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Tag: Mr Femi Falana

  • African leaders must be cautious in signing international agreements- Falana

    African leaders must be cautious in signing international agreements- Falana

    The renowned human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN CON), has said that many international agreements imposed on Africa undermine the continent’s interests.

    Speaking at the International  Conference on Law and Career (ICOLAC’25) organised by the Law Students Society of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Tuesday, Falana said many of such deals perpetuate neocolonialism.

    While calling on African legal practitioners to scrutinise those agreements thoroughly, Falana warned African leaders not to mortgage the future of the continent.

    Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was represented by his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, in his remarks, lauded the leadership of the Law Students’ Society OAU for organising such an innovative conference.

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    In his remarks, the President of the Law Students’ Society OAU, Kayode Taiwo Matthew (KTM), remarked that the LSS is not waiting for the future, but already shaping it. KTM said the conference was organised to shape the next generation of Nigeria’s legal elite and to ignite a change.

    He noted that his administration had recorded over 20 remarkable achievements, which include bringing members of the Law Students’ society OAU together to raise an emergency solidarity fund of over 40 million Naira within 72 hours for a fellow student in urgent medical crisis.

    KTM also said LSS facilitated a paid legal internship scheme for LSS members as a form of economic empowerment and legal training opportunities at the same time.

  • Judiciary’s role in anti-graft war, by SERAP

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has launched the Nigeria Anti-Corruption Performance Assessment Survey, with some recommendations on how the Judiciary can tackle corruption, reports JOSEPH JIBUEZE.

    The Judiciary has a critical role to play in tackling corruption, but how can it do so when the institution is perceived to be corrupt?

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Judicial Council (NJC) must proactively promote transparency and accountability in the judiciary, according to a civil society group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

    The group said the judiciary should identify and review all outstanding cases of judicial corruption and refer such cases to appropriate anti-corruption agencies.

    The Judiciary must also apply the Code of Conduct for judicial officers in a consistent and transparent manner, with full respect for the fundamental guarantees of fair trial and due process, SERAP said.

    The group wants the CJN and the NJC to grant suspected corrupt judges the right to have disciplinary decisions reviewed by a higher judicial tribunal.

    These were some of the recommendations in the Nigeria Anti-Corruption Performance Assessment Survey conducted by SERAP.

    The latest survey is published as part of the organisation’s implementation of the Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) project funded by UK aid from the British people.

    SERAP said the views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.

    The group urged the Judiciary to improve the process of judges’ appointment, and to promote their continuing education and training.

    It wants their professional integrity protected and disciplinary proceedings enforced in a fair and consistent manner.

    SERAP believes the Judiciary should publish annual reports of all its activities, including expenditure, and provide the public with reliable information about its governance and organisation, including the number of judges found to be corrupt.

    “Ensure that the Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other judges make periodic asset disclosures; promote proactive disclosures of conflicts of interest by judges as soon as they become apparent,” the group urged the Judiciary.

    Besides, it said victims of judicial corruption should be encouraged to speak out so that they can enjoy access to effective remedies.

    Key findings

    The national survey carried out last November and December covered the police, judiciary, power, education and health sectors.

    The Survey targeted a total of 2,655 respondents selected from seven states spread across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria and the capital city of Abuja. The sample was proportionate to population size across these zones.

    SERAP said data for the survey was collected through a survey among ordinary citizens picked through simple random sampling of Nigerians above 18 years; in-depth interviews with key governance experts including representatives of national anti-corruption bodies, trade unions, the business community, media, lawyers, academia, people living with disability and university student leaders; and a review of the legal and institutional frameworks guiding anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria to assess their effectiveness

    The survey finds a lack of political goodwill to consistently enforce the different anti-corruption laws; inadequate funding for the various anti-corruption agencies; and weak public support and/or ownership of the anti-corruption initiatives.

    Other key findings are the poor clarity of roles between various anti-corruption agencies, as well as public perceptions of politicisation of corruption arrests and prosecutions.

    The report finds that several Nigerians still pay a bribe to access police, judiciary, power, education and health services, with 70 per cent of Nigerians describing the level of corruption as high, the state of affairs remaining the same in the last five years.

