The chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru (APC Osun Central), has called for immediate removal of Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami from office over reckless comment on open grazing.
Malami had Wednesday in an interview on Channels Television, faulted the decision of the southern governors banning open grazing in their states, saying it does not align with the provisions of the constitution.
The Attorney-General in the interview said the decision “does not hold water” in the context of human rights as enshrined in the constitution and went ahead to make possible comparison between the decision and banning of Auto Spare parts in the 19 Northern States by their respective Governors.
“For example: it is as good as saying, perhaps, maybe, the northern governors coming together to say they prohibit spare parts trading in the north”, he had said in the interview.
But reacting to the Attorney – General’s comparison, the Senate image maker said the argument put up by Malami was less dignifying and less patriotic.
Ajibola in a personally signed statement on Friday , alleged that Malami’s comparison of banning of open grazing in southern part of the country to possible banning of Auto Spare Parts selling in the Northern States, is a serious threat to the unity of the country, making him unfit to continue as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
According to him, the statement of the Attorney General is one capable of derailing the unity, peace and progress of Nigeria and therefore called for the immediate removal from office of the AGF saying “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 said :”It was not dignifying of the status of the Nation’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice to make such remarks.
“Equating the activities of archaic nomadic herdsmen destroying peoples means of livelihood with others legitimately carrying on businesses by selling spare parts in their shops stand logic on its head.
“Perhaps, the Attorney General of the Federation forget that Nigeria is a federal system with the states government empowered to make and implement laws for the peace, order and good government of or any part of their respective state.
“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.
“I challenged the AGF 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 . Your comment is less than patriotic.
“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 the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”