Bashir Faisal Folorunsho is one of the upcoming prominent lawyers in Nigeria. In this interview with ADETUNJI AYOBROWN, the Principal Partner, BF Folorunsho and Associates narrated his hope in the Nigeria project that in the face of reality, oneness of the Nigeria nation is sacrosanct. But think there are other better ways one can be beneficial to the country than be at the National Assembly. Excerpts:
What do you think of the IPOB’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu’ re-arrest?
FG has done what is expected of it. It is long and overdue. Such efforts deserve applause, imagine someone who is standing for a criminal trial, in a case which affects the whole country was granted a bail by the court of law but decide to leave the country even without the consents his sureties.
Thereby putting his sureties into trouble with the law. Most who paid suretyship collaterals in terms of money and other material things.
Because of his action, these sureties paid to redeem their own images. Imagine a serving senator standing as surety slept in the prison because of his actions.
For a person who could stay overseas and calling on his IPOB members to destroy Nigeria. This is something FG should not take lightly.
Because of this bad precedence others are joining the clamour for Nigeria’s destruction.
I will say it is a commendable effort that Kanu could be re-arrested. But our government needs to be proactive in all other areas concerning national issues including kidnapping and banditry across the country.
Issues of insecurity has to be tackled first and headlong before any other. FG should not joke with the issues of security of our nation.
Don’t you think FG should rather use carrot and stick approach?
I think FG must have tried to reach out to these agitators with negotiations but for what they are gaining from their agitations they are not willing to stop.
No one is saying Nigeria is perfect as it is, with politicians doing what they like with no care for the common citizens. Most of our office-holders are there to embezzle money and divert public funds into their private pockets.
Do you think the National Assembly proactiveness in time like this could help the nation?
There are other ways they can be beneficial to the country than be a senator or to be member of House of Representatives.
Not justifying the incentives, our National Assembly has been enjoying from their jumbo payments.
Because of these juicy payments, many office seekers are ready to kill or be killed just to get elected to the national assembly.
With Farouk Lawan recent judgement, a former member of the House of Representative who was asking for bribe. But thank God today the law is after such people.
Zamfara governor’s party defection, what do you think of this?
There are no two parties in Nigeria but one. Those in PDP yesterday are now in APC today and vice- versa. One party metamorphosed into another or others with no clear-cut different ideology practices.
For a example, recently the news that came out was that of Zamfara governor, Matawalle who joined APC from PDP for no good reason.
He was at PDP, lost an election but due to technical issue in litigation, he was given the judgement and became the governor. Now today, he is no longer in the party. We don’t have two parties in Nigeria.
Personally, I don’t see anything good about APC or PDP. None of these parties prepared well for any likely national difficulty, but only there for ceremonious purposes.
If a new party of like minds is formed and not all comers’ affairs with politicians who had already benefitted from APC, PDP, APGA or any other party.
With what they are doing at the NASS, none of them have any good intention for the nation but with mindset to embezzle money.
Judiciary’s financial autonomy and the JUSUN suspended, what do you think of this?
As clearly stated by the constitution, judiciary is an independent arm of government which should be allowed to function as such.
Why should state governors be the custodians of funds meant for their state judiciary? Imagine judges who still write with longhand, sit for more than eight hours daily and need medical treatments.
He or she must have to apply to the governor through the state attorney-general for this. Taking more time than necessary, and that waiting for the governor’s approval is not good for our democracy.