    According to the survey, there is a 63 per cent probability that an average Nigerian would be asked to pay a bribe each time he/she interacted with the police.

    The likelihood of bribery in the power sector stood at 49 per cent, according to the report.

    The chances of encountering bribery at the judiciary, education and health services stand at 27 per cent, 25 per cent and 20 percent.

    On prevalence of bribery, the police were the most adversely ranked on the indicator.

    For every 100 police interactions reported by the respondents, there was a bribe paid in 54 interactions.

    The prevalence levels stood at 37 per cent in the power sector, 18 per cent in education, 17.7 per cent in the judiciary and 14 per cent in the health sector.

    On perceived impact, 51 per cent of the individuals that paid bribes to the police and 35 per cent to the power sector believed this was the only way to access the services sought from the institutions.

    The ranking of the education sector and the judiciary was less adverse with 16 per cent perceiving bribery as the main avenue of accessing services in the institutions, and health services recording 13 per cent.

    On share of national bribe, the police and judiciary had the largest proportion of total bribes paid at 33 per cent and 31 per cent.

    Bribes paid for education, power and health services accounted for 19 per cent, 10.9 per cent and five percent of all bribes reported.

    On average size of bribe, the survey finds that the average amount of bribe paid by the respondents was highest among those who paid to the judiciary at about N108,000 (US$ 298).

    N12, 253 and N11, 566 were reportedly paid to the police and education sectors, and N6,462 and N5,143 paid for health and power services.

    Reforming the police

    SERAP said the Buhari administration and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu can leave a positive legacy by improving police accountability and proactively working towards ending all forms of corruption within the rank and file.

    It called on the IGP to streamline and prioritise internal control mechanisms by establishing an Ethics and Inteegrity Unit at each police station.

    The unit, the group said, should include a human rights officer, an anti-corruption officer, and an officer responsible for service delivery complaints.

    SERAP said these personnel should be assigned the exclusive duties to:

    • Receive and investigate complaints of bribery and corruption against police officers filed by members of the public.
    • Liaise with community leaders and civil society organisations in regard to incidents of police bribery and corruption within the community.
    • Report incidents of police extortion and bribery to the divisional police officer, and appropriate internal and external oversight bodies.
    • Protect members of the public who file complaints against police bribery and corruption from harassment, violence, or any other form of reprisal.”

    Role of international organisations

    SERAP urged th einternational community to issue public and private statements denouncing corrupt practices in Nigeria.

    It said they should help shine a light on bribery, extortion, and embezzlement in the public sectors, particularly in the police, the judiciary and the ministries of power, education and health.

    “The United Nations, the African Union and members of the international community should support Nigerians in the fight against corruption in the country,” SERAP said.

    They should also call on the authorities to investigate all outstanding allegations of corruption involving these sectors promptly, thoroughly and effectively and to hold anyone found to be involved to account, SERAP recommended.

    The international community, it added, should impose condition funding to the Nigerian government, including financial and technical assistance.

    It said foreign aid should be based on measurable progress in holding public officers implicated in corruption in the police, judiciary, and ministries of power, education and health accountable.

    SERAP said the international community should target funding and technical assistance for the Nigerian government to initiatives that directly improve financial transparency and address accountability.

    It added that all officers in the police, the judiciary and the ministries of power, education and health who participate in international missions or training courses should be required to publicly declare the total value of all personal assets.

    “Impose visa bans on senior public officers in the police, the judiciary, and ministries of power, education and health credibly implicated in corruption,” SERAP added.

    Other suggestions

    The survey recommends the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to conduct a transparent, comprehensive, and impartial investigation into systemic corruption in the police, the judiciary as well as the ministries of power, education and health.

    There is also need to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act to ensure public access to asset declarations made by public officials, SERAP said.

    It called for urgent passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill, the Whistleblowers Bill, and the Witness Protection Bill among other relevant pieces of legislation.

    SERAP wants the establishment of civil society desks by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to facilitate and improve access to corruption complaints in key public service sectors.

