FEMI FALANA, ICHEOKU SALUTES YOUR COURAGE.

Icheoku says it is not where a man stands in times of convenience and comfort that makes a man; nope, it is where he stands in times of great adversity and tribulation. It is where he stands when faced with the choice of biting the bullet for his convictions and beliefs. It is where he stands when pilloried, irrespective of the popularity or otherwise of his conviction and regardless whether he is a minority opinion or the lone voice in the wilderness of cacophony of compromised and intimidated voices of deceit and untruthfulness. That is what makes a man, the id of a man. Simply put, it is the fire in the belly of man that truly makes him a man; which also makes it possible to fearlessly look a king in the face and tell him that there are exceptions where a king can do wrong. It is speaking truth to power and damning any consequences arising thereto, including communal ostracising by the tribe of the king to whom he spoke the truth. Icheoku says in this area of exemplary courage, this particular Senior Advocate of Nigeria extraordinaire, Chief Femi Falana, is overflowing with it; and this is what distinguishes him from the rest of the pack - the proverbial man among men scenario. 

Ndigbo of and in Lagos are facing imminent threat of extinction by drowning, following a threat by the Oba of Lagos to drown them in the Lagos lagoon. While many other notable voices in Nigeria, including the now seemingly deranged Wole Soyinka, were murmuring in hush-hush tones about what the Oba said being reprehensible, this indefatigable legal mind rose up to the occasion to be counted, as the person who refused that the man in him will die faced with tyranny. He spoke out to condemn what Oba Akiolu threaten to do to Ndigbo, calling for an apology to Ndigbo from the Oba. Icheoku says this is what true courage looks like and it is not the first time, Femi Falana had risen in defense of a cause involving the Igbo person. Recall that when Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime allegedly imprisoned his wife Clara Chime inside Enugu Government House, it was only Femi Falana that rushed to her rescue, thundering illegality by a sitting governor and summarily secured her freedom from her forced imprisonment. Needless to add that some Igbo lawyers who were consulted prior, chickened out as they were too timid to go up against a sitting governor. 

Icheoku says fear is the greatest weapon of mass destruction in the arsenal of oppressors and until a society overcomes their fear of their oppressors, they can never indeed be truly free. Icheoku prays that Nigerians will learn something from this erudite lawyer, who has once again displayed that truth is like light which vanishes darkness and usually shames power into doing right by the people and for the people. For courageously and boldly condemning the threatened annihilation of the entire Ndigbo population in Lagos, infringing on their right to life abridging their freedom to choose of who governs them in Lagos; and also calling for an apology to Ndigbo from the Oba of Lagos, Icheoku hereby crowns Femi Falana the new peoples advocate-in-chief of Nigeria. Icheoku prays that other Nigerian lawyers could summon enough courage to thread on this lawyer's path towards securing the freedom of every Nigerian against the power shareholders of Nigeria PLC. Icheoku says thank God that there is another Gani Fawehimni-like personality still existing in Nigeria. Icheoku says thank you Falana for speaking up and may you continue to provide the much needed guide for Nigerian lawyers, who tremble in fear when faced by these oppressors and you wonder who will then protect and defend their clients, if they are this too cowardly to face down these threats.  

Here are excerpts of Femi Falana's statement condemning  Oba Akiolu's hate speech and call for genocide against Ndigbo of Lagos:-

"The Oba’s diversionary threat is totally unacceptable as it is a mockery of the political objective of national integration, a violation of the fundamental right of thousands of citizens to life.

In the case of Director-General of State Security Service v Olisa Agbakoba (1999) 3 N.W.L.R (PT 595) 314 it was held by the Supreme Court that ‘It is not in dispute that the Constitution gives every Nigerian citizen the right to move throughout Nigeria and to reside in any part thereof. It also guarantees to the citizen the right not to be expelled from Nigeria nor be refused entry or exit therefrom.

Since the residency right of every citizen is constitutionally guaranteed the Igbo people in Lagos should discountenance the threat of Oba Akiolu. Indeed, the human-rights community has always kicked against discriminatory policies and ensured that all victims of human rights abuse are defended and protected regardless of their ethnic identity.

Oba Akiolu ought to have realized that the Electoral Act has not conferred powers on any traditional ruler or any other authority to sanction anyone for voting for a candidate of his or her choice in any election conducted in Nigeria. After all, before the just concluded presidential election the Oba adduced reasons why he could not endorse the presidential candidate of the APC, General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd.). He was not harassed or intimidated for exercising his freedom of choice. Since the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended has banned any form of hate campaign the Oba is advised to withdraw the threat credited to him and apologize publicly to the Igbo people without any delay.”