Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has said the prospect of a united Nigeria for the next 40 years is highly unrealistic owing to the current realities staring the country in the face. He said all indicators at the moment, points toward a gloomy future due to failure of government in addressing the fundamental issues threatening the very existence of the country.
Falana who made the statement in an interview with TRIBUNE, on the 60th anniversary of the country, said the unity of the country has been on a knife's edge for the past years. He also added that the Buhari administration knows it has failed Nigerians, but is using violence to keep the country together.
Responding to question on the prospect of a united Nigeria in the next 40 years, Falana said, "It is undoubtedly clear that the inability of the ruling party to run an inclusive and gender-sensitive government, address security challenges, confront the menace of corruption and ensure the control of the national economy has continued to threaten the corporate existence of the country. But the ruling class will always resort to violence to keep the country together."
Speaking further, he said, "On the part of genuine forces of change, the masses should unite and confront the ruination of the country by the ruling class whose members are united. Since nation-building is unfinished business in many parts of the world ours cannot be an exception.
"But members of the ruling class should stop saying arrogantly that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable. If the unity of the country is not negotiable why has the Federal Government been negotiating with militants, terrorists and bandits?" he questioned.
On the law as the last hope of the common man, he said, "The late Justice Akinola Aguda once said that the term ‘equality before the law’ is a myth promoted by lawyers and judges to deceive the people. Like Karl Marx the jurist was saying that there can be no equality before the law in a class society. It is deceptive to say that the law is the last hope of the common man. The law is the last hope of the rich who can hire lawyers to challenge the violations of their rights."
"In Nigeria, members of the ruling class are above the law. Hence, court orders are disobeyed by the managers of the neocolonial state. Official impunity is worse under the Buhari administration because the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN openly defends disobedience of court orders," he added.
On whether or not there's a reason to celebrate Nigeria's 60th anniversary, he replied, "Apart from acknowledging and celebrating the heroic struggle of the young men and women who genuinely fought for the independence of the country, there isn’t much to celebrate."