Falana To FG: Obey Rule Of Law To Ensure Peace

A Human Rights Activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has advised the Federal Government to embrace the rule of law rather than “rule of might” for the country to be peaceful, secured and stable.

Falana gave the advice on Tuesday while addressing newsmen at the 2012 Press Week Lecture, organised by the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

He explained that the rule of might was currently the order of the day in the nation’s polity, adding that executive lawlessness had taken over the nation.

Falana said a large part of the nation’s population had been excluded from the “commonwealth” which in turn bred corruption and insecurity.

The lawyer said that except poverty was addressed in the nation, the problem of insecurity would persist.

He called for more investments and adoption of positive education policies that would address the gap in education levels among regions.

Falana stressed that respect for the rule of law was a panacea for peace and stability in the nation.

The lawyer urged the Federal Government to prosecute those found guilty of security breaches, lamenting the trend of impunity in the nation where corrupt influential people and terrorists were allowed to walk the streets freely.

Falana said those who unleashed terror on innocent citizens were usually charged to the wrong courts where they usually wriggled their ways back to freedom.

“Even when they are taken to court, they are taken to the wrong court which has no jurisdiction,” he said.

He lamented the large number of jail-breaks where Boko Haram members and other criminals were released to jeopardise security.

“There is no modern state that will allow the high number of jail-breaks like is tolerated in Nigeria,” he said.

Falana, however, advised government at all levels to address the problems of insecurity by creating jobs for youths in the country.

He said there would be no basis for violence and crime if the youths were given employment.