    The group advocated the identification and review of all outstanding cases of judicial corruption, and referral of such cases to appropriate anti-corruption agencies.

    To ensure transparency, SERAP called for quarterly publication of budget execution reports that detail monthly state government income from federal allocations and other sources, and state government expenditure in all key sectors.

    Besides, there is the need to establish mechanisms to support and promote strong public participation in anti-corruption initiatives through the provision of a platform for public awareness on corruption and by making the citizens’ voice more central in any intervention.

    Falana hails SERAP

    Activist-lawyer Mr Femi Falana (SAN) said unlike many elitist organisations which have a penchant for dismissing the Federal Government’s anti-corruption policy, SERAP has adopted certain measures to hold public officers accountable in a country where impunity has been institutionalised.

    In a goodwill message at the survey’s launch, he said: “Apart from exposing corrupt practices of public officers by writing petitions to the anti-graft agencies, SERAP engages in campaigns and embarks in public interest litigation with a view to promoting public accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.

    “In particular, SERAP has used the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information from Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the federal government on the funds earmarked for the provision of water, electricity, roads hospitals etc for the Nigerian people.

    “In fact, SERAP has secured mandatory orders from the Federal High Court to compel recalcitrant public officers to render the account of their stewardship.”

    Falana said by hearing directly from the masses, SERAP has finally resolved to collaborate with the Nigerian people in the struggle to end grand corruption in the country.

    “It is hoped that SERAP will ensure that all victims of grand corruption are actively involved in the struggle for the actualisation of the socioeconomic rights enshrined in chapter 2 of the Constitution.

    “Without compelling the federal, state and local governments to channel public resources towards the development of the country, the looting of the public treasury will continue unabated,” Falana said.

    Among those at the launch were France Ambassador represented by Mr. Blanc Barllulemy, Prof Akin Oyebode, who chaired the event, Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) Director-General represented by Mrs. Amaka Obinna, and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics Statistician-General represented by Mrs Lola Talabi-Oni.

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor was represented by Dr. O. E. Olowofeso, Mr. Chadiugha Emeka and Mr M. M. Nagogo; Edo State Attorney-General was represented by Mr George Ntor, while the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) chairman was represented by Mr Olusoji Ola.

    The IGP was represented by an Assistant Commissioner of Police Saadat Ismail; the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) chairman was represented by Mr. Japhet Udeani , while the UNODC Nigeria was represented by Ms Princess Chifiero and Mr. Adebusuyi Adeniran.

    EFCC Acting Chairman was represented by Mr Ayo Oyewole; Amnesty International, Nigeria Executive Director was represented by Mrs Ikubaje Esther, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was represented by Mr Salisu Muktar, among several others.

  • Falana: Involvement of soldiers in election duties is illegal

    Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana, has said the federal government is violating the laws of the land by deploying soldiers for election duties.

    The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) accused government of disobeying the Court of Appeal which, according to him, had on several occasions ruled such deployment  out of order.

    Falana, in a statement in Lagos, quoted the Appeal Court as saying in Yussuf v Obasanjo (2005) 18 NWLR (Pt 956) Abdullahi PCA that “It is up to the police to protect our nascent democracy and not the military, otherwise the democracy might be wittingly or unwittingly militarised. This is not what the citizenry bargained for in wrestling power from the military in 1999. Conscious step or steps should be taken to civilianise the polity to ensure the survival and sustenance of democracy.”

    He also reported the court as saying in  Buhari v Obasanjo (2005) 1 WRN 1 at 200 when Salami JCA (as he then was) that “in spite of the non-tolerant nature and behaviour of our political class in this country, we should by all means try to keep armed personnel of whatever status or nature from being part and parcel of our election process. The civilian authorities should be left to conduct and carry out fully the electoral processes at all levels.”

    Falana blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo for introducing “the illegal deployment of armed troops into the electoral process.”

    He said: “It is on record that the armed forces were not involved in all the elections conducted under the defunct military dictatorship in Nigeria.

    “Thus, the armed personnel deployed for the manipulation of the 2003 general elections engaged in the intimidation of voters and extrajudicial killing of not less than 200 people. Since then Nigerian courts have consistently enjoined the federal government to desist from involving the armed forces in the conduct of elections.

