The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has unequivocally condenmed the attempt by the national legislators to criminalize ransom payment by victims of kidnapping without tackling the root cause. According to NBA-SPIDEL, the Law ought to reflect reality in any given society.
While addressing the Press in Lagos ahead of the NBA-SPIDEL annual conference that will hold from May 22 to May 26, 2022 in Sokoto State, the Chairman of the Section, Dr. Monday Ubani said:”The truth of the matter is that victims of kidnapping pay ransoms out of desperation and abject helplessness, knowing fully well that the State has failed and is unable to protect lives and property or secure the release of their loved ones from kidnappers’ den.
“It is very appalling therefore that the same country that has failed to provide security to the people it governs is embarking on a ‘suicide mission’ of criminalizing ransom payment by the very victims that are helpless and desperate to save the lives of their loved ones.”
According to Dr. Ubani, “This piece of legislation under contemplation lacks logic and wisdom and the House of Representatives is hereby advised to jettison the Bill without any further consideration. It does not make any sense at all! Instead, the Legislature is strongly advised to focus on laws that will strengthen national security and protection of lives and property, assuming there is a lacuna.”
Speaking on the 2023 Presidential election, the NBA-SPIDEL stated that Nigerians were shocked at the number of presidential aspirants buying Expression of Interest forms from their various parties at very exorbitant fees and advised Nigerians to be alert and ‘shine their eyes’ in order to avoid the grave error of the past.
“We must separate the wheat from the chaff, pretenders from contenders. Our wrong choices of the past have kept us where we are today – retarded. It will be a colossal disaster if after passing through the harrowing experiences of the past years due to wrong choices, we make the same mistake in 2023 by choosing most of the jesters who are parading themselves as presidential candidates,” Ubani advised.
“We refuse to believe that Nigeria is under a curse of bad leadership. If there is any curse, let us consciously and vigorously break the yoke of that curse collectively and choose a destiny of progress and growth. Let Nigerians arise from slumber and insist on leadership with antecedents, a leadership that can take us to our desired destination. It is possible if we collectively push for it. May God guide us on this noble cause.
“May we remind the legislators that the constitutional amendment is being eagerly monitored and awaited by Nigerians. We have always advocated for a new autochthonous constitution, a constitution made by the people themselves. We demand the immediate passage of some of the amendments to the 1999 Constitution which may correct some of the noticeable flaws in our federal structure. We need more powers and funds to be devolved to the federating units in order to correct the present defective system. Even though a half measure, it is better than doing nothing with the present overbearing federal structure that breeds intolerable inefficiency.”
