Group Carpets Falana Over Calls for Buratai’s Sack

The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has hailed human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) for having the decency to acknowledge the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai’s “commendable feat of leading the Nigerian Army to defeat Boko Haram in the North East” saying such recognition coming from the lawyer even as he attacked the COAS demonstrated the dilemma of those that have openly declared their hatred for the nation.

It said those behind the calls should have by now developed a capacity for feeling shame since they know that their demands have no connection with national interest but was instead borne out of malice for President Muhammadu Buhari, whom they want to deprive of his trusted aides.
CESJET, which made its position known in a statement by its Executive Secretary, Comrade Ikpa Isaac on Sunday, however lamented that selfish interest drove Falana to lend his voice to those seeking Buratai’s ouster by calling for his sack or resignation.

The statement expressed regrets that the foremost human rights lawyer unwittingly fell into the trap of speaking for those that want to buy time for Boko Haram to regroup or has simply exposed himself as part of the nation’s problem since only those that are opposed to the defeat of the terrorists and the exposure of their sponsors are the one’s demanding Buratai’s sack.

It said “For a man who mounts stiff defence of clients accused of corruption, Falana’s statement that accused, tried, condemned and sentenced the COAS to a sack in one breadth smacks of double standards and raises questions about the positions he had earlier taken on other national issues.

“It is not surprising that this is the path Falana is taking considering his recent encouragement to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to disregard the immunity of a sitting governor without regards for the impasse that could result therein.

“The allegations that the renowned lawyer is putting his governorship ambition in Ekiti state above public interest is finally being proven since those that allocate tickets in the All Progressives Congress (APC) have earlier been fingered in the plot to oust Buratai from his current post. It is also becoming a certainty, given the intensity of this campaign of calumny that the incumbent COAS is merely a pawn to these people that are desperate to decimate persons they perceive as loyal to President Buhari so that they can fill the resulting vacuum with their own henchmen.

“We are also not surprised that their vituperations came on a day that the military made one of its most decisive strikes against Boko Haram, killing 16 terrorists, capturing two alive and seizing highly sophisticated weapons from the terrorists.

“In a curious coincidence, Falana issued his statement on the same day as several NGOs that are known to answer to the APC power block he is sucking up to for the governorship ticket issued similarly worded statements. The coordination was perfect to the point that there were supporting newspaper editorials.

“Falana and his co-travellers have in reality become threats to the civil society movement in Nigeria; Gani Fawehinmi will in no doubt be terribly bitter in his grave that his compatriots have abandoned the core issues of humanity, which he fought for his entire life, and have gone to dine with the devil.

“They also interpret the constitution like pastors who are out to make money from the congregation not minding if they tell the truth or not. This is indeed a very risky dimension that persons with clout in the society must not ply,” CESJET warned.