Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration lacks the political will needed to fight corruption.
He stated this on Friday while speaking on the topic: “Restructuring, Pros and Cons: The place of the Nigerian youth”, at the 78th International Students Day organised by the Ogun State Government in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Falana noted that the fight against corruption embarked upon by the Buhari government remained a mere scratch on the surface.
He said, “I am sure you are following the anti-corruption war being prosecuted by Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, men and women are involved.
“Christians and Muslims are involved and those who believe in traditional religions are involved. One person has been charged with collecting N4.7bn from former President Goodluck Jonathan for spiritual consultation.
“The point I am making is that if our looters are not divided on the table of ethnicity nothing will happen. The government still lacks the political will, the war now is just a tip of the real iceberg; there is still money to be recovered.”
The human rights lawyer also faulted the Senate for approving $5.5bn loan request put forward by the executive.
Falana, who lamented the state and standard of education in the South-West, argued that the zone seemed to have lost its place to others as evident in the recently released West African Examinations Council results where the region performed poorly.
He said, “After the last WAEC, NECO and JAMB results were released, no state in the South-West made it to the top 10 list and that for me is a shame.
“We need to go back to where we are coming from and where we got it wrong.”
Falana urged the youths not to join those calling for the breakup of the country, adding that those fanning the embers of disunity were only fighting for their selfish interest.
He noted that for the country to move forward, it must have a knowledge-based system.
On his part, the governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, appealed to youths to do whatever they could do to prepare themselves for leadership positions, urging them to show high commitment in nation building.
Credit: PUNCH
