Group condemns Falana over call for Buratai’s sack

A civil society organization, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) said Falana’s call for the army chief’s sack is like a lawyer interpreting the constitution like a Bible. The organization has condemned comments made by senior lawyer and renowned human rights activist Femi Falana. It said Falana’s call for the sack of the chief of army staff, Tukur Buratai is selfish . The group however commended Falana for acknowledging the efforts made by the Nigerian military in the fight against insurgency. The senior lawyer had condemned the defense by the Nigerian army that Buratai was able to acquire two property in Dubai through savings made from his salary. Falana described the army’s defense as “a cock and bull story” stating that it was regrettable that the institution is illegally been used to defend the chief of army staff and his corrupt practices.

He had also questioned how the chief of army staff was able to save $1.5 million from his salary as a military officer to procure such property. “How an army general managed to save $1.5 million has not been disclosed to Nigerians, since the General was in charge of procurement for the Nigerian army at the material time, the cock and bull story of the military high command has been called names,” Falana had said. But a statement signed by the executive secretary of CESJET, Isaac Ikpa, said the senior lawyer was selfish with his comment. Ikpa said the senior lawyer “unwittingly” fell into the trap of some individuals who are Boko Haram sympathisers. He said: “For a man who mounts stiff defense of clients accused of corruption, Falana’s statement that accused, tried, condemned and sentenced the COAS to a sack in one breadth smacks of double standards and raises questions about the positions he had earlier taken on other national issues.”

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Ikpa added that the organization is however not surprised following Falana’s recent call for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ignore the immunity of a sitting governor without weighing its consequences. “The allegations that the renowned lawyer is putting his governorship ambition in Ekiti state above public interest is finally being proven since those that allocate tickets in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have earlier been fingered in the plot to oust Buratai from his current post,” Ikpa said. “It is also becoming a certainty, given the intensity of this campaign of calumny that the incumbent COAS is merely a pawn to these people that are desperate to decimate persons they perceive as loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari so that they can fill the resulting vacuum with their own henchmen.

“We are also not surprised that their vituperation came on a day that the military made one of its most decisive strikes against Boko Haram, killing 16 terrorists, capturing two alive and seizing highly sophisticated weapons from the terrorists. “In a curious coincidence, Falana issued his statement on the same day as several non governmental organizations that are known to answer to the APC power block he is sucking up to for the governorship ticket issued similarly worded statements. The coordination was perfect to the point that there were supporting newspaper editorials. “Falana and his co-travellers have in reality become threats to the civil society movement in Nigeria. Gani Fawehinmi will in no doubt be terribly bitter in his grave that his compatriots have abandoned the core issues of humanity, which he fought for in his entire life, and have gone to dine with the devil,” he said.