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Tag: Sagay

  • Buhari ’ll stamp out corruption, indiscipline, say Sagay, Marwa

    Buhari ’ll stamp out corruption, indiscipline, say Sagay, Marwa

    A constitutional lawyer, Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) and former Lagos State Military Governor Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa yesterday expressed confidence that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration will stamp out systemic corruption and indiscipline in the country.

    Sagay and Gen. Marwa, who spoke separately, noted that the socio-economic woes facing the country were direct consequences of indiscipline and corruption by past governments.

    They noted that the new administration will ensure discipline and guarantee security of lives and property.

    The lawyer, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said it was unfortunate that as an oil producing nation, the country was still experiencing scarcity of petrol.

    Sagay cited the current energy crisis confronting the nation due to scarcity of petroleum products, which almost crippled the economy.

    He said such woes facing the nation were results of corruption and indiscipline, insisting “they must be stamped out’’.

    Sagay said it had become imperative that the government must situate this in the right perspective.

    He said the new administration must ensure urgent resuscitation of the moribund refineries in the country for crude oil to be refined locally.

    “We must refine all our petroleum products within the country. We must stop the importation of petroleum products. It is criminal for the country to purchase petroleum products from non oil producing countries,” Sagay said.

    The senior advocate said Nigeria had all the devices to end the ongoing epileptic power supply, which had further impoverished its citizens.

    He advised the government to allow communities to organise their own power supply systems and become independent.

    Sagay called for the abolition of national grid system to allow for independent power supply.

    He said government must not compel everybody to hook-on to the national grid that had not been performing optimally.

    Sagay noted that the independent power stations were already in use in some parts of Lagos State, and were effective.

    Gen. Marwa, who spoke at an event organised by Muslim League for Accountability Initiative, a body of 54 Islamic organisations in the country at the Arewa House in Kaduna, said Buhari should consider new ways of tackling the nation’s problems to achieve the desired results.

    Speaking on the topic: “My Advice for Muhammadu Buhari”, Marwa and Prof. Idris Bugaje of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria listed some priority areas which the president must work on to succeed.

    The former military governor said though he was not qualified to advise Buhari “because he has seen it all having been General Officer Commanding (GOC), minister, governor and Head of State, I will nonetheless fulfill my obligation to the organisers of this lecture and do the needful since I have been asked to”.

    “Fear of God, sense of justice and equity must be ensured. All Nigerians know these are his qualities, but all those who will work in his government need to share these qualities,” he stated.

    He assured the gathering that the President would “tame the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast the moment the military is provided with the right tools and wherewithal. They will do a good job”.

    He identified discipline as a major issue that must top Buhari’s agenda.

    “We all know that is his second name. He has done it before. He will do it better this time. Although this is a civilian regime, he will find another way around it to ensure that both government and the citizenry imbibe the culture of discipline.”

    “The new administration has to device new ways of doing things. One of the areas that require new approach is the power sector. All the while, our nation has not really considered the coal option in the generation of power, whereas indutrialised nations like the United States, Russia and many others rely on coal. So, we have to look that way this time around to get out of this perennial problem,” he said.

    Gen. Marwa noted that though there is need to cut cost in view of the nation’s economic reality, the Buhari administration must consider the creation of ministries of Wealth Creation and Poverty Alleviation as well as that of Railway.

    According to him, “this is essential because no past Nigerian leader has received the kind of support from the poor masses like President Buhari. So, the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Poverty Alleviation must be created to take care of this critical segment of our society. “Apart from this, for a population like Nigeria, our mass transit should be railway. Hence, we need a Ministry of Railway Transportation like in India. Railway transit will move millions at a time, it will move goods and even petroleum products. It will move more people than the airlines. If the airlines can have the Ministry of Aviation, then we need Ministry of Railway.”

    Gen. Marwa added: “New refineries have to be built here and there. The old ones need to be repaired to function effectively and then build a fuel reserve that can last for 90 days to take care of emergency situations like industrial strikes and the rest.”

  • Sagay: don’t support debate on council autonomy

    Former Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Benin, Prof. Itse Sagay, has urged the state lawmakers not to support debate on local government autonomy.

    Sagay, who spoke in Lagos yesterday, explained that the recognition of local government as the third tier of government was not ideal.

    The proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution, he alleged, was aimed at granting autonomy to local governments.

     “It is even wrong in the first place that local governments were given powers and functions directly in the 1999 Constitution.

