Falana Warn FG, States, Politicians To Stop Sharing Foods To Poor Nigerians

… Recommends Cash Transfer Through Social Register 

By Joseph Sunday 

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The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has advised the federal and state governments to stop throwing food items at the vulnerable people in the society.

Falana stated this in his speech during this month’s Stakeholders Interactive Roundtable On Policy Making And Execution titled: “Law Making in Lagos: Implications And Effects On Human And Economic Rights of The People,” jointly organized by the Center for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership and CDHR in Lagos on Thursday.

The human rights lawyer stated that instead of throwing food items at the people, what the government should embrace is cash transfer.

He said that this can be done through social register, which he said can be used to determine the vulnerable people in the society, saying that the food items that are being distributed do not get to the desired people, but that they are diverted along the way.

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The celebrated lawyer gave an instance of the sales of 25kg bags of rice at N10,000 each by the Nigerian Customs, which claimed lives of seven citizens in Lagos.

He said that this was repeated when three students were killed in Nasarawa State during the distribution of 7kg bags of rice in a campus.

“This is dehumanising and is a slap on the government which knows that it does not have ability to control crowds,” Falana said.

Mr Falana specifically told the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, who was represented at the event by the Chairman of the Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, to pass the message to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor whom he believed can set the pace for other states.

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Falana then thanked the leadership of the CDHR, led by Comrade Debo Adeniran, and said that “if you could do this, that means you are bringing governance closer to the people so that our demands could be made through the House of the Assembly and we are sure that they would be attended to.”

The representative of the Lagos Speaker, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe appreciated the fact that the they were invited to the meeting.

Ogundipe commended the civil societies, which he said have been playing vital roles in the society.

“We appreciate you and we want to tell you that we are together on issues that have to do with human rights and citizens because the essence of lawmakers being the representatives of the people is to make sure that we do things in accordance with laid down rules and regulations.

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“So, if the civil society groups assist us in that capacity I think it’s a good collaboration. We are appreciative of being invited here and we promise you that laws that would make lives meaningful for everyone would be passed by the state assembly,” he said.

The lawmaker stated that the Assembly had said in many fora that the issue that concern the well-being of the people should be brought forward.

“Like I said, the House is for them, when you see any abnormality within your locality, it’s your right to bring it up. It’s when this is done that the Speaker would assign it to the committee involved in such matter to handle. When they handle it, they would still bring it back it to the members of the House.

“So, there is no way we will overlook any issue that has to do with the citizens. When you have constraints, you have your representatives and you know where they are, liase with them, and make documentation available for them.

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Barr. Femi Falana (SAN), vowed he would ensure the issues are raised on the floor of the House on people’s behalf, that’s why you see members raising matters of urgent public importance and they would be treated accordingly,” he said.

He further encouraged the citizens not to wait until a paper is written on the matter or for it to be documented, saying that the House would investigate and conclude the matter as soon as possible and that the people involved would be happy.

The lawmaker then encouraged the citizens to also play their roles on issues that affects them, their neighbours, and their community by bringing them to the notice of the House.

Meanwhile, the President of CDHR and Chairman of the Center for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran, said that the government should put people into consideration, most especially when they are building roads.

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Mr Adeniran noted that there’s no road signs that could direct motorists incase one makes mistake from Adeniyi Jones Road to Ikeja, but that all that one would see in the area are cameras that would capture them if they make mistake or commit any traffic offence.

He said that this should be corrected considering the amount involved in fueling vehicles and the exorbitant amount spent on buying motor parts.

While speaking, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe  emphasized the need for the CDHR President to note that some roads are not car worthy, and appealed to the Lagos State government to repair the terribly bad roads in the state.

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Comrade Adeniran gave example of parts of Ijaiye road on Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way, which he said is believed to be federal road, but has been subjected to public ridicule between Ogun and Lagos for some time now.