    “Notwithstanding the aforesaid pronouncements of the courts, President Obasanjo deployed several battalions of soldiers to many states for the 2007 “do or die” general election.

    “His successor, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua continued the illegal policy as he deployed soldiers for the rerun gubernatorial election in Ekiti State in 2009.

    “A week before the deployment, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives had during a political rally at Igede Ekiti on April 2, 2009 sang   A o lo soja, awa to lo mopol lojosi, a o lo soja (We shall use soldiers this time around, we who used mobile police the other time, we shall use soldiers this time around).

    “It is on record that President Jonathan continued the illegal practice of deploying the armed forces for the intimidation of voters and the rigging of elections in favour of the ruling party.”

    Falana also recalled that the Court of Appeal, ruling on the 2014 Ekiti State Governorship Election declared: “Even the President of Nigeria has no power to call on the Nigerian Armed Forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.  Whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014; acted in flagrant breach of the Constitution and flouted the provisions of the Electoral Act which requires an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections.”

    He added: “Shortly before the 2015 general election, the Federal High Court, sitting in Sokoto, had declared the planned involvement of the armed forces in the democratic exercise illegal and unconstitutional.

    “The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Rilwan said that ‘other than for the purposes of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity, there is no constitutional provision that allows for the deployment of the military for elections.’”

    The Senior Advocate faulted the recent directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to the security agencies to deal with ballot box snatchers saying it “cannot be legally justified by virtue of section 215(3) of the Constitution which has vested the Police with the exclusive powers to maintain and secure public safety and public order in the country.”

    But he was quick to point out that the President is “empowered under section 217(2) of the Constitution to deploy the armed forces for the “suppression of insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore law and order.

    “This, in effect, means that before the armed forces may be involved in the maintenance of law and order there must have been insurrection or civil disturbances which cannot be contained by the Police. The Constitution never envisaged that the armed forces will usurp the powers of the police with respect to the ‘preservation of law and order’ in any part of the country.”

    He advised the Buhari Administration to end impunity in the country,  it  should “stop all members of the armed forces from performing police duties,” and proceed to adequately equip and fund the police to enable them discharge their  duty of ensuring internal security.

  • What I want from FG at 60 – Falana

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana, on Thursday thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his birthday wishes and prayers as he turned 60 on May 20.

    Falana expressed the appreciation in a message made available to the media.

    He said that he was humbled by the love shown to him by Buhari on his birthday.

    Read Also:Buhari congratulates Falana on 60th birthday

    Falana, however, requested release of Nigerians detained `illegally’ across the country, as a special birthday gift from the Federal government.

    “I thank President Muhammadu Buhari for his wishes and prayers for me, but the birthday gift which I humbly ask from the Federal Government is more commitment to respect for human rights and rule of law.
    .
    “In particular, all Nigerian citizens, who are being detained illegally in the country, should be freed without any further delay,” he said.

    Buhari had on Saturday, in a press release signed by his special adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, hailed Falana’s sense of patriotism over the years.

    The president prayed that God would grant the human rights campaigner longer life, good health and more wisdom to keep serving the country.

    NAN

  • Students face hardship to get education, says Falana

    Students face hardship to get education, says Falana

    A frontline human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has come in defence of students, saying the current education system exposed them to hardship and deprivation.

    The legal luminary spoke last Saturday at the 5th Lagos State University (LASU) Students’ Union Leadership Conference with the theme: Value-driven nation: A myth or reality. The event was held in Ikeja campus of the school.

    Falana noted that government had taken governance far from the ordinary people, emphasising the need to address the decline in socio-economic condition in the country.

    The rights activist lamented high rate of corruption in education, adding that there is need for value re-orientation and re-organisation of education in line with the need of the society.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Lanre Fagbohun, represented by the Deputy VC for Administration, Prof Oke, emphasised the importance of constructive activism as a significant factor for nation building. He hailed Falana for his contribution to the development through law and activism.

