Former President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has congratulated the 10th Assembly on its inauguration, urging the members to resolve the country’s insecurity situation, mass unemployment standing at 40 million, broken hospitals, schools, roads in disrepair, and most importantly reducing the cost of living.
Agbakoba made this call on Wednesday in a release made available to newsmen in Lagos, noting sadly that Nigeria was currently facing perhaps the greatest challenge in what he described as her “convoluted history,” even as he further called on the parliamentarians to “focus on the most important matter of revenue as there are low hanging fruits that can raise N100 trillion to sort out our huge problems.”
This was just as the former NBA president said the anti-corruption process in the country would require overhaul as, according to him, many of the anti-corruption agencies were “not playing in harmony with orchestra.”
“Congratulations to the 10th Assembly. Nigeria is facing perhaps the greatest challenge in our convoluted history.
“We as Nigerians ask that NASS begin to resolve our insecurity situation, mass unemployment at 40 million, broken hospitals, schools, roads in disrepair, and most important reducing cost of living. Please focus on the most important matter of revenue as there are low hanging fruits that can raise N100 trillion to sort out our huge problems.
“The anti-corruption process will require overhaul. Many of the anti-corruption agencies are not playing in harmony with orchestra,” he said.
Agbakoba, while calling for overhaul of the said agencies, noted that they were mostly overzealous in their work, maintaining that it was critical to review the legal framework that set them up for effectiveness.
He said Nigerians would demand a great deal from the 10th National Assembly to heal what he termed our “wounded and divided nation.”
Speaking further, the former NBA president, Agbakoba, decried the statement made by Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa at the valedictory session of the 9th Senate, where he disclosed that his wife, Zainab, a former president of Court of Appeal, used her position as a judge to favour his colleagues in the Senate, describing such as a monumental disgrace for Nigeria’s institutions and, therefore, deserved to be taken up immediately by the authorities for necessary actions.
Agbakoba, while condemning the statement in its entirety, said it was “a blight on my confidence in our systems,” being the lawyer that represented Usman Tuggar in relation to disputed elections between him (Tugger) and Senator Bulkachuwa for Bauchi North Senatorial.
“Senator Bulkachuwa statement at the Valedictory of the 9th senate is a monumental disgrace for our institutions.
“This man deserves to be taken up immediately by the authorities. It is a blight on my confidence in our systems. I represented Usman Tuggar in relation to disputed elections between him and senator Bulkachuwa for Bauchi North senatorial.
“We lost in 3 courts. Senator Bulkachuwa seems to suggest why?,” he said.
The former NBA boss, however, said it remained for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to cleanse the system in the country “in a most dramatic and fundamental process if he wishes to succeed.”
This was just as he noted that the Chairman of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Dr. Abdul-Lateef Abdul-Hakeem, had also made some revelations, pointing to possible deep rot in the country’s systems of government responsible for financial and monetary policy, declaring that the president ought to act now.
“The Chairman of NDIC has also made dramatic revelations pointing to possible deep rot in our systems of Government responsible for financial and monetary policy. The president ought to act now!!” he said.
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