A civil society group, Coalition for The Immortalisation of A True Nigerian Hero and Legend, yesterday expressed disappointment that the late former Chairman of the Nationwide Electoral Fee (NEC), Professor Humphrey Nwosu, who was reputed to have carried out the freest and fairest election within the historical past of Nigeria in 1993, has not been deservedly immortalised by the previous and current leaders of the nation.
The group at a world press convention yesterday in Lagos said that Nwosu, who sadly handed away in October 2024, on the age of 83, and described as “man of his untainted eminence, fearless braveness and unmatched efficiency within the unbeaten nationwide task he did for this nation,” deserves a solemn re-tell of his immense delicate sacrifices, toils and labour in direction of making Nigeria higher, by means of clear and credible elections.
The group, led by Mr. Collins Steve Ugwu, and different leaders, together with Mazi Chris O Maduka and Chief Everest Ozonweke said that: “He had essentially the most profound integrity mark, by no means doubted usually acceptability, and by no means surpassed until date.
“For a abstract recap, Prof. Humphrey Nwosu was the NEC chairman who superintended the complicated and infinite political transitions from navy to civilian administration, underneath the then Army President, Common Ibrahim Babangida, who dominated this nation from August 1985 and stepped apart in August 1993. That election was the very best elections the navy ever carried out on this nation by each requirements, native and worldwide, with a unanimity of public and citizenship acceptance unmatched until date.
“He got here to the troublesome problem very ready, probably underestimated, however succeeded vastly to publish a close to miracle outcomes of competence, technique and innovation that has since grow to be our elections administration watershed.”
The coalition due to this fact, known as on President Bola Tinubu and his dwelling state (Anambra) Governor, Prof Charles Soludo, to provide a deserved honour to the late political scientist and the architect of Choice A4 for his marks made within the Nigerian political historical past.
In keeping with Ugwu, “We due to this fact, most respectfully name on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to boldly reward the fragile and elaborate selflessness of Prof Nwosu by firstly, specifically giving him a deserving nationwide awards of Grand Commander of the Order of Niger (GCON) or Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). We belief the president to rise as much as this overdue duty, remarkably endorsed by the windfall of his place immediately, because the democratic President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The president must also provoke and trigger a nationwide monument to be named after him, for instance the Impartial NEC headquarters in Abuja, to actually present that, there was as soon as a terrific Nigerian that served independently there, with exemplary braveness, objective and fortitude. Nigerians agree and know who that particular person is, and now was.
“To title a distinguished street or Nationwide Freedom Park after him within the Federal Capital Metropolis.
“To deliberately and intentionally affiliate his title and essence with the nationwide celebrations of June 12 as Democracy Day on this nation, so as to successfully cement it as a healthful and inclusive act of worth and cohesion. In case you proceed to chop and rejoice a particular cake of historical past, and not using a correct point out of the designer, it is going to proceed to be a celebration denied a soul and purity. Nigeria underneath this president ought to raise her gaze past this depressive anomaly, and forged a greater web of magnificence on June 12. We earnestly thank the president prematurely for this correction and sensitivity, as a result of solely he can confidently heal this sore outrage.”
Of their message to Governor Soludo, the group stated: “On the state degree of Anambra, the place Prof Nwosu was native to, we’re expectant that the governor, a confessed and in style answer driver, a colleague professor of reputation, and cerebral social scientist of identical school in the identical College of Nigeria, Nsukka, will act as deserved for a kinsman of such standing and identification as Prof. Humphrey Nwosu.
“We truly don’t want to evangelise to him, as we imagine in him, however urge him to behave his conviction on this matter like a professor and his governor. Already, the Governor of Enugu State, Mr. Peter Mbah, is about to host a excessive degree Nationwide Colloquium in his honour, which is able to happen on March 21, 2025, on the Enugu Campus of College of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“So in conclusion, we restate that Prof Humphrey Nwosu, as that wine of candour from a deep wine press, deserve preservation and honour. He represented the daring spectrum of what a reputable electoral umpire was and will aspire to be. He humanized our election expertise in a approach nobody has gotten shut, by stamping an authority of simplicity, transparency and integrity on NEC, derived from residents’ inspirations and stellar utility.”
He added that the late NEC chairman was very completely different from the “graphic epicentre of fraud and mercantile manipulations that the physique has constantly degraded into.
Please, allow us to put advantage again to the violence INEC has grow to be since his exit, by returning honour to a person that deposited and warehoused chastity in that home. We will, and will not be ease as violators devour and ravage a sacred institutional democratic heritage that NEC was underneath Prof Humphrey Nwosu.”