Protest Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has dragged the Federal Government to court over its refusal to establish an Education Bank for deserving Nigerian undergraduates. In Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1122/2011 filed at the Federal High Court today, Mr. Falana is an order directing the Federal Government to establish the Nigerian Education Bank forthwith.
Protest Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has dragged the Federal Government to court over its refusal to establish an Education Bank for deserving Nigerian undergraduates. In Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1122/2011 filed at the Federal High Court today, Mr. Falana is an order directing the Federal Government to establish the Nigerian Education Bank forthwith.
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He is also seeking a declaration that the failure or refusal of the government to establish the Nigerian Education Bank is illegal and unconstitutional as it violates sections 1 and 4 of the Nigerian Education Bank Act (Cap N104) LFN 2004.
The affidavit in support of the originating summons was sworn to by Solomon Kehinde, a lawyer in Falana & Falana’s Chambers. In it, Mr. Falana alleged that his demand for the establishment of the Bank has been ignored by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Falana who complains that he is regularly requested by indigent students for financial aid has predicated his action on Section 7(1) of the Nigerian Education Bank Act which mandates the Bank to “provide loans to students to finance their education in institutions of higher education”.
Also today, Mr. Falana condemned last Friday’s violent disruption of the peaceful protest of residents of Lekki in Lagos State, by the combined team of armed mobile police personnel and thugs, warning that such action cannot be justified in a democratic society.
“It is particularly unacceptable in Lagos where some of those in the current government in Lagos State used to take part in the several protests organised by the pro-democracy movement against the defunct military junta,” he said in a statement.
He reminded the Police and the Lagos State government that the fundamental right of Nigerian citizens to stage peaceful protests for and against the Government was upheld by the Court of Appeal in the celebrated case of the Inspector-General of Police vs ANPP (2008) 8 W.R.N 65 decided on December 12, 2007 in which police authorization for public meetings, rallies and protests was declared unconstitutional.
He said that the issues being raised by the protesters should be addressed without any further delay, instead of resorting to the diversionary ploy of blackmailing them.
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