#BBB NEWS| Okonjo-Iweala Chooses Personal Attacks To Cover Up Corruption - Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has expressed concern that Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s former Finance Minister & Coordinating Minister for the Economy, this week chose the path of a scurrilous personal attack on him for requesting the ICC to investigate the crimes against humanity committed by some former public officers.

In a letter to the Special Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Falana had called for the trial of past and current Nigerian officials, military and civilian, indicted in the investigation of the diversion of billions of dollars meant for purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram.

In the letter, he had said, “The failure of a former Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to prevent widespread and systematic corruption including the re-looting of the Abacha loot amounts to complicity under the Rome Statute, and therefore fits the legal requirements of a crime against humanity.”

Rejecting the call two days ago, Okonjo-Iweala described it as a “desperate joke by an integrity challenged charlatan”.

#BBB NEWS| Using Human Rights To Promote Corruption And Impunity By Femi Falana

Whenever I was incarcerated by successive military regimes from 1985-1998, the Amnesty International (AI) waged an effective campaign for my release. Through the activities of the AI and other progressive organizations, I was able to regain my personal liberty without any conditionality. Notwithstanding that I was charged with many criminal offenses including treasonable felony the AI declared me a prisoner of conscience.

In thanking the AI for its contribution to the defense of human rights and demilitarization of the country, I am compelled to point out that while human rights defenders and workers are no longer detained without trial, the most economically and socially disadvantaged are still subjected to illegal arrests, detention and other human rights violations and abuses. With the establishment of an office in Abuja, it is undoubtedly clear that AI has decided to be more effective in the defense and promotion of human rights in Nigeria.

Through the campaign against the death penalty AI has saved the precious lives of many people. Through the campaign against illegal detention, AI has secured the liberty of many prisoners of conscience and other detainees including those who were held in dehumanizing conditions. Through the campaign for fair trial, AI has ensured that the right of many accused persons to fair hearing is respected. Through the campaign for freedom of speech and assembly, AI has expanded the democratic space for many people who were otherwise excluded from political participation.

#BBB NEWS| Peace Committee Protecting The Rich – Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, says the National Peace Committee led by a former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, is only protecting the interest of the rich.

Falana, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said this during a live programme on Channels Television titled, ‘Sunrise Daily’.

Members of the peace committee, particularly the Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah, had recently come under fire for faulting President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-graft war and the manner the President had castigated the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

However, Falana said the peace committee was only protecting the interest of the rich and not the poor. He wondered why the peace committee chose to only defend Jonathan and not others who were being tried for corruption across the country.

#BBB NEWS| Involvement Of The Nigerian People In the Anti-corruption War By Femi Falana

Introduction: Nigerians recently voted for the All Progressive Congress (APC) because it promised to change poverty to prosperity, tackle insecurity of life and property, combat impunity and corruption, fix infrastructure, restore rule of law and transparency in governance and end the isolation of the country in the international community.

On account of the ideological orientation of its leadership, the APC promised to promote a private sector-led economic system.

Since the inauguration of the new administration two months ago, President Mohammadu Buhari has been under pressure to embark on the immediate removal of fuel subsidy, further devaluation of the national currency and the complete take-over of the economy by market forces. In order to hide the cause of the underdevelopment of the nation, the fall in the price of crude oil in the international market has been blamed for the virtual collapse of the neo-colonial capitalist economy.

#BBB NEWS| Search On Col Dasuki Was Authorized By Law By Femi Falana

The fundamental rights to personal liberty and privacy of the home of every Nigerian citizen are constitutionally guaranteed. As fundamental rights are not absolute they may be breached  in accordance with a procedure permitted by law. Hence, by virtue of section 146 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, the residence of any citizen can be searched with  a warrant duly signed  by a Judge, Magistrate or Justice of the Peace.

Section 149 thereof imposes a duty on any person residing in any building which is liable to be searched to allow  "free and unhindered access to it and afford all reasonable facilities for its search."

Last Thursday, a team of State Security Service (SSS) officials, armed with a search warrant, attempted to execute the warrant on the private residence of  Col. Sambo Dasuki Dasuki, in  Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory.

Convinced that he did not deserve to have his house searched Col Dasuki refused to allow the SSS officials access to his house for several hours. The search could not be conducted until the armed troops guiding the house were withdrawn by the Army Authorities.  In his own narration of his contemptuous action, the former National Security Adviser admitted that :

#BBB NEWS| Dollarization Of The Nigerian Economy By Femi Falana

In an address which I delivered last Saturday (March 21, 2015) at the Life Theological Seminary, Ikorodu, Lagos State I criticized the increasing dollarization of the Nigerian economy by the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria. In pointing out the illegality of turning the United States Dollar into the official medium of exchange in Nigeria I did say inter alia:

“Under Section 16 of the Central Bank Act, 2007 the power to fix and determine the exchange rate of the Naira is exclusively vested in the central bank. But the CBN has abdicated that statutory duty to the so called market forces. For instance, the Monetary Committee of the CBN fixed devalued the national currency in November last year by fixing the exchange rate at N168 to a dollar. But market forces have increased the exchange rate to over N220 to a dollar while the International Monetary Fund is insisting that the Naira be further devalued.

In justifying the reckless devaluation of the Naira last November, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria blamed it on the falling price of oil in the international market. However, the CBN governor has asked Nigerians to accept that devaluation would come with pains but would lead to benefits in the long run. This is a reminder of the mantra of the discredited Ibrahim Babangida junta when it accepted the prescription of the International Monetary Fund to devalue the Naira under the dubious Structural Adjustment Program in 1986.