    Other speakers at the conference included the immediate past Corps Commander of Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Major General Tilewa Amusu (rtd), and Executive Director of Adams Tutorial College, Mr Adams Adebola, amongst others.

    The union Vice President in Ikeja campus, Kazeem Ayeni, praised the VC, Provost of LASU College of Medicine, Prof Babatunde Solagberu, and the union president, Sonayon Kappo, for supporting the event.

    Chairman of the Organising Committee, Ibidapo Fashina, said the event was a platform created by the union to discuss issues of national importance.

    He said: “We appreciate our guests for their perspectives offered on values, education and leadership matters. We also appreciate everyone who honored us with their presence. We value the papers delivered and we will get the message across to students and people in the leadership for action.”

  • Buhari not doing enough in his anti-corruption war – Falana

    Buhari not doing enough in his anti-corruption war – Falana

    Activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, on Friday declared that President Muhammadu Buhari is not doing enough in his battle to rid the nation of corruption and recovers stolen wealth from looters.

    Falana urged Buhari to muster enough “political will” to go after Nigerians who have deprived the country of her legitimate earnings through stealing and cheating, and caused them to return the  I’ll gotten funds instead of seeking local or foreign loans to fund projects.

    The Human rights lawyer who made this known at the Obas Complex, Oke – Mosan Governor’s Office, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, also faulted the Dr. Bukola Saraki – led Senate for approving the $5.5bn loan request put forward to it by Buhari.

    Falana who was the keynote speaker at this year edition of the 78th International Students Day organised by the Ogun State government, said if unremitted funds in some federal government agencies, companies and others hidden offshore haven by looters were retrieved by Buhari – led government, there would be enough funds to execute projects instead of Nigeria going about with cap in hands begging for loans.

    Speaking on the theme: “Restructuring, Pros and Cons: The Place of the Nigerian youth,” the legal luminary argued that what had been recovered from looters by the Federal government in the last two years remained a mere “tip of an iceberg.”

    He said the bulk of the looted funds are still out there with the looters and urged the government to go all out to retrieve them.

    He also lamented the state and standard of education in the South West, insisted that the zone was not doing well in education, saying the evidence could be seen from the recently released West Africa Examination Council results where the zone performed woefully.

    He recalled that in his home state, Ekiti, excised from Ondo,  there were times when most families in the state could boast of a professor each because they embraced Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s philosophy of education, lamenting that Ekiti is being governed today by a man who showed grave “contempt for education.”

    “Look at Where are we in education in South west, from the last WAEC results, no State in South West made it to top 10 and that for me, is a shame. We need to go back to where we are coming from,” he said.

    Falana urged the youths not to join those calling for the breakup of the country, saying those behind it are not only making “backward call,” but also fighting only for selfish interest.

    He noted that for the country should leverage on her huge population potential to move forward and erect knowledge based system.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun who was represented at the event by the Education Commissioner, Mrs Modupe Mujota, urged Nigerian youth to take responsibility to build themselves.

    Amosun urged them to step forward to occupy their place in nation building, warning that if they don’t prepare, plan and execute their plans to be relevant, their voices and names would be missing in history.

    Also, a Federal legislator representing Yewa South and Ipokia Federal Constituency of Ogun State, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, said the restructuring Nigeria needs is that of the mindset restructuring.

    Akinlade said Nigerians should steer clear of looking at every issue affecting Nigeria from the religious, tribal or ethnic prisms, adding that countries like Singapore, United Arab Emirate and some Asian countries are able to grow and develop because their citizens live above primordial sentiments.

  • Falana advocates adequate funding of EFCC

    Falana advocates adequate funding of EFCC

    Lagos lawyer, Mr Femi Falana on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to adequately fund the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to enable it effectively deliver on its mandate of fighting corruption.

    Falana gave the advice while speaking a forum organised by the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum, with the theme“Perpetual Hearings and Delayed Justice on Corruption Cases in Nigeria: Causes and Way-Forward, “ was organised by CACOL to commemorate its 10th anniversary.

    The lawyer said that investigating corruption cases, especially of politically-exposed persons, was capital intensive, and urged the government to give the EFCC the needed funds to achieve diligent prosecution of cases.