    “Local governments in federal political systems are creations of the state and, therefore, ought not to enjoy powers in same measures that the constitution grants to the federating units,’’ he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by telephone.

    Sagay also noted that Nigeria’s federal political system was contrary to the principle of federalism, which recognised only two levels of government – the federal and state governments.

    He said autonomy for local governments would cause problems of governance for governors, adding that in advanced federations such as United States (U.S.), local governments were only mentioned in state constitutions.

    “It is ideal that local governments serve the agendas of governors since they are their creations and their agents in a way for overall urbanisation of the state.

    “State assemblies that will support amending our federal constitution to give independence to local government from the state do so at the detriment of their development.

    “With critical insight to the issue of local autonomy in Nigeria, there is no way two-third of our state assemblies will vote yes to amend our constitution on this subject,’’ he said.

  • Sagay, Sonaiya, others move to save Nigeria

    Sagay, Sonaiya, others move to save Nigeria

    Foremost legal luminary, Professor Itse Sagay(SAN), and social crusader, Professor Remi Sonaiya, are joining forces with other patriotic Nigerians and groups to save the ship of state from sinking.

    At a forum in Lagos, where three books authored by Professor Sonaiya namely “Day Break Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise”, “Trust to Earn”, and “Igniting Consciousness – Nigeria and other Riddles” were launched, there was a consensus by the various groups and notable individuals present decrying the sorry state of the Nigerian nation.

    In a communiqué described as “ The Royal Hall Declaration”, it was stated that people of integrity, patriotism and like minds, irrespective of organizations, callings or political affiliations as nation builders have agreed to merge with a socio – political group “Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC) and identify other individuals and groups as well as proper political vehicle that shall deliver to Nigerians quality dividends of democracy.

    In the statement jointly signed by Professor Itse Sagay, chairman at the occasion, and Oloye Adegboyega Adeniji, chairman of the MFC, it was observed that each time Nigerians come together as a one united people to fight genuine cause of nation building, whether it is the termination or military rule or term elongation, the will of the people had always prevailed.

    Other prominent members of the group that endorsed the document included: Professor Remi Sonaiya, convener of the forum, Chief Martin Onovo, Head of Movement, Alhaji Galtima Limma, co-founder of movement, Mr. Achike Chude, secretary of movement, Professor Alozie, co-founder, and Mr. Bunmi Oni, former Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, amongst others.

  • Sagay to IGP: Police should be neutral

    Sagay to IGP: Police should be neutral

    Constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) has advised new Inspector- General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba to maintaining neutrality in the conduct of the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun state and the  2015 general elections.

    Sagay also asked  the new Inspector- General of Police (IGP), Suleiman Abba to put the interest of Nigeria forward in the discharge of his duties.

    Prof. Sagay who gave the advice during a chat with the media during the weekend in Lagos also admonished him to see himself as the IGP of Nigeria and not that of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (IGP) or the Presidency if he desires to have  his feet in the sand of time and in gold in the history of police administration in Nigeria.

    While congratulating Abba on his appointment, Sagay also condemned in strongest terms the recent abuse of security personnel by the Presidency also advised the new IGP to be devise strategies on how to maximize the police in ending insurgency in Nigeria, as well as.

    “I don’t the know the new IGP, Suleiman Abba in person. I don’t know what sort of person he is, what his records his. But what I expect from the Inspector- General of Police is that he is the IGP of Nigeria, not IGP of PDP or the Presidency.So, he must not be loyal to the PDP or Presidency, but loyal to the people of Nigeria”.

    “ He should be objective and neutral. He should be honourable. If he is told to do a partisan thing, he should refuse and resign honourably or be dismissed rather than compromise his integrity in his duty to Nigeria. The government now is misusing security all over the place to terrorise anbd intimidate people. He should refuse to be used in that manner. He should refuse to be part of what is happening in Osun state”.

    “He should refuse to be part of PDP agenda for 2015 election and he should neutral and totally independent and do his job objectively. That way, he will deserve to be IGP of Nigeria and not IGP of a political party or the presidency” he said

  • Chibok: Sagay, Falana caution on use of force

    Constitutional lawyers, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) and Femi Falana (SAN) on Thursday called for caution on the part of the government in the attempt to rescue the abducted schoolgirls from Boko Haram sect.

    The lawyers who were reacting to the Democracy Day speech of President Goodluck Jonathan counseled him against the use of force on Boko Haram while the girls are still in their custody.

