Rejection Of True Federalism Stalling Nigeria’s Devt – Olanipekun

Chairman, Nigerian Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) has expressed displeasure over Nigeria’s failure to embrace true federalism.

The legal Icon who described this as an aberration posited that it was the reason the country has not developed. Olanipekun therefore said he was in support of the position being canvassed by state governors for the establishment of state police.

The senior lawyer said Nigeria must use the opportunity of the Constitution Amendment to get the nation fully federalised and democratised.

He spoke in his Ikere Ekiti country home, while presenting over N30 million cash gift to students, youths, aged and widows, to mark the 2022 edition of Wole Olanipekun Scholarship and Empowerment Schemes at the weekend.

Speaking on the state of the nation, Olanipekun said; “We are having this stalemate in the  Constitution Amendment because some  governors expressed reservations that they will only accept the passage if State Police is approved. That is, something like state autonomy.

“I support the governors on this.  Nigeria is the only country that practices democracy, where we have only one police formation being controlled from Abuja, and this is failing us, this is wronging the system.

“Let us look at our land mass from Calabar to Kaura Namoda, from  Bayelsa to Borno, how can it be secured by only the federal police? Look at the size of the Southwest, can it be policed by only federal police? Even in Lagos alone, it is wrong to have only one police formation.

“Let us look at London, it has the London Metropolitan Police. Harvard University alone has the Harvard University Police Department. Looking at all these, why are we different? Why are our people like this? Why are they failing to allow Nigeria to be fully federalised and democratised?

“Even in the legal profession, we are facing a lot of challenges that started under Gen Sani Abacha’s era. Abacha took all the jurisdictional powers of the State High Courts and took them to the Federal High Courts through Decree 7 of 1994. That was the beginning of the problem we are facing today in Nigeria’s legal profession.

“The jurisdiction of the State High Courts is subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal High Courts, even when the Federal High Courts were mere revenue courts. This is a jurisdictional fallacy, it can’t work, it has been failing us.

“The governors’ views were clear. They are not asking for what is utopian, but what ought to be under an ideal democratic situation. So, I align myself totally with the reservations of these governors”.

Disclosing that a total of 1,475 persons had benefited from the scholarship and empowerment schemes as at 2021, he advised the youths and students to shun internet fraud, kidnapping, ritual killing  and other vices to safeguard their future.

Olanipekun noted that the schemes were established by him 26 years ago to vanish poverty, liberate the people and propel education among the children of the poor.

He urged the new Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji to place high premium on the development of the state’s infrastructure, education and internal security sectors by strengthening Amotekun corps to provide adequate security and rejuvenate the economy.

Governor Oyebanji,  who lauded Olanipekun’s gesture said, “Government can’t do it alone, I want to appeal to the people of means to help Ekiti to develop education. Whatever you do for humanity is the best. The achievements of any man are measured by the number of those who laugh when his name is mentioned.”

In his lecture titled; “Education, Youth and Community Development,” a professor of Botany, Prof Dele Olowokudejo, stressed that Nigerian youths can only be productive and shun vices, if they are educationally and technically empowered by governments, corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals.