Human rights lawyer urges Buhari to name new Poly after Arikpo

Former Presidential Adviser, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, a social and human rights lawyer, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct appropriate federal agency to name the newly established Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, after late Dr. Okoi Arikpo (SAN).

He made the call in a letter and addressed to the President on Monday.

He stated that late Arikpo, who was born in 1916 and died 1995, had championed academic, pre-independence struggles, involved in international, legislative diplomacy against secession during the Nigerian civil war of the mid 60s, occupied several high national political offices, featured in many of the constitutional conferences and represented the country at many international fora.

But Obono-Obla regretted that the late Arikpo had not been recognized or honored by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“This is even as Ministers in the First and Second Republics, during the Military interregnum, and Obasanjo’s regime have all been honored by naming streets in Abuja and Lagos after them,” he said.

He said Dr. Arikpo had always been inexplicably left out of the rolls of honors in his country.

“The denial of Dr. Okoi Arikpo (SAN) recognition by the Federal Government is undoubtedly an injustice that ought to be corrected.

“In the light of the above, I respectfully and humbly appeal to His Excellency to correct the injustice meted on late Dr. Okoi Arikpo (SAN) and graciously approve the naming of the Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, as Okoi Arikpo Federal Polytechnic, Ugep,” he pleaded.