    However, Prof. Sagay noted that President Jonathan’s speech on Democracy Day has given Nigerians a ray of hope in the fight against terrorism and the decision to rescue the abducted schoolgirls currently in Boko Haram custody.

    The President in his speech said, “It is now 45 days since the horrifying abduction of the college girls of Chibok. I share the deep pain and anxiety of their parents and guardians and I assure them once again that government will continue to do everything possible to bring our daughters home.”

    “I am determined to protect our democracy, our national unity and our political stability, by waging a total war against terrorism. The unity and stability of our country and the protection of lives and property are non-negotiable. I have instructed our security forces to launch a full-scale operation to put an end to the impunity of terrorists on our soil.”

    But Sagay, posited that it will be dangerous to talk about the use of force in crushing the insurgency when the abducted girls are still in Boko Haram custody.

    According to him, the use of force may endanger the girls’ lives.

    “I am happy the President has finally made up his mind that he is going to deal with the matter with vigour. I am only worried about the girls because there are some contradictions about the use of force and securing the safety of the girls. If the girls had been secured and had been released and he is talking about the use of force, then I will support him 100 percent.

    “But with the girls still in captivity, their lives will be put on the line and this is the only reservation that I have and I want to assume that the President is aware of this fact,” he stated.

    Falana agreed, saying use of maximum force will endanger the girls’ lives.

    “Boko Haram militants are using the girls as shield, so we are likely to lose those girls if maximum force is employed.

    “It will be dangerous to pounce on them and the essence of the rescue operations will be defeated if those girls are wasted. That is why all efforts must be made to have those girls rescued alive,” he said.

  • NBA, Sagay back extension of emergency rule

    NBA, Sagay back extension of emergency rule

    Some prominent lawyers in Lagos on Wednesday backed the extension of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

    The lawyers, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the state of emergency should be retained to enable the government restore peace to the areas.

    It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan on May 14, 2013, imposed the emergency rule on the three states experiencing the activities of insurgents.

    Jonathan on Tuesday sent a request to the National Assembly seeking approval for an extension of the state of emergency.

    A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), told NAN that the Nigerian military had not achieved much with the previous powers granted them to tackle the insurrection.

    Sagay said the recent abduction of some students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno, was an indictment on the military.

    He, however, urged the National Assembly to grant Jonathan’s request, adding that the military should be given another opportunity to deal with the situation.

    Sagay also advised the president not to remove the state governors of the troubled states, as being suggested by some persons.

    “People talking like that are ignorant and they thrive in gross unconstitutional acts.

    “No power exists in the Nigerian Constitution for removal of governors because of the declaration of state of emergency,’’ he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Yinka Farounbi, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, called for a collaborative effort in addressing the security challenges in the states.

    “The state of emergency should be extended but the Federal Government must work hand-in-hand with the various state governments to make sure the campaign against Boko Haram is sustained.

    “As a start, the Federal Government should provide military protection for all schools, markets and other public infrastructure in those areas,’’ Farounbi said.

    Another lawyer, Mr Wale Ogunade, said the state of emergency should continue till the situation is brought under control.

    Ogunade also advised Nigerian politicians to stop playing politics with the security challenges and work together toward bringing stability to the areas. (NAN)

  • Sagay, Fasanmi, Sani, Erubami slam INEC

    Prominent Nigerians have berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for bungling the Anambra State governorship election.

    A lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), described the poll as a catastrophe and a disgrace to the nation.

    He advised the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, to respect himself and protect his integrity by announcing the cancellation of Saturday’s election, adding that he should fix a new date for a fresh election.

    “Jega should stop talking of supplementary election because what happened in Anambra on Saturday was not an election but a sham. He should cancel the poll and pick a new date for a fresh one. Anything short of that will suggest that INEC has compromised its integrity.

    “He should look for credible people to conduct a fresh poll if he is to repose people’s confidence in INEC. Prof Jega should not allow the reputation he has built over the years to be tarnished by fraudulent politicians.”

    Elder statesman Senator Ayo Fasanmi expressed dissatisfaction with the turn of events in the Anambra poll.

    “I have a lot of reservations on the ability of INEC to conduct credible election in 2015,” he said.

    Fasanmi warned INEC against colluding with the presidency to rig election in 2015.

    “The progressives will not accept fraudulent election results, no matter those behind it. I know that Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have their game plan for 2015, part of which has just been played out in Anambra. They would resist change at all cost, even when people ask them to leave,” he said.

    Fasanmi enjoined the progressives to reject the election results and ask for the cancellation of the poll so that a fresh election would be held. He urged the progressives to cooperate to rescue the nation from the grip of fraudulent politicians.

