LAGOS Lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday described leaders calling for Nigeria’s restructuring as speaking from both sides of the mouth.
Falana said Nigerians should ignore them and instead demand for economic restructuring.
He accused those leaders of selling the nation’s common patrimony before coming out to cry about restructuring.
Falana recalled that from the regime of former military President Ibrahim Babaginda, to the present government, the leaders embraced privatisation of public institutions and sold most of the national assets to themselves, their cronies or the rich.
He said the move sent the common man into the gallows of poverty.
Falana spoke at the colloquium/tribute for Prof. Abubakar Mommoh, an activist and Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Lagos State University (LASU), who died last month.
He challenged the citizens to begin to ask questions on how the nation must prioritise economic restructuring, adding that should be a precursor to real restructuring.
The event organised by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Lagos State University chapter, in collaboration with labour and civil society organisations, had the theme: ‘Nigeria in crisis, rethinking economic policies and posing alternative developmental and practical option.’ It was held at the LASU auditorium.
Academicians, human right groups, civil society groups, youths and students paid tributes to the late activist.
Falana challenged the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to take back his pronouncement that the party never promised Nigerians restructuring but power devolution to states.
“In Article 25 of that manifesto, APC said it was going to initiate programmes that would lead to the restructuring of Nigeria so that true federalism can be realised; but you know once you get to power in Nigeria, you want to retain the status quo”, Falana added.
Still speaking on abuse of power, Falana noted that though Section 130 of the Constitution conferred titles such as President, the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Republic, nonetheless there is no provision in the constitution that confers the title of ‘Executive Governor‘ on our governors.
”This is where restructuring must face. Nigeria is the only country in the world where if you serve as governor for four or eight years, you will get a house in the state you govern, and even in Abuja where you never governed. This is aside medical allowance of N300 million in a year. You also receive the salary of governor and get about 10 armed policemen for life. You change cars every two or three years. At present, we have 21 of them now- former governors and deputies in the National Assembly – collecting humungous sums of money at the end of every month. But as employees here, if you are pensioned, you can’t collect full salary except you get a contract.”
Falana described Prof. Mohmoh as someone who consistently and aggressively sought lasting solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
Activist and Professor of Political Scientist Lai Olorode lamented that individuals such as Momoh, who started activism as an undergraduate of the University of Lagos, as well as other genuine activists are either getting old while others are going to the great beyond without finding replacement in vibrant youth, who would continue to champion the cause they stood for.
”We are confronted with genuine cultural and political disaster of not being able to recruit young people into our movement,” he lamented
Olorode said the present government is insincere about its war against corruption. He challenged government that past leaders who have made a wreck of this country should be picked up and prosecuted if government is truly determined to walk its talk.
ASUU National President Prof Abiodun Ogunyemi asked if the union should mourn or rejoice for losing an indefatigable scholar like Mohmoh. He lamented that in 2013, ASUU lost one of its former national presidents, Prof. Festus Iyayi at the peak of the struggle.