    “The Federal Government has not funded the EFCC the way the commission should be funded. In fact, the funding is not even there at all.

    `This government has spent about 2 billion dollars on the war against insurgency in the last two years but has not spent 2 million dollars on the fight against corruption, and yet we want the EFCC to be very effective.

    “The fact is that fighting corruption is very expensive.Britain spent 2 million pounds just to prosecute and convict a former governor in Nigeria for corruption.

    “So the EFCC needs funds to diligently investigate and prosecute corruption cases. The government should provide the wherewithal for the commission,“ he said.

    Falana said corrupt politically-exposed persons had the resources to get the best legal services and turn the tide against the EFCC in the court of law.

    He said for the EFCC to match this category of people “ fire-for-fire,“ there was the need for the government to give the commission funds to hire the best lawyers to prosecute cases.

    Falana said the successive loss of high-profile cases by the commission should not be misconstrued as as a setback for anti-corruption fight, pointing out the war had fared well despite the odds.

    The senior advocate said the EFCC had recorded 200 convictions ,including those of politically-exposed persons in the last one year, describing the figure as impressive.

    He, however, urged the commission to improve on human rights issues, saying incidents of illegal and prolonged detention of suspects at its detention facility could affect diligent prosecution of cases.

    The lawyer described the recovered N13billion in a Lagos apartment as a tip of the ice-berg of looted funds, saying much more were being stashed at home and abroad.

    Falana urged the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to recover the billions of dollars taken to the West and utilize such for the common good of Nigerians.

    He described corruption as a major impediment to the development of Nigeria and urged all Nigerians to unite to fight the menace.

    Also,speaking , Mr Latona Gbolahan, Head, Legal and Prosecution of EFCC, said lack of adequate funding was a major problem in the operations of the commission.

    He, however, said despite the problem, the commission was doing its best to fight corruption and make governance more accountable.

    Gbolahan dismissed belief in some quarters that the commission had lost a string of cases in recent times due to poor prosecution, noting that the said cases were not well understood.

    “Nigerians were concerned that we lost some cases. Well, we are happy they are showing concern and it shows they really want us to succeed.

    “But we need to clarify that we didn’t lose the cases of the former First Lady and a governor in the South-West on freezing of bank accounts because we didn’t commence prosecution.

    “What we did was to freeze the accounts in line with powers given to us by the law to do so, if we suspect that the accounts have monies suspected to be proceeds of corruption.

    “We did that and a court ordered the unfreezing of the accounts.We didn’t prosecute, so we didn’t lose the cases,“he said.

    Mr Debo Adeniran, CACOL`s Executive Chairman, urged the government to give the EFCC a percentage of all recovered funds to aid its operations.

    He said the commission would do better if it had the backing of all Nigerians and the government in the realization of its mandate.

    Adeniran commended the EFCC for exposing some corrupt persons but said a lot still needed to be done to bring corruption to its knees.

  • Falana blames NJC, NBA for rot in judiciary

    Falana blames NJC, NBA for rot in judiciary

    A Lagos based legal luminary, Mr Femi Falana has urged the Attorney-General of the Federation to arraign the three Judges arrested for alleged corrupt practices in court without any delay.

    At the same time, he also blamed the National Judicial Council and the Nigerian Bar Association for the rot in the judiciary.

    In a statement issued on Sunday, Falana described the detained judges as presumed innocent until the contrary was proven by the state.

    The legal practitioner said that they should also be admitted to bail in self-recognition.

    Falana expressed concern that over the years, the National Judicial Council (NJC) paid lip service to the crisis of judicial corruption in the country.

    “It is a matter of grave concern that the legal profession has allowed the denigration of the hallowed temple of justice because of the misconduct of a few corrupt judges.

    “For several years, judges who committed grave criminal offences were not prosecuted but merely retired by the authorities on the recommendation of the NJC.

    “Although the NJC recently recommended the dismissal and prosecution of a judge for extorting N197 million from a litigant, the authorities had paid lip service to the menace of judicial corruption in the country,’’ he said.