    Civil Rights activist Shehu Sani noted that every election in Nigeria was controversial despite the availability of manpower and resources.

    “Assurances of credible elections lead to controversial elections. Our dream of a genuine, free and democratic state will never be realised as long as the process leading to the emergence of leaders is fraudulent. How the ballot box is handled is how the national treasury will be handled.

    “The quality of our leadership is a derivative of the quality control of our elections. If Anambra fails, it will prove the pessimists of 2015 right. A credible election must reflect the will of the people. As long as we continue to find it difficult to count votes honestly, we will continue to count crisis endlessly,” he said.

    Sani advised Jega to tidy up the mess in Anambra and restore the confidence of the voters in the system by ensuring that their votes count.

    The President of the Nigeria Voters Assembly, Mr. Moshod Erubami, enjoined INEC to rectify all areas of noticeable irregularities , adding that manipulation and human error should be rectified to the satisfaction of all interest groups in the Anambra election.

    He said that was the only way the election could be considered as fair and credible.

    Erubami urged the INEC leadership to move beyond accepting reports of readiness against 2015, “because Nigerians will not accept the usual excuses of late materials and officials, as this is the starting point that heat up the electoral process.”

  • NBA, Sagay back extension of emergency rule in northern states

    Some prominent lawyers on Friday in Lagos expressed support for the extension of the six-month emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

    Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the lawyers said the prevailing situation in the North-East zone of the country had justified the extension.

    The Senate had on November 7 approved the extension of the emergency rule following a letter to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Jonathan had sought the approval of the lawmakers to extend the emergency rule imposed on the three states experiencing insurgency.

    The expiration of the initial six months declared on May 14 had necessitated the request.

    A constitutional lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), told NAN that the declaration of emergency rule in the states had positively affected the fight against the insurgents.

    Sagay said, “It has resulted not only in decimating their numbers; it has resulted in reducing their attacks and the danger to which the innocent civilian population has been exposed to.

    “The extension of emergency is justified, it has been effective, the work is not done and so they need more time to complete the job.’’

    The Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani, said the president acted constitutionally by sending the request to the National Assembly.

    “They have realised that they have not achieved the optimal result and that is why the state of emergency is being extended.’’

    He, however, urged security agencies to redouble their efforts toward bringing the insurgency to a quick end.

    Speaking in the same vein, a human rights lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, noted that the federal government had the constitutional duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

    “If the extension is for another five years and it will bring sanity to these areas so be it.

    “ I would have been disappointed if the National Assembly had not granted the request.

    “It would have meant that they are in support of the wanton killings being perpetrated in these states by these insurgents,’’ Agbaje said.

     

  • Conference: Obasanjo deceived Nigerians in 2005, says Sagay

    Conference: Obasanjo deceived Nigerians in 2005, says Sagay

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo deceived Nigerians in 2005 when he organised a national conference, legal activist Prof. Itse Sagay recalled in Lagos yesterday. He was a member of the committee for that conference.

    Sagay spoke against the background of the criticisms of the national dialogue being proposed by President Goodlcuk Jonathan. The President has set up the Femi Okurounmu committee to plan the conference.

    Sagay spoke at a lecture organised by the Centre for Change at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos. Others who spoke at the event were former Pastor Tunde Bakare and Prof. Pius Adesanmi, who delivered the keynote lecture.

    Sagay said: “Obasanjo called for a national conference and we agreed to work with him thinking he was sincere, but unknown to us, it was a vehicle for the amendment of the constitution to enthrone his third term bid.

    “When we got to realise that some of his people were working and having late night meetings for his third term, that was when some of us opted out.”

    He however said Nigerians need to talk hence his admonition on Nigerians to support Dr. Jonathan’s planned national dialogue. “We should go with our own motives irrespective of theirs.”

    Sagay who said the nation was down and bleeding, noted that there was no better time for dialogue than now, insisting that a national conference was more important than the 2015 general elections.

    “Regardless of their motive and intention, we should seize the opportunity presented by the call for this national conference to make this country great.

    “We have to embrace the national conference because we have two basic problems bedeviling this country. He listed them as a disastrous geo-political structure and bad leadership.

    “Although the problem of bad leadership cannot be solved at the conference, the issue of the geo-political structure, we can address.

    “The conference is necessary because Nigeria is currently run under a unitary constitution that pretends to be federal.

    “We have an over-bloated and constipated federal government that treats the states like beggarly civil servants.

