The Nigerian Law Society(NLS) on Tuesday took a swipe at Monday’s national broadcast of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying long speeches, beautiful prose, and defective ministers list will not pay for fuel and hardship are presently going through.
In a statement signed by her President, Mr Kunle Ogunba SAN, NLS, a new association of lawyers seen as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says President Tinubu can do better.
Below is the full statement:
LONG SPEECHES AND YOUR DEFECTIVE CABINET WONT PAY FOR OUR FUEL, THE HARDSHIP ON NIGERIANS IS BEYOND ORCHESTRATED PROSE
The Nigerian Law Society (NLS) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu: “Your Excellency can do better”:_
Not long ago; His excellency announced the removal of fuel subsidy. This announcement threw the country into a frenzy. Then came the unofficial and then lately, the official increase in fuel prices.
His Excellency gave citizens an impression of preparedness but what have we now seen? The president has literally put us to shame with the current list of ministerial nominees by populating the list with notorious and re-circled politicians…., it seems the president is bent on playing politics with our collective fate contrary to the impression of preparedness which he portrayed on the day of his inauguration.
In the aftermath of the presentation of the ministerial candidates to the National Assembly; many Nigerians are now concerned and rightly so. We can boldly say that the selection of the current ministers are way below the expectations of the masses
Our position is that the choice of some of the ministerial nominees does not build confidence or create the HOPE the people were promised.
Aside from the constitutional bottleneck of failing to nominate ministers from every state in the Nation; Mr. President has ignored the outcry of citizens by nominating one or two incompetent and non-deserving individuals to his cabinet
We therefore call upon his Excellency to not only review his list but to also ensure that all states of the federation are properly represented.
NLS also calls on the National Assembly to have the interests of the citizens at heart by scuritizing the ministerial nominees and deliver the best candidates to the people of Nigeria.
We note also that, His Excellency seems to have taken Nigerians for granted and completely forgotten that long speeches can’t buy fuel at petrol stations!.
It is an anomaly for someone who was not patient and without proper consultation; to jerk up the fuel price and then turn around to preach to us to be patient
P-BAT should rather address the debilitating effects of the dysfunction he has wittingly created!.
It is also an anomaly for a President who with a speed of light increased fuel prices to be pleading for patience and understanding which he himself never exhibited?!.
More confounding is the admission that the fuel subsidy cabals consists of a tiny few who are holding the populace to ransom!….Is he serious?
Does it not make more sense to only increase fuel pump price after patiently and painstakingly dealing with these few cabals than throw the entire nation into avoidable suffering and untold hardships?.
The sum total of the President’s speech on the 31st of July 2023 appears to be a grandiose oratory which makes little or no attempt to practically address the pains attendant to the action he has taken in a manner that tends to suggests that the subsidy removal was premeditated, not carefully planned and implemented from a man who is reputed to be very well prepared for the position he presently occupies.
NLS is therefore constrained to support the call for peaceful and non-violent protest by Nigerians to drive home the point that they are in pains;. we Nigerians are suffering!… We must demonstrate to the government and its lackies that the current pains, agony and sufferings currently experienced by the populace is so real as to engender an immediate action by the Federal Government of Nigeria
Signed
Kunle Ogunba SAN
President, NLS
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