The Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, has called for the removal of Attorney-General of the Federation, Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN over what the lawmaker called “less than dignifying” argument of equating open grazing with southerners selling spare parts in the North.
Malami, while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, likened the ban on open-grazing by southern governors with the prohibition of spare parts in the north.
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But the Senate spokesperson, who spoke in his personal capacity as a Senator, said it was not dignifying of the status of the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks.
The APC Senator said equating the activities of archaic nomadic herdsmen destroying peoples means of livelihood with others legitimately carrying on businesses by selling spare parts in their shops stand logic on its head.
He noted that perhaps the Attorney General of the Federation forgets that Nigeria is a federal system with the state governments empowered to make and implement laws for the peace, order and good government of or any part of their respective state.
“This power is derived from the Constitution, which with the Land Use Act, vested on the governors the management of all land within the territory of the state.”
Challenges AGF on the constitutionality of herders conduct
He challenged the AGF to cite relevant sections of the constitution which allowed the herders to trespass on other people’s land and destroy the crops in the guise of freedom of movement, adding that AGF’s comment is less than patriotic.
He observed that the quest to promote unity and prosperity of Nigeria is the utmost responsibility of government and actions of persons in authority must be seen to protect the corporate existence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This primacy of this onerous responsibility cannot be over emphasized in the face of rising tensions along ethnic/regional fault lines have damaged national unity,” he said.
The Senator noted that the statement of the Attorney General is one capable of derailing the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria and called for his immediate removal from the office of the AGF.
He said, “anyone who cannot rise above primordial sentiments and pursuit of parochial ethnic agenda need not occupy position of trust especially at this time of sectional agitations.”
Cautions against divisive comments
The senator therefore advised those who have no meaningful contributions to national discourse operating on the basis of equity and justice to keep quiet and stop rubbishing the Buhari-led APC government.
Similarly, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, also took a swipe at Malami’s comments, saying such a divisive statement from the Chief legal adviser to the federal government exposes a very dangerous mindset.
“This disposition has no doubt raised the tension in Nigeria to a frightening level.
“Why should an Attorney general of the federation be so fixated in evoking ethnic/regional fault lines when duty calls for him to be a statesman.
“It is disheartening that Mr Abubakar Malami has chosen to debase our country. This is very unfortunate”, Senator Abaribe was quoted as saying in a statement by his media adviser, Uchenna Awom.
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