    “The states which no longer compete and lack productivity, go cap in hand to collect salaries at the end of the month from the federal government.

    “There is a dependence mentality and an addiction to oil and gas proceeds. This is not supposed to be in a federation. The states should generate their income from their resources and contribute to the running of the centre government and not the other way round,” he said.

    Sagay recommended that issues such as local government, establishment of police, federation account, among others be removed from the constitution and the exclusive legislative list.

    “Local government should not be seen in our constitution at all. States should create and fund local governments exclusively.

    “Federation account should be expunged from the constitution and every state should be productive and fund the federal government.

    “Everything happening in Nigeria today is against nature, that is why there is instability. States should own their resources; pay certain percentage for the running of the centre government and another percentage to help less buoyant states.

    “Police, railway should not be in exclusive legislative lists, even labour and trade union issues should be removed from that list because the current situation creates conflict and confusion.

    “States should be able to conduct census because it is needed for their development planning and what we currently have is not reliable. Census should also be removed as a basis for revenue allocation and sending people to parliament.

    “We want a return to fiscal federalism and we must not give up. We should take our ideas to the national conference. We should enthusiastically participate so that our aims and objectives will be articulated,” Sagay said.

    Bakare, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Change, said both the proponents and critics of the Jonathan conference are insincere.

    He said: “I see shortage of sincerity on both sides. Fear of who owns sovereignty on the part of the government and insincerity on the side of critics who have themselves clamoured for national conference.

    “Let us be careful that the national conference does not become our albatross.

    “Nigeria is confined to an intensive care unit of the universe as many doubt her chances of survival. The values upon which the nation was founded has been broken down. A rebuilding process must visit the foundation.

    “We must return to true federalism. We have wept, prayed and protested but now is time to take our destiny in our hands.

    “The national conference presents an opportunity to reason together and talk. We must restructure and reconstruct until the whole nation is returned to its past glory.”

    Delivering a lecture on the theme “Nigeria at 53, retrieving the soul of a country in ruins”, guest speaker, Prof. Adesanmi said there was need for a national soul.

    Titled: “Boda Nigeria, Bros Naija and Soul things”, Adesanmi’s lecture mirrored the many problems that have befallen the nation, adding that the country has lived without purpose for 53 years.

    “Nigeria is physically and spiritually in ruins and have ruined itself continuously and uninterrupted.

    “Patriotism does not mobilse citizens but the soul of a nation does. It speaks only the language of collective good, which is Pentecost and not babble,” he said.

    Adesanmi said: “Because Nigeria lacks ideal, it is easy for politicians to steal budget and wreck infrastructure. The first error the nation committed was to go for the material. We did not appreciate the fact that it was not the business of the colonialist to give us a soul.

    “A national soul can only be achieved by constantly negotiating seeds of an idea that can become an ideal.

    “Message and personal capital must work hand-in-hand. There should be recalibration of the message “Naija no dey carry last,” to form a national ideal for excellence and this should be done by people out of government,” he said.

    President of the group, Mrs. Josephine Okei-Odumakin, said she was optimistic change is possible in Nigeria.

    She said Nigerians must insist that the conference should not go the way of others, insisting that the decisions of the conference must be subjected to a referendum.

    At the lecture were activist Mr. Femi Aborishade; Mr. Henry Boyo; Chief Segun Ojo; Mrs. Shade Benbateum-Young; Mr. Gbenga Fatile and Mr. Monday Ubani, among others

     

  • Only Supreme Court can determine Al-Mustapha’s fate – Sagay

    Only Supreme Court can determine Al-Mustapha’s fate – Sagay

    Prof. Itse Sagay said the Lagos State government can go to the Supreme Court over the appellate court’s discharge and acquittal of Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan.

    Sagay, a constitutional lawyer, said this in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

    The constitutional lawyer, who is also a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said the state government reserved the right to appeal if it was not satisfied with the judgment.

    According to him, in spite of the fact that the Court of Appeal in Lagos has discharged and acquitted them, only the Supreme Court has the final say.

    “I have not seen the judgment, but I have seen what the press summarised and basically what I deduce from what was published is that the evidences are contradictory.

    “I cannot question it because I have not seen the details of what was in favour and what was against.

    “I have not read the details of the contradictions, but Lagos State Government can appeal against the judgment to the Supreme Court.

    “It does not matter whether they have been discharged and acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Lagos,” he said.

    Sagay expressed fears that the judgment might encourage the culture of impunity in the society.