Why Jonathan was against takeover of Rivers Assembly –Falana

Lagos Lawyer and Human Rights activist, Femi Falana, has said that Presidency’s opposition to National Assembly’s takeover of the Rivers State House of Assembly following the bloody crisis was not unexpected, alleging that the script authored by it (presidency) is yet to be fully acted.


Falana who was a guest in Ilawe-Ekiti, his country home, at a programme organised by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), tagged ‘Reading Parent Initiative expressed this view saying its intervention aimed at ending the sordid drama can never be welcomed by the presidency.

Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), declared that the presidency cannot be taken seriously on its denial of culpability in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, saying that it was suggestive of what Nigerians should expect in 2015.

“Presidency can’t be taken seriously on its pronouncement on Rivers crisis and any attempt by the National Assembly to solve the problem would not be welcome by it.

“What happened in Rivers is preparatory to 2015,” he said.

Falana said: “What is going on is a self serving arrangement by the National Assembly people.

“If they have taken the interest of Nigerians at heart, you are not supposed to be voting against what you got from the field.”

The activist, who insisted on the convocation of sovereign national conference, regretted that the country was yet to have a workable constitution, describing the present constitution as Decree Number 24 of 1999 authored by Gen Abdulsallam Abubakar.
“My view is that the ongoing constitution amendment is not a popular programme; it is selfish, self serving arrangement by the ruling class for their own selfish interest and whether you like it or not we are still going to write the constitution of Nigeria,” Falana added.

He also lampooned the National Assembly for attempting to tinker with the constituency, insisting that it was beyond their powers to do so.

Falana said: “But that is not what they are doing. The National Assembly members are simply amending the constitution to reflect their own class interest. It is not about Nigerians’ interest”.

Earlier, at the SUBEB programme, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Modupe Adelabu, Alawe of Ilawe-Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi, Bishop Felix Ajakaye and Falana, had spoken on the need for parents to educate their wards.

The speakers reminded parents of the existence of the child rights law in the state which forbids children of school age to hawk during school hours warning that parents of such children risk jail terms.

The monarch described the stand of the senate on girl child marriage as provocative and dehumanizing saying it was capable of causing religious imbalance in Nigeria.

The monarch said to ensure good behaviour of students in the area, he had mandated senior chiefs in his kingdom to monitor schools in their domains and report any misbehaviour to the law enforcement agents.

Source: Daily Independent