Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi
Falana, has said the government of President Muhammadu Buhari deceived
Nigerians with his resolve to wage war against corruption at the inception of
the administration, saying events in recent times have exposed the deceit of
the government.
The lawyer, who was reacting to the last week’s state pardon
extended to former governors of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye; and Taraba State,
Jolly Nyame; who were jailed for stealing their various state funds, noted that
the action of the government has further legitimised corruption and
mismanagement of public funds in the country.
Falana, while speaking with journalists in his country home
of Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti South West Local Government Area of Ekiti State at the
weekend during the tenth coronation anniversary of Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba
Ajibade Alabi, explained that the reasons advanced by the federal government in
age and health grounds in releasing the two former governors were self-serving
and unacceptable.
The lawyer lamented under the present government, those
accused and established to have stolen public funds running into billions of
naira have been discharged and acquitted by the court through the deliberate
frustration of their cases by the office of the Attorney General, Abubakar
Malami, SAN, saying the most touted fight against corruption has collapsed like
a pack of cards.
According to him, “As far as the government is concerned,
the pardon is just an extension of the policy of abandonment of the anti-corruption
crusade. The government used the anti-corruption crusade to deceive Nigerians
and as soon as the government got established, little by little, the whole
anti-corruption collapsed.
“There are convicts in the nation’s correctional centres who
are much older than the two former governors. By the way, the government has
been giving different reasons for the pardon; we were told they are being
released on compassionate grounds, on heath grounds and on age grounds but what
is important is that the Buhari administration has abandoned the
anti-corruption crusade.
“The pardon extended to the two former governors is an
infinitesimal aspect of the abandonment of the anti-corruption crusade. There
are those who have stolen billions of naira whose cases have been dropped or
withdrawn from the courts by the Attorney General of the Federation(Abubakar
Malami) who simply filed prosequi motions. There are others who were discharged
and acquitted by courts on technical grounds, not that huge money was not stolen
by them but the cases were compromised by the regime, while the suspects have
been asked to go and enjoy their loot.”
While expressing strong reservations about the recent call
by a renowned lawyer, Afe Babalola for the setting up of a six-month interim government,
Falana revealed that the federal government must address what has led to the
call by the elder statesman, which he said is the disturbing wave of insecurity
and dwindling economy challenges bedevilling the nation.
“While you may disagree with call for an interim government,
you must at the same time address what has led to the call, which is the state
of insecurity in the country. Apart from issuing press statements, the
government does not bother about insecurity in the country, they issue statements
from time to time and President Buhari will assure Nigerians of the safety and
security of their lives and property but after that, we are waiting for the
next attack,” he said.
The senior lawyer who expressed fears over the conduct of
the next year’s elections over the growing tension in the land occasioned by
the activities of terrorists and other criminal elements said that if not
nipped in the bud, it may plunge the country into a serious constitutional
crisis.
Falana further said, “Since many parts of the country have
been taken over by terrorists it is difficult to talk of having credible
elections next year. There are some states and several local governments that
have been completely overrun by terrorists.
“There is no way you can hold elections in such states and
local governments. We are working towards a crisis which is going to lead to
inconclusive elections if registered voters cannot exercise their franchise due
to insecurity and negligence of the government. Whoever is declared winner will
have problems because those who lose elections will insist that you must go and
conduct elections in the areas where they are popular but which must have been
taken over by the terrorists.”
He condemned the fixing of prices of nomination forms by political
parties in the country, describing it as illegal, adding that outrageous
nomination fees are not part of the criteria stipulated by the constitution for
those seeking elective positions.
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