*RICHARD AKINOLA, GROUP TO FALANA: BLAMING OSINBAJO, OTHER LAWYERS IN BUHARI'S CABINET OVER DSS MISCONDUCT IS MISCHIEVOUS*

*Both recall how VP as Ag. President acted in similar case when DSS invaded National Assembly

*Buck stops squarely on Mr. President's desk, not lawyers in FEC

Veteran journalist and lawyer, Richard Akinola and a political group have faulted Femi Falana, SAN over comments that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should discipline all lawyers in the Buhari administration because of the desecration of the law courts by officers of the DSS yesterday at a Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his reaction on Saturday, Mr Akinola said, “With the greatest respect to my good friend, Femi Falana, SAN, l beg to disagree with him in respect of his statement in respect of the Vice president on the Sowore saga.

Falana was indicting the Vice President and other Learned Silks in the cabinet for not speaking up on the saga. “It's necessary to put things in proper perspective. There is only ONE presidency. By my understanding, the VP cannot be issuing statements on an issue when there is a sitting president.

He added that, “Recall that when Osinbajo was acting as president and similar incident happened at the National Assembly, he took action. The invasion of NASS started at about 7am and by 10.30 am, Lawal Daura had been fired as the DG of DSS.

“So, it would be unfair to attack the VP on this matter because he is just the VP. The buck stops at the president's table. If in the president's wisdom, he refused to take action, he must have his reason. Ours is to speak out for him to take action,” he said.

Similarly, a political group in Nigeria has described as mischievous the comments credited to Mr. Falana.


Falana reportedly made the statement following the re-arrest of Omoyele Sowore, convener, #RevolutionNow protest, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare by the Department of State Services (DSS).


In a press statement signed by Peter Oladele, Publicity Secretary of the Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) the group said the lawyers in the Buhari administration have not acted in any unprofessional capacity to warrant any disciplinary action.


Besides, the group noted that regarding the Vice President in particular it is an unrealistic expectation to require him to respond officially on the misconduct of the DSS agents because the executive powers of the Federal Government are vested only in the person of the President not the Vice President or the lawyers in the Cabinet.


"Besides the President who has the Executive powers in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as Amended, the only person who has responsibility on this matter is the Attorney-General of the Federation," the group explained, adding "this facts are well known to Mr. Falana."


The Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) also recalled that while the VP was acting for President Buhari and the DSS invaded the National Assembly, Prof Osinbajo acted in defense of rule of law and democracy in the country by removing the head of the organization and condemning the invasion. ISD then asked "why does Mr. Falana now think the VP or the lawyers in the cabinet could not advise the President to act in a similar way, afterall it is the same Buhari Presidency?



“Mr Falana is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and he should know that Section 11 of the NBA’s Legal Practitioners Act has specific penalties for unprofessional conduct and there is no provision for disciplining lawyers for the actions of other people,” the group said.


“So how do you call for disciplinary actions against colleagues who have not acted in any unprofessional capacity or have not breached the rules of professional conduct,” the group quizzed.



The group then advised Mr Falana to rid himself of any emotional outbursts that could overshadow what is otherwise a noble work he is doing on the Sowore matter, stressing that, as a senior lawyer he should know who has what powers and where the buck stops in a Presidential system of government such as Nigeria is currently practising.


“As a group we have condemned the actions of the DSS and have called for the immediate release of Mr Sowore because the court has ordered his release. We also condemn the re-arrest of Mr Sowore by the DSS it only puts Nigeria in bad light. And we should not use this unfortunate incidents to dent the image of lawyers in the Buhari cabinet."

When the Vice President was Acting President the time Mr president was on a medical trip He act accordingly been in the shoe of his boss, in this case this boss is around SAN no SAN the Vice President has nothing to do with what is happening to To Sowore or whatever Falana is saying about the Vice president because he is a wise man and acting with wisdom and God's divine direction.

This group should go and read their constitution abeg.

It's quit obvious that he is been Mischievous with that call, is like punishing someone else for another man crime. Like Chief Odumegwu says on twitter the Man is a professional director where Sowore is the actor

I'm surprise Femi can even blame Osinbajo, Osinbajo is not DSS DG, not the President.

I remember that as acting President, Prof. Osinbajo on 7 August 2018, Osinbajo fired the State Security Service boss, Lawal Daura for illegal invasion of National Assembly by armed and masked operatives of the department.

Now the president is available why will you blame Osinbajo in this

What constitution, that Osinbajo is the DG or head of DSS. Osinbajo has no business with DSS or their actions, they don't report to him, you should read the constitution well

Atejila1:
This group should go and read their constitution abeg.

Take This from me everything you see them do is a stage play against 2023, all the drama and stories are to make sure the vice president loose the public acceptance that he enjoy among the masses.

Nobody can dent the image of the lawyers in Buhari’s cabinet, The Dss should come out and tell us why they rearrested sowore shikena

Some Nigerians are just hypocrite, how can you be blaming Osinbajo or dragging his name on the issue of the DSS vs Sowore? Is the role of the vice president changed already or they want him to override his boss or something? We all know what these man is capable of because we saw it when he acted as the president when his principal was away, or we have forgotten so soon?..Wake up Nigerians, Osinbajo is our man.

