By Cajetan Mmuta
Nigerians drawn from all walks of life including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANS), Igbo leaders and other leaders of thought have drawn their swords against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami over his outburst against the Igbo race in their quest for economic fortunes, their stand for a peaceful and united Nigeria.

It would be recalled that Malami and the Governor of Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) had engaged each other in the war of words over the outcome of a recent meeting by the Southern governors held in Asaba Delta state capital in which they declared ban for open grazing and other issues. Malami had in reaction to the Asaba declaration likened the action of the governors banning open grazing to “banning of the sale of spare parts,” a comparison that had belittled the Igbo/southern businessmen and their huge potentials as the economic hub of the nation.

On his part, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu had insisted that the Asaba declaration by the southern governors remains irrevocable.

But the concerned stakeholders in reaction carpeted the AGF for the unprofessional conduct, abuse of office, hate speech, and outburst which according to them has diminished his calling as a minister, exposed his insensitivity and inadequacies of his office and the government that employed him.

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The people are therefore calling for Malami’s head for descending so low by his utterances.
Former Aviation Minister during the first republic and Ohanaeze chieftain, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi said Malami’s sack or resignation remains meaningless but that his outburst had proven the worth and value of his employers for the lives and living of citizens of the country.

According to him, If the government that hires him thinks he is doing the right thing by condemning the position of the Southern Governors, the governors had made their decisions and their position is within the ambit of the law and space. Whatever Malami said shows the level and standards of the legal department of the federal government. It shows the standards of the legal makeup of the federal government. When somebody comes so low, it shows the standard is so low.”

“Chief Ifeatu Obi Okoye, a senior lawyer, and Political Adviser to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State said the comments by Malami smacked of ‘hate speech’; ‘totally an embarrassment and that of an ‘illiterate’ and therefore he should resign from his office as minister.

He said, “As a lawyer, I am really embarrassed about the statement coming from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and more so the Attorney General of the federation.”

“The comparison is totally illiterate, coming from somebody who should be well informed.”
“As a lawyer, Malami ought to know that even in fundamental rights, you have derogations. Now the comparison between cattle rearers and spare parts dealers does arise not arise given the basis of the controversy.”

“The basis of the controversy is not simply because these people are cattle rearers because they use their cattle to destroy people’s farms, they kill, carry dangerous weapons; they rape and they are quite unrepentant about what they are doing. You would be asked whether, on the contrary, the ordinary spare parts dealer does he destroy other people’s property? Does he rape? Does he carry dangerous weapons?

“So, I do not see the basis for such a comparison, particularly, I will call his speech as a hate speech because that speech is targeted on a particular tribe who we know to trade on spare parts.”

“So, putting all this gamut together, for violating the tenets of his office, he ought to resign, if he refuses to resign he must be relieved of his office because he is supposed to be the Attorney General of the federation, not an Attorney General of one part of the federation,” he stated.

Former chairmen of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Benin branch, Barrister Collins Ogiegbaen said Malami should always consult and not descend so low in his comments and actions considering his top position.
He said, “I think the declaration by the Southern governors though coming ate, is a bold step in the right direction, considering the way the country is moving and the direction is moving. As you know we hve almost come to the edge of the precipice where you can say that we are more like a banana republic.”

“And the state is stateless and rudderless, in other words, we are almost going back to the stage where life is rough and brutish and so the declaration by the southern governors is welcome and the Attorney General of the federation, is unfortunate because we are talking of a senior advocate of Nigeria that is condemned to words steel, that is he is a lawyer in the innermost sector of the highest echelon of our profession, it is unfortunate that at this stage cannot be seen to be unable to distinguish the past.”

“When he talked about the ban of open grazing being like the ban of spare parts, he should have put into consideration the extant provisions of sections 41, 44 and 45 and their subsections of the Nigeria constitution and that while the citizens are free to move about with no encumbrances whatsoever except they become a security risk, that when we talk about a cartel of movable and immovable property of citizens, they do not include those properties that have been banned by law or those properties that are likely to cause danger to other citizens of the country wherever they reside.”

“So, I think that is where he missed the point. So, the declaration is a welcome development. For me and so many others; we heave a sigh of relief because of the marauding nature of these animals and their so-called owners as encapsulated in various comments of Myetti Allah.”