By Ifeoma Ikem
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, said that Nigeria had played the game of restructuring wrongly.
According to him, “why I said it is that we need to first decide what the political evolution of Nigeria is. Nigeria is not a liberal democracy, it might be difficult for those political elites to agree to restructure unless we find a diplomatic way to intervene.”
Olisa Agbakoba who was a guest lecturer at the 16th Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) Annual Lecture/ Symposium (Fawehinmiism) organized by Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja Branch and held at Oranmiyan Hall, Airport Hotel, Ikeja .
He noted that under the constitution of the country, a lot more can be done by the state governments.
He urged the state governments to exercise their powers in developing resources.“Why has no governor been able to establish a power plant except Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos?
“Write letters to the 36 states governors and ask them why are they not using the powers giving to them by the constitution to develop their states,” the SAN told lawyers.
Another speaker ,Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) who spoke on the topic ” Is Judiciary Under Siege by the Executive” pointed that while judicial officers must exhibit high degree of competence and diligence, uncompromising sense of discipline, an unscathed level of probity, integrity, transparency and incorruptibility, the Executive must never, in any circumstance, employ self-help in the guise of correction of the Judiciary.
The senior advocate said that the rule of law and the principle of separation of powers were critical to the success of any democracy.
He also said that the alleged subversion of the constitution by the executive arm through the disobedience of court orders constituted an attack on the judiciary.
“Judges who exercise judicial powers to determine disputes between government and individuals, ought not to be subjected to reprisals for handing down decisions unfavourable to the executive”.
Prince Dele Oloke, in a welcome address, described Gani Fawehinmiism as a human right colossus whose relevance to the society remained unparalleled.
” In all his travails in the hands of the state, he was unwavering in his beliefs and convictions that only strict adherence to rule of law is the premise upon which a just and egalitarian society can be founded”.
Former Vice Presidential, NBA and chairman organizing committee, Monday Ubani, in his address, noted that Fawehinmi used laws as instrument of social change in every area of national life.