Hold leaders accountable, NBA President-elect, lawyers, charge Nigerians

President- elect, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Akpata  has charged Nigerians to begin to hold leaders at all levels of governance accountable , by asking questions bothering on the sustainable development  of Nigeria,  if the desired transformational  change would be  achieved.

His assertion was reechoed by  former NBA Chairman, Lagos, Adeshina Ogunlana and other   prominent lawyers, at the First lecture to commemorate  the Anti-Land Charge 2018 protest in Lagos.

The lecture,  themed Maximizing The Potentials Of The Enlightenment Of The Middle Class In The Struggle For A Proper Nigeria: The Successful Anti-Lagos State Land Use Charge Law 2018Protests As An Exemplar,  was organized by  the Radical Agenda Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association, RAMINBA and the Progressive Bar Forum, in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday.

Akpata said “nothing will change in  our country if our people don’t ask the right questions, if they don’t challenge   those in authority.  I am against the paternalistic attitude when those   in authority arrogate to themselves of being  always right. Nobody is a monopoly of wisdom. There will always be an alternative opinion. You must agitate  for a change to happen. You don’t have to be aggressive or combative, only  make your point clear, in a tenacious manner”.

To reduce the tendency of imposed policies from government, the Guest Lecturer, Richard Akinnola,  said there was  need for a symbiotic relationship  between  the ruling class whom he described as policy makers and the masses, as well as an enabling environment  for  civil organizations  to present  their proposals for policy making and implementation.

Lamenting the upsurge in crime and acts of criminality in the country, Akinola, said: “ it’s quite sad that Nigeria is now said to be the poverty capital of the world with insecurity everywhere. We are daily faced with tales of kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry , terrorism , electoral heists and grand corruption.

“There is therefore, need  for the formation of Think-tanks to proffer policy directions  in our nation.  Egg heads and original thinkers in the country should get involved in scrutinizing the quality of policies being formulated and ensuring their implementation within a realistic time frame.  The time has come for in-depth research into some of the problems and proffering solutions to identified knotty issues militating against sustainable development and economic growth in Nigeria”.

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of RAMINBA, Adeshina Ogunlana, explained that the lecture was held to celebrate the success of the protest against the Land Use charge imposed on Lagosians by former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for reversing the Land Use Charge, Ogunlana, noted that it was very rare for government to reverse its decision.

Harassment Bill

He recalled that : “In 2018, there  was  a massive protest in Lagos over the Land Use charge by governor Ambode .  Our branch under my leadership championed the protest. We protested thrice: on March 13th, March 22 and March 29, 2018, on the streets and at  the State House of  Assembly.

We did that  because we took a decision that we could  not follow the  regular process  of going to court. While the protest was on, , we  told Lagosians not to pay the increment in tax, that we had more than 3000 lawyers to throw into the field to protect their interest if they were arrested by the state. We actually asked for civil disobedience   and it paid off because everyone was involved in the protest.

“It is not always the case that the government reverses itself in Nigeria. In fact, it is epochal and fundamental. Another reason  for this lecture is to entrench this legacy. It is a legacy we have bequeathed, that it is possible to oppose authority and succeed “.