Segun James
As Nigeria heads for the general election in 2023, a foremost human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has said that until medical tourism by public office holders is stopped, the infrastructural challenge in government health facilities will not end.
Falana, who stated this at the first Mohammed Fawehinmi Memorial Lecture and book presentation, insisted that if every public office holder is forced to have their medicals in Nigeria, they would be forced to provide adequate facilities for the people.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Nigerian Masses and The Election’, Falana said the business of the 2023 general election must not be taken as a joke.
He advised the people to challenge their various candidates on salient issues, noting that the 2023 general election was beyond religion and ethnicity.
He said: “The business of next year elections is not a joke. The people must challenge their parties to address the various issues the country is facing.
“Questions should be asked on health issues, ASUU strike, insecurity, and the economy. Their position on all these issues and how they plan to end them for good.”
He said medical tourism by public office holders is responsible for the disdain that they have for the facility they provide for the people.
“Enough of health tourism! Anybody who holds public office must be treated in Nigeria for any health challenge. Public office holders must die here,” the lawyer said
He stated that since Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s knee surgery took place in the country a few weeks ago, then every public office holder should be compelled to do the same.
Falana also urged the Chief of Defence Staff to live up to his promise that the 2023 general election must hold.
He lamented that this promise has become necessary given that so many Nigerian communities are under the control of bandits, and that the security agencies seemed helpless.
Falana said it was lamentable that bandits are not only controlling parts of the country but are also threatening to abduct the president, adding: “Now people are praying that the threat to capture the president should be carried out. That shows the level of frustration of the people.”
He challenged the ‘Obidient’ supporters of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, that if the party wins the presidency, the situation of the country should not be business as usual, adding that the decision of the leadership of the party to offer a senatorial ticket to newly released former Governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye, is alarming.
“Even the All Progressives Congress (APC) rejected him, but the LP has accepted him; this is worrisome.
“I don’t care which party you belong to, what is important is that the people should ask questions and reject the high living conditions in the country,” he said
Falana also urged the federal government to address the issue of the exchange rate which he described as also worrisome.
Paying tribute to the late Mohammed Fawehinmi, the activist described the deceased as a defender of the masses, who despite his physical challenge, contributed his quota to the development of the country.
“Mohammed lived a life worthy of commendation and impacted so many lives positively
“He kept the flag flying doing justice just like his father, a great Nigerian and a passionate human rights activist,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin lamented the “corrosive effect of political mismanagement of education which had left the masses uneducated about the society,” saying even the literate are now deficient in relevant knowledge about the society.