Atejila1:
This group should go and read their constitution abeg.

Can you please quote the constitution here before i say what is on my mind.

what if Osinbajo is a medical doctor. Who blame Atiku for Odi or Sambo for Chibok girls, you have to understand the position of VP and their functions

Finally, someone who gets it! What have they got to do with anything? Are they the DSS boss? Pls pls

democracy doesnt function the way many nigerians think....

power is spread all over the ol part of goverment....

many nigerians dont even know their is something like a Attorney-General of the Federation sef....

me personaly,i dont think nigerians are ready for real democracy....

they dont even understand that a president dont have that much power....

we can as well practice dictatorship,because this is actualy what they are demandin....

this morafers dont even understand their own system of governance....!!

It surprise me when Femi blaming Osinbajo, Osinbajo is not DSS DG or the President. Please you people should let Osinbajo rest oooo

I think old age is telling in falana. The way he reasons and makes conclusions these days is alarming. I'm sure sure what he wants these people to do. Confused old man.

They're just hallucinating.

Davidic101:
I think old age is telling in falana. The way he reasons and makes conclusions these days is alarming. I'm sure sure what he wants these people to do. Confused old man.

you should be more worried that many fellow nigerians dont understand much about the nigerian system of governance....

before you know,they will put a mad man as the head of 200million souls....

this is how gullible they realy are....

they just like the word democracy,how it works,they have no clue....

wizkid as president....why not dbanj too....

oo yes....this is the danger with nigerians.....very silly and still proud and know everything better....

What is the constitution are you talking about. Just to identify
.

Falz already described his father as the MURIC that he called out in his song.

Saying NBA should discipline lawyers in Buhari's govt is not only childish but stupid.

What have they done in their professional capacity to deserve a discipline?

i cant believe we wasted 2days arguing wheather dss was right or wrong....

So many E-Lawyers on Nairaland don't even know the constitutional role of the Vice President. Even when they are tested positive for malaria they will still blame Osinbajo.

Every bagga wants to cash out on this Sowore saga...

Defeated Atikuloots are hiding behind Sowore now to put idiotic pressure on Govt

IPOB & Nnamdi Kanu apologists see it as a means to make their own opportunity to blackmail Govt

Sowore's lawyer is enjoying the limelight & the media rave... more money to the chamber's coffer

The Media won't want it to stop... enough clickbaits for mischievous lots, enough advert patronage

Finally, Sowore himself is eyeing the big prize! Some public sympathy could buy him more electoral vote than the few 50k he got the last time!

[s]

demitola:
Every bagga wants to cash out on this Sowore saga...

Defeated Atikuloots are hiding behind Sowore now to put idiotic pressure on Govt

IPOB & Nnamdi Kanu apologists see it as a means to make their own opportunity to blackmail Govt

Sowore's lawyer is enjoying the limelight & the media rave... more money to the chamber's coffer

The Media won't want it to stop... enough clickbaits for mischievous lots, enough advert patronage

Finally, Sowore himself is eyeing the big prize! Some public sympathy could buy him more electoral vote than the few 50k he got the last time!

[/s]Trash

obidark:
democracy doesnt function the way many nigerians think....

power is spread all over the ol part of goverment....

many nigerians dont even know their is something like a Attorney-General of the Federation sef....

When you tell them to read it they will say who reading epp.

only those persons who have never worked in a regimented organization would pass the buck of the blame past the Director-General of the DSS and unto others in the executive simply because they are lawyers by profession. What would they have done if the executive were mostly doctors without a single lawyer?

The way Falana decided to entertain gullible Nigerians this weekend, you can rightly say he has a bright career in Nollywood! Now that a senior lawyer has poked holes in all his grandiose playing to the gallery, let us watch out for the next episode.

Is there any word bigger than mischievous here. It's totally wrong. The Vice President's stand was clearly stated when he sacked the DG of DSS as Acting President. He made major moves in the shortest amount of time. I respect him. I guess Falana is a clown.

Falana is a big joker

Oladelesp:
I'm surprise Femi can even blame Osinbajo, Osinbajo is not DSS DG, not the President.

I remember that as acting President, Prof. Osinbajo on 7 August 2018, Osinbajo fired the State Security Service boss, Lawal Daura for illegal invasion of National Assembly by armed and masked operatives of the department.

Now the president is available why will you blame Osinbajo in this

Though all na still script oh and behind the news, buhari was aware Osinbajo would fire the DSS boss.. As a matter of fact, if buhari hadn't approved it, Osinbajo would not have been able to do it..

I wonder the business DSS has with national assembly that would make them do it, if it wasn't an order from their oga being the tyrant called buhari..

I just got to understand that some people will never understand the rule of law, why the VP's name all over Sowore's case, is Osinbajo now new Chief Justice / DSS DG? Haba mana we should learn to appreciate people's effort..

obidark:


you should be more worried that many fellow nigerians dont understand much about the nigerian system of governance....

before you know,they will put a mad man as the head of 200million souls....

this is how gullible they realy are....

they just like the word democracy,how it works,they have no clue....

wizkid as president....why not dbanj too....

oo yes....this is the danger with nigerians.....very silly and still proud and know everything better....

Buhari fall our hand