    Falana alleged that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has continued to shield corrupt judges to the embarrassment of incorruptible members of the bar and the bench.

    “The few lawyers who have plucked up the courage to expose corrupt judges and lawyers have been stigmatised and treated like lepers by their colleagues.

    “It is on record that when anti-graft agencies sent invitation letters to judges suspected of corruption, they had rushed to the Federal High Court to obtain interlocutory injunctions to prevent their arrest, investigation and prosecution.

    “Having failed to take advantage of relevant statutory disciplinary bodies to purge the bar and the bench of corrupt elements the members of the legal profession have themselves to blame for the harassment of judges by security forces.

    “It is on account of negligence on the part of the legal profession that the SSS has engaged in the arrest of judges for alleged corruption and abuse of office,’’ Falana said.

    The legal practitioner also urged the bar and the bench to strengthen their disciplinary bodies with a view to removing the few corrupt judges and lawyers.

    Falana, however, expressed concern that demand of human rights community to the effect that the fundamental rights of lowly placed criminal suspects be respected by security agencies was treated with disdain.

    “Judges and other influential citizens have since become victims of institutionalized abuse of official harassment.

    “It is high time that all stakeholders demanded that every criminal suspect be treated with dignity in line with the provision of the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015,’’ he added.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the State Security Service (SSS) raided the official quarters of judges at Abuja, Gombe, Kano and Port Harcourt on Friday night.

    During the raid, the homes of the Judges were searched while some of them were arrested and detained by the SSS. 

  • Falana rejects demotion of Maj. Gen. Ransome-Kuti

    Counsel to Ransome-Kuti, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) said Wednesday night ‎that the demotion of his client from the rank of a Major General to that of a Colonel is “totally unacceptable”.

    Falana, maintained that there was no justification whatsoever ‎to warrant the demotion of the former Army General.

    “That is my first reaction. But I am holding a meeting with my client Thursday for further direction on the matter,” he said.

     

  • Where is their conscience?

    Where is their conscience?

    It is no news again that the standard of our education has deteriorated. But the importance of education to the development of human mind cannot be overemphasised. Globally, education is considered as a tool with which humans can open their ways in the wilderness; in fact, this is the reason why many international bodies consider education as a fundamental right for all human being.

    The first and perhaps the greatest challenge facing Nigeria and making it difficult for good quality education that is capable of bringing about sustainable development is inadequate funding of our schools by the government. But who are the people in government? They are the people that enjoyed quality education in their times, but who could not reciprocate the gesture to the present generation.

    I was privileged to attend a workshop in Lagos where the popular human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), described present generation as “unfortunate”. He explained when he was in the university, schooling was very easy for students in his days. There was reasonable school fee, expansive lecture rooms and capable lecturers. Food was no problem for all students irrespective of their status; in short, the environment was conducive for learning.

    Falana noted that a graduate could apply for car loan, using his certificate as collateral. All these are not practicable in today’s Nigeria because the government has failed to plan for our future.

    At another programme, where Prof. Pat Utomi recalled his undergraduate days, he noted that securing an admission into the University of Ibadan was difficult than being admitted into Harvard University. He told the audience at the programme that everything was possible because of quality of education enjoyed then by students.

    What actually go wrong? I think people at the top will be able to provide answers to this question. Now our schools lack basic infrastructures that can aid good learning; the school fee is killing, one can no longer tell when he would graduate because of strike session. Campuses are unsafe due to the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards education sector.

    It is frequently said that if anyone wants to know what will become of a country in a decade, he should assess the country’s schools. What has this generation done wrong to deserve this from the older generation? It took our government over five months to ‘partially’ resolved Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike; the polytechnics are still on strike.

    The government keeps telling us that there is no money but yet, public officers squander billions of naira on irrelevant programmes and sponsor people to pilgrimage. They spend billions of naira every year on this while education is left to rot. What is more, their children are studying abroad.

    But where is their conscience? It is clear that our leaders do not want the development and wellbeing of the masses. They forget that one day, we will all stand in front of our creator and account for our deeds on earth. What would be our excuse then?

     

    •Tolulope is a graduating student of Computer Science, LASPOTECH