.
“By every standard, many world and regional organizations have taken it upon themselves to not only preach peace but take positive steps to abate the occurrence of war or disharmony around the world, and the practice of fair play in dealing with nationsâ€, she said.
Babington-Asaye stated that the recent utterances and actions of youths and some elders in Nigeria are indications that peace is at war.
“We have no doubt that a lot can be done to avoid war in Nigeria again. We are aware that many foreign countries and organizations are studying the situation and already taking sides. Governments around the world must understand that democracy is not tantamount to terrorism, oppression, discrimination, exploitation, dehumanization, and marginalization. These are the vices democracy intends to abolish. You cannot ask people to vote you to power only to turn around and squeeze life out of them through policies and behaviours that do not meet the expectations of the societyâ€, she added.
According to her many political leaders around the world see politics as a trade where they invest money and expect it to yield profit through the popular vehicle of corruption, which I regard as ‘stealing or armed robbery’ as such act has negative impact on the well-being of the society.
