Lagos constitutional lawyer, Femi Falana and the governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose are on each other’s throat over the rising cases of kidnapping in Ekiti state lately.
Falana had, yesterday, fingered governor Fayemi as the brain behind the increasing kidnapping cases, but Fayose, today, fired back by describing the lawyer as a hypocritical political
merchant, who would always keep silent whenever APC controlled States are
involved.
Falana had said that governor has been providing cover for armed gangs to operate in the
state, but the governor responded that such a comment is ridiculous and nonsensical.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti today through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor wondered why the Lagos-based lawyer would always stand truth in the head.
“Is this not hypocrisy? And Falana did not find it important to ask those All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled states what they have done with their workers’ salaries if truly he is a human rights activist as he claims to be.
“Hypocrisy has made Falana not to say a word on the collapse of the judiciary and the legislative arms of government in some APC controlled States. Or is the judiciary in Rivers State working? And has Falana said a single word on the collapse of the judiciary in Rivers State?”
He advised Falana to live up to the meaning of his name by minding his own business, even as he wondered why the lawyer would be pretentious about some issues and acted to be a defender in others not involving his friends and paymasters.
“Falana should be ignored because he is fond of beating about the bush and his utterances are always dictated by the percentage of stomach infrastructure from his paymasters.
Falana, while addressing the governor’s ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, had yesterday, blamed governor Fayose for the increasing rate of kidnapping in the state. He added that the governor had encouraged violence in the state since he became governor.
“Last week, Mr. Ayo Fayose, the governor of Ekiti state was reported to have sent SOS to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, over the increasing wave of kidnapping sweeping across the state.
“In urging the police chief to attend promptly to the concern expressed by the governor, I am compelled to point out that the state government has itself to blame for deliberately providing official cover for armed gangs and other criminally minded individuals who have taken over the monopoly of violence in Ekiti state. For instance, the House of Assembly complex has been occupied by armed lumping elements since November last year with the connivance of the state government.”
“In the atmosphere of impunity which currently obtains in the country, the well known armed thugs operating in Ekiti state have been granted immunity by the federal government. Hence, police officers are under strict instructions not to arrest or prosecute any of them.”
He said that the maintenance of law and order in the state was flawed partly due to the ongoing strike by industrial workers.
“Finally, the Governor should emulate his colleagues in a number of states who have succeeded in persuading judicial workers to call off their strike”, He continued.
“A state where judges are beaten up by thugs and courts are locked up indefinitely cannot genuinely guarantee law and order.” [myad]
