*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.
In a press statement signed by Peter Oladele, Publicity Secretary of the Initiative to Save Democracy (ISD) the group said 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.
