FEMI FALANA, A LEGAL LUMINARY STANDING UP TALL FOR DEMOCRACY!

When the thorn in the flesh of Nigeria's well entrenched corrupt establishment, Gani Fawehinmi, passed on, many decent Nigerians were despondent that there will be no one else to wage their unending battles. Icheoku also quipped in then that the fight against Nigeria's devilish leaders and instituted corruption may have been interred with the remains of Chief Gani Fawehinmi. But peradventure, Olufemi Falana as of his own right, is proving himself to be a solid and formidable replacement for the departed legal icon!

For standing up against a very compromised and institutionalized corrupt Nigeria establishment; and for particularly championing the course of a full functioning democracy in Nigeria, where transfer of powers will be easily, peacefully and effortlessly achieved, Icheoku declares Femi Falana, the new gate-keeper of Nigeria's consciousness! Thank you Femi for standing up to be counted at this perilous times in Nigeria wavering democracy.

Of special note, is his recent standing up for the former chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu against his traducers; despite his high-handed excessiveness when he had power. It was a matter of principles and Femi rightly understood that Nuhu is presently being victimized specifically for stepping on one certain toe; and for this he is an honorable man. Perhaps the mother of all his battles - his current effort to force a democratic peaceful transfer of power from an indisposed president to his able vice president is equally very remarkable. Icheoku says, never in the recent history of Nigeria has any one man stood up for like this and for what is right, irrespective of the fact that he has no dog in the fight, not being from the South-South Nigeria. Femi is just doing it for what is right and honorable in a democratic setting where smooth transition and/or transfer of power is sacrosanct with a truly functioning democracy. For this selfless act of using the law to do what is right, Icheoku declares him a legal warrior for democracy too.

We have also been wondering why the political impasse generated by the sickly President Umaru Yar'Adua refusal, unwilling and inability to transfer power, albeit temporary, to his more healthy vice president Jonathan Goodluck while he recuperates; was allowed to fester and for this long? Our consternation was also amplified at the taciturn of many Nigerian leaders, especially those past leaders who refused to speak up and support such a quick orderly transfer of power in order not to have a power vacuum in Nigeria. Unfortunately, every soul among them have been foot-dragging in order not to be possibly seen as being anti-Umaru Yar'Adua's presidency. But Icheoku asks, should their loyalty to the sickly President Umaru Yar'Adua be more important than to Nigeria, which one supposed to supersede the other? But thanks to the instituted Nigerian-sycophancy syndrome, which have beclouded and pervaded their idealistic thought. Their failure to appreciate that there is just only one Nigeria and there could be several presidents; and that there must be first, a survived and viable Nigeria for any president to preside over.

In appreciating the good works of the President of West African Bar Association, Femi Falana, Icheoku laments the culture of complacency of the Nigerian public, whose cynicism has provided the bankrupt and decrepitude leadership in Nigeria, the wind underneath their sail. Their surreal indifference to matters affecting them is so mind-numbing that it shudders; and this is what those crass leadership always cash in on to pervert Nigeria as they deem fit. If only Gani Fawehinmi had support? Beko too? Tai Solarin also? Professor Awojobi inclusive? Fela Anikulao Kuti too and now the only two living and still standing Nigerians worthy of mention - Wole Soyinka and Femi Falana. If only there are a few thousands of Nigerians like the mentioned, maybe President Umaru Yar'Adua would have transferred power to his vice president ever before jetting out to a Saudi Arabian hospital bed without the necessity of the present lawsuit. But as usual, Falana was seen as a lone voice in the wilderness of Nigeria, and as far as Yar'Adua is concerned, he might as well shout himself hoarse for all he cares? Our prayer now is that the Federal High Court in Abuja will rise up to the occasion and do the right thing; using President Umaru Yar'Adua's very own "rule of law" mantra to find the president incapacitated, unable to continue functioning as one and order him to transfer power to his more viable vice president. As we have always said, while praying for his quick recovery, the president can always reclaim his mandate whenever he turns the corner, and upon his full recovery.

And as if the insult of an AWOL president is not enough for Nigerians, Attorney General Mike Aondoakaa is now saying that President Umaru Yar'Adua does not owe Nigerians any full explanation concerning the nature of his ailment; for which millions of dollars of Nigeria's money is being spent and used to pay for his hospitalization? His dumb argument is that Yar'dua's privacy needs precludes the disclosure of his medical records to Nigerians; and yet he is Nigeria's president and his medical tabs are being picked up by Nigerian tax-payers? Are Nigerians not entitled to know what medical needs of their president they are paying for? Icheoku says, only in a banana-republic will such obstinacy be tolerated by the governed regarding their president. Our hope is that the suit filed by Femi Falana, praying that the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, be made the acting president while the president recovers, will be accorded the desired judicial assent by the Honourable Justice Daniel D. Abutu, presiding. This way, democratic powers as opposed to 'civilian dictatorial powers' will be accorded its full validity with regard to how power vests in a proper democracy. Until the suit's January 14, 2009 adjourned date, let us pray that the matter is resolved politically before then so that the court is saved from stepping into a dicey political question. Once again, our kudos to Lawyer Femi Falana for braving the vagaries of the land, including arrest and detention, kidnapping and even assassination; and stepping up to the plate to defend democracy in Nigeria. Way to go, Femi!