Popular Lawyer and human right activist, Mr Femi Falana SAN has knocked the presidency for appointing ex service chiefs as Non Career Envoys. The lawyer addressed the issues at the webinar to mark the annual 12th Ralph Okpara Lecture organized by the National Association of Seadogs NAS. Falana shed more light on President Buhari’s appointment of former Service Chiefs; Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as ambassadors to avert being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court ICC.
Femi Falana Said; ”Anybody who says appointing ex-service chiefs as Ambassador would give them immunity from being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court ICC is not conversant to the code of conduct. As regards the extra judicial killings carried out under their watch, most especially during the Endsars protest, the Murder of Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB and the Shites member, the ICC has opened a case file for them after receiving several petition as regards the killings under their watch. The ambassador designates will not enjoy immunity or be spared by the wrath of the law.”
When Femi Falana was asked about the extension tenure of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu’s 3 month tenure extension, Falana noted that, what the President did is a illegal. Its like putting the cat before the horse. ”President Buhari signed the Police Reforms Bill 2020, last September, There is a section which says, The President cannot hire or fire an IGP without the Nigerian Police council’s approval. The council consists of the President as the head and the 36 state Governors, he never consulted them in approving IGP’s 3 month tenure extension. The extension contradicts the laws he signed just last year. Just like the recent appointment of service chiefs, they were only nominated not appointed. Until the Senate approves and confirm its illegal.
