Femi Falana,
a human right lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says the pension of
former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, is
not
enough to build a primary school, yet they own universities.
Obasanjo is
the owner of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun state, while Abubakar is
the founder of American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa state.
Speaking at
the launch of Sahara Reporters’ civic media lab, Falana queried where they got
the money from.
He said the
new advocates of restructuring are the same men who restructured the economy of
Nigeria against the people.
“These guys
who have restructured the economy of Nigeria. Or you are not aware that these
guys restructured the economy of Nigeria to the extent that Nigeria is the only
country today where former heads of states openly own universities,” Falana
said.
“Have you
ever heard of that anywhere in the world that the likes of Obasanjo, Atiku,
Babangida and others, own universities, and of course, the man who is now
pushing for restructuring, Atiku, has a university as well.
“None of
these guys worked outside the government. One was a customs officer, the others
were soldiers; their pension cannot establish a primary school, not to talk of
a university. For young people, I think there is enough provocation on the part
of the ruling class.”
Falana spoke
to the youth present at the launch about the emergence of Emmanuel Macron, and
said rather than draw lessons from the French president, Nigerians are querying
his decision to marry a 64-year-old woman.
“In this
part of the world that is something very serious. A 39-year-old man marrying a
64-year-old woman? And so what? Assuming it was the other way round like Macron
asked, nobody would have made any noise.
“Let us
address the substance; how did a 39-year-old man emerge? Through the social
media. How did Obama emerge? When Obama came out, we all said why is this man
disturbing Mrs. Clinton?
“Where is
this black man coming from? He can't go beyond Jesse Jackson. But before you
know it, through the social media, young people volunteered and they were
spreading the message, and Obama said yes, we can and yes they did.
“In our own
case we can say today, in 2019, and we can start the mobilization today, and in
2019, insist and demand the qualifications of those who are going to govern the
country.
“If we start
that campaign now before you know it, the organisation is so important. Once
these people know you are organized, they can negotiate that you don’t jail
them.”
Falana
lauded Sahara Reporters and its founder, Omoyele Sowore for the work being
done, but said Sowore has “incited us sufficiently to get organized” to demand
accountability.
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