…Bemoans misgovernance, needless spendings by public office holders
Maverick human rights and Constitutional lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has declared that Nigeria’s politics has fallen into the hands of “criminals and touts” who are indifferent to the country’s economic prosperity and the welfare of the people.
This was as he castigated Nigeria’s political leaders over their ‘misgovernance, reckless and needless spendings’ without consideration for the people they claim to be serving.
Falana, who stated these as a panelist at the 2025 National Conference of Egbe Amofin Oodua, held in Abeokuta, pointedly said that the criminals and touts in government are now less concerned about investing in the economic prosperity of the country and the well-being of the citizens.
Speaking on the theme of the conference; “Regional Justice, Security and Sustainable Development”, Falana while comparing today’s political leadership with that of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Falana noted the clear departure from intellectual and people-driven politics to an era dominated by “criminals and touts.”
He specifically castigated the various Southwest governors, whom he accused of presiding over bad governance, infrastructural collapse, and failure to address widespread poverty.
In the words of Falana; “During the days of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, politics was in the hands of the intellectuals. But today, politics is in the hands of criminals and touts who are less concerned about investing in the economic prosperity of the country and the well-being of the citizens
“The governor of Oyo State, who comes to work from his house, now wants to rehabilitate the Government House with N63bn — an amount that is enough to provide good roads and electricity for the state.
“The Lagos State Government spent ₦45 billion on utility vehicles during the first term of the House of Assembly and a planned additional ₦20 billion for the same purpose.
“We are always quick to shout about the misappropriation and reckless spending of public funds in Abuja, but in Lagos… the people are wallowing in poverty,” he said.
Citing the example of the recent flood crisis in Ikorodu, Lagos, which left several communities submerged, Falana noted the absence of government intervention, stressing that in saner climes, relief would have been provided by helicopters and emergency agencies.
Falana particularly decried what he described as “the sorry state of education” in the Southwest geopolitical zone, emphasizing that no state is currently up to date in accessing the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds — despite Nigeria having over 18.3 million out-of-school children, including a significant number from the Southwest.
He further said; “Our education is in bad shape. Today, the roads in the Southwest are terrible. Infrastructurally, we are not there. Unfortunately, when they want to flag off roads that they will not even complete, you will see them making so much noise, doing ceremony. There is need for a rethink”.
