Lawyers hail Osinbajo for sacking Daura
*Say he has renewed hope in democracy
PROMINENT lawyers have praised the acting president of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) for decisively terminating the appointment of the director general of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura.
Former deputy director general of the Nigeria Law School (NLS) and a frontline presidential candidate of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN) said the immediate and unequivocal condemnation of the illegal Dss-police siege on the National Assembly and the decisive termination of the appointment Daura has renewed great hopes that our democracy shall survive.
He said: “I am excited to be counted as a Nigerian, a lawyer and a law teacher by this example of leadership by our Acting President. I urge all Nigerians the Nigerian Bar Association inclusive to play more proactive roles in protecting our democracy, rule of law and human rights. We should not allow a few men and women to destroy our country by their impunity.”
Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Ebun-olu Adegboruwa commended the action taken by the acting president.
According to him, such action should be extended to all other security and law enforcement agencies, to follow the law and observe the due process of law, in all their dealings.
His words: “Let us never allow security operatives, to take our people for granted.
I salute the courage of the people of Nigeria, especially members of the National Assembly, for their vigilance and courageous actions, to save our democracy. I totally agree with the statements of the NBA and the acting president.
“The Constitution in sections 4, 5 and 6 established the three arms of government of the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary, with separate powers and functions. They are to act independently and autonomously, without any interference from one arm of government in the affairs of the other.
“The DSS and the police are all part of the Executive arm of government and it is totally unconstitutional for the DSS to have invaded the premises of the National Assembly in such commando fashion, as if we are under military rule. This happened to Judges of late, when the same operatives of the DSS invaded their homes in the dead of the night.”
He further stated that Nigerian women deserve special commendation and appreciation, for their tire- less efforts to rescue and defend our democracy, recalling the Aba Women Riots, the courageous exploits of Queen Amina of Zaria, Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-kuti, Mrs Kudirat Abiola, and now Hon. Boma Godhead.
He advised Nigerian government to henceforth assign more roles for women, in order to make them part and parcel of governance.
The NBA had earlier condemned the action of the DSS and threatens to take legal action if the security personnels’ were not withdrawn.
President of the Association, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) in a statement described the in vasion as unconstitutional. According to him, the action poses grave threat to democracy. “The Nigerian Bar Association condemns in the strongest terms the attempts by the government or indeed any faction of the political class to drag the Nigerian security forces into their ongoing political bickering and maneuvers totally unrelated to their responsibilities of governance for which they were elected,” Mahmoud warned.