‘We cannot have a perfect constitution’

He was speaking in Calabar  while presenting a keynote address during the Press Club meeting of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Cross River State Council, held at Ernest Etim Press Centre, Calabar, recently. Agabi urged Nigerians to always respect the country’s constitution, noting that the constitution is not defective in its entirety as misconstrued by some.He noted […]

He was speaking in Calabar  while presenting a keynote address during the Press Club meeting of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Cross River State Council, held at Ernest Etim Press Centre, Calabar, recently.
 Agabi urged Nigerians to always respect the country’s constitution, noting that the constitution is not defective in its entirety as misconstrued by some.
He noted too  that the constitution of any country can only get better over time through consistent amendments on different platforms such as the proposed national conference.  
  “The constitution was not given to us as a perfect document. Those who are looking for perfection in it are wrong,” he said.
 Agabi, while decrying the attitude of Nigerians who often describe the constitution as a fraud, said it is in obeying it that we would appreciate it strength.
On the proposed national dialogue, Agabi said there is absolutely nothing wrong with convening a conference now. Allaying the fear of many that the dialogue could result in dismembering the country, he said, “A time would never come in this country when it would be wrong for us to speak to one another. It’s the right thing, the conference is a good thing, and there is nothing wrong with it.”
  The former Chief Law Officer of the country also urged Nigerian journalists not to underestimate their worth and commended them as a formidable force in the country.
  “For many years, you were the only viable opposition in the country. Even now, I regard the press as the only viable opposition, may God bless you”, he said.
 The grand patron of NUJ in the state, His Holiness, Olumba Olumba Obu, urged them to intensify efforts at transforming the decaying world both physically and spiritually through their positive reportage.  
   “The fact remains that we cannot actually achieve this laudable vision through falsehood, rash or spontaneous actions and reactions, as journalists, you need to digest information, analyze it and seek a second opinion in order to create a sense of balance in all circumstances,” he said.
 State Chairman of NUJ, Ndoma Akpet, decried the poor remuneration of media workers in the Nigeria. He said the choice of the theme for the 2013 Media Week lecture, National Dialogue: Consolidating Nigeria’s Unity, was intended to enable members of the union contribute towards the ongoing national discourse and nation building.