Lere Olayinka, media aide to Nyesom Wike, minister of the
federal capital territory (FCT), has criticised Femi Falana, human rights
lawyer, over comments against his principal.
During a media chat in Abuja on Friday, Wike accused Falana
of spreading falsehoods about the defection status of some Rivers state
legislators on national television.
“A few days ago, the supreme court settled this matter of
defection. “If someone of Femi Falana’s caliber can go on national television
and lie, it’s very serious. Lies can cause a lot of crises,” the FCT minister
had said.
Responding to Wike’s comment, Falana said the minister’s
allegations were baseless and tendentious.
Falana said the allegations stemmed from his comments on a
recent supreme court ruling on the defection of 27 members of the Rivers state
assembly.
He added that his comments were based on the fact that the
matter was raised suo motu and determined by the court.
“Mr. Wike is the only life bencher in Nigeria who has never
handled a case in any trial court or appellate court,” Falana said.
However, in a statement issued on Monday, Olayinka said
Falana’s comments questioning the appointment of Wike as a life bencher are
“funny and ludicrous”.
Olayinka said the FCT minister has “contributed immensely to
the advancement of legal education” in Nigeria.
“It is funny and ridiculous that in the mind of Falana, only
those who have handled cases in trial court or appellate court are lawyers, and
that a lawyer must have handled cases in trial or appellate court to be
qualified for appointment as a life bencher,” the statement reads.
“Apart from going on television to make noise, what has
Falana contributed to the legal profession? Even the SAN that he got, was it
not an afterthought? Was it not years after his mates had gotten SAN?
“As Governor of Rivers State, Wike was instrumental to the
establishment and infrastructural development of the campus of the Nigerian Law
School in Port Harcourt, which is the best centre for legal education in
Nigeria today.
“He also played major roles in the development of facilities
at the Yenagoa campus of the Nigerian Law School by constructing a
state-of-the-art 1,500-capacity hall and 200-bed male and female hostels, among
other interventions.
“Now that he is FCT minister, he is constructing a 10-unit
housing quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja. He has also
provided operational vehicles to the school to improve its operation.
“The question is, what has Falana done for the legal
profession? Even in Ekiti state, where he is from, he has not contributed
anything.
“The Bar Center in Ado Ekiti was built by Aare Afe Babalola
(SAN), while the one in Ikere Ekiti was built by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
“Also, Aare Afe Babalola has been sponsoring the Nigerian
Bar Association’s annual lecture for years and has been assisting lawyers in
Ekiti with medical treatments in his Ado Ekiti teaching hospital. What has
Falana done? Nothing!”h
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