Ever vociferous Legal luminary, Femi Falana SAN
Following the meeting of the Southern Governors Forum, which held in Asaba the Delta State capital, Femi Falana, SAN, has commended the forum for banning open grazing in the 17 southern states of the country.
The fearless lawyer and one of the few outspoken individuals in Nigeria who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, however, urged the governors to move to the next stage, which is to legalise the ban on open grazing to ensure prosecution of offenders. He also asked the governors to convene a meeting of state attorneys general that would set the machinery for translating the resolutions into laws.
His words, “I have read the resolutions and for me, the governors have done very well. They need to mobilise their northern colleagues, they need to walk their talk because if you expect that the presidency will act on this resolution, the governors may be wasting their precious time. Each of the governors will have to make enabling laws to translate the decision in the communiqué to legal instruments.”
He further reacted to the governors’ demand for restructuring of the country, coupled with the issue of control of resources. According to him, the resolution of the governor’s was timely, especially as it relates to their quest for fiscal federalism in the country.
He said, “For the entire country, these resolutions will be very useful; they have come at the right time, not too late, the governors have now formally joined the campaign for restructuring.”
They governors had after their one-day meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, recommended that the Federal Government should support willing states to develop alternative and modern livestock management systems.
They also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency and importance, address Nigerians on the frightening state of insecurity across the nation as well as convoke a national dialogue. The meeting followed the worsening insecurity in the country ranging from terrorism to banditry, Fulani herdsmen that have been killing and maiming Nigerians, militancy, and agitations for secession.
All these challenges have been on the front burner since Buhari and his All Progressive Congress (APC) government came to power given the lopsidedness of Buhari, which favours mainly people from the northern part of Nigeria. It is alleged that all appointments in all key institutions and agencies of government under Buhari are headed by people of Northern Nigeria.
