The Saturday Lekki Toll Gate Clampdown -By Festus Adedayo

The Lekki Toll gate in Lagos has no doubt become a metaphor for injustice. Its notoriety as the place where the Nigerian government demonstrated its scant regards for human life reverberates across the world. When the CNN did an expose on the youth protest called ENDSARS last year, the ears of the world tingled. It occurred to it that, despite its pretext to democracy, Nigeria under Muhammadu Buhari was worse than the Iron Curtains and it has this phobia for people’s power.

Yesterday, government went ahead to demonstrate this phobia. It breathed down its dinosaur fire on demonstrators against the Lagos 2020 protest panel’s decision to give the concessionaire the go-ahead to operate the toll gate without a proper dispensation of the issues before it. In saner climes, this right is taken as given.

Government is merely being myopic about this periodic brimming of fire and brimstone on protesters. This is because democracy comes with appurtenances of freedom and free speech. If runners of Nigerian democracy think that they can eat their cake and refuse to have its manifestations, they have a think coming. Democracy is not about the big cars, the retinue of hangers-on and the big fat stomachs they acquire. Those who profess democratic qualities also have to allow free speech to reign. Freedom to ventilate the anger or disavowal of the people with how they are being governed is a fundamental right. Let President Muhammadu Buhari and his Lagos governor know this. When they block the people’s rights to show their grievances, what they invariably do is allow angers to metastasize. God help them when these angers unfold in their burning fury.

Exit of Ibadan Premier Bar man

The oldest Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) branch in Nigeria, the Ibadan branch, lost one of its most dogged and resilient members recently. Born in Imesi-Ile, Osun State, he graduated from the University of Ife in 1968 and got admitted to the Bar in 1969.

Pa Emmanuel Abiodun was an encyclopedia of the bar and was generally rated as a Bar man per excellence. Before studying law, he was Second World Chief of Kegites Club. It was also conferred the Grand Patron of the club.

Since becoming a lawyer, Pa Abiodun held the position of Chairman of this Premier Bar and later, alongside Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, became its patron. Members of the Bar remember him as very forthright and honest man. His selflessness, altruism and generosity were almost a singsong on the lips of members of this Premier Bar.

May the soul of this frontline lawyer find anchor in the bosom of his Creator.