There is no genuine democracy in Nigeria ― Falana

TRACKING>>Renowned Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana SAN has said there cannot be genuine democracy in the country unless insecurity is phased out.

He, therefore, reiterated the demand for adequate funding of the Nigerian Police Force to solve the intractable problem of insecurity in the country.

Falana said this yesterday at a protest organised by the People’s Alternative Front, held at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Lagos.

“Nigeria is in a crisis of terrorism, banditry and armed robbery. And unless these problems are addressed, we cannot have genuine democracy in our country.

“There is no democracy in the country and so, we are not in the position to join public offices at the stadia today to celebrate democracy.

“Section 14 of the Constitution provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

“We want the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to be adequately funded, equipped and motivated so that the security of our people can be guaranteed,” Falana said

The Senior Advocate decried Military involvement in the security of the country, urging that the dictates of the constitution should be strictly adhered to.

“We do not want military involvement in the security of the country. Under the Constitution, the Military is to defend the territorial integrity of the country, while the Police Force is obligated to discharge internal security.

“It is part of the legacy of Military dictatorship that the government has abandoned the Nigerian Police Force and is currently using the Armed Forces to secure the country, including the management of elections,” SAN said.

Meanwhile, Femi beseeched the Federal Government to use the recovered loot in addressing unemployment and disenchantment of the frustration of the youths.

“Right now, the Buhari administration claimed to have recovered over N600bn even from whistle-blowing policy alone, while EFCC and others have recovered over N700bn.

“We are asking the government to deploy the bulk of this money to take care of the youths to empower young people so that they will move away from criminality.

“You cannot talk of security, without addressing the unemployment of the youths, disenchantment of the frustration of the youth. So, beyond the architecture of security, there must also address unemployment.

When asked about the significance of the protest, He said that it is to draw the attention of Nigerians to the dehumanization and the devaluation of lives in our country.

The Activist added that it is to ensure that Nigerians take their destiny in their own hands, bearing the pressure on the government to secure their lives and property.