Chairman, Senate Committee on Media, Senator Ajibola Basiru, on Thursday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, from office over his comments on the southern governors’ ban on open grazing.
On Wednesday, Malami, who featured in a television programme, had faulted the decision of the southern governors, declaring it as unconstitutional.
He had argued that the decision “does not hold water” in the context of human rights as enshrined in the constitution.
“It is about constitutionality within the context of the freedoms expressed in our constitution. Can you deny the rights of a Nigerian?” Malami had argued.
But the Senate’s spokesperson, Basiru in a statement on Thursday, lambasted Malami over his statement, describing his comments as, ‘less than dignifying’ argument of equating open grazing with southerners selling spare parts in the North.”
But the lawmaker said he spoke in his personal capacity as a patriot and Senator.
According to him, “It was not dignifying of the status of the nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks.”
Senator Basiru said comparing the activities of archaic nomadic herdsmen destroying peoples means of livelihood with others doing legitimate business of selling spare parts in their shops stand logic on its head.
He noted that the statement of the Attorney General could derail the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria.
The Senate’s spokesperson, therefore, called for “the immediate removal from office of the AGF.”
Basiru said, “Anyone who cannot rise above primordial sentiments and pursuit of parochial ethnic agenda need not occupy position of trust, especially at this time of sectional agitations.”
He also advised those who have no meaningful contributions to national discourse operating on the basis of equity and justice to keep quiet and stop rubbishing the Buhari- led APC government.
He said, “These kind of statements have made Nigeria a laughing stock in the comity of nations and in fact they ridicule the Administration of President Buhari.
“These statements are not giving hope to those at the receiving end of the activities of the herdsmen.
“Perhaps, the Attorney General of the Federation forgot that Nigeria is a federal system with the state governments empowered to make and implement laws for the peace, order and good government of or any part of their respective states.”
Basiru added, “This power is derived from the Constitution, which with the Land Use Act, vested on the governors the management of all land within the territory of the state.”
The lawmaker challenged Malami to cite relevant sections of the constitution which allowed the herders to trespass on other people’s land and destroy the crops in the guise of freedom of movement.
He argued that AGF’s comment is less than patriotic.
Basiru noted that the quest to promote unity and prosperity of Nigeria is the utmost responsibility of government and actions of persons in authority must be seen to protect the corporate existence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This primacy of this onerous responsibility cannot be over emphasized in the face rising tensions along ethnic/regional fault lines have damaged national unity,” he said.