Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its decision to invite former Liberian President George Weah to its 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Falana said on Wednesday that a civilian president could still behave like a dictator if such a leader disregarded the rule of law and suppressed the media.
Weah, in his keynote address at the conference, had stated that “a tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant.”
However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Falana faulted the decision to host the former Liberian leader, arguing that Weah’s administration had itself been accused of undermining democratic principles.
“The Nigerian Bar Association cannot challenge me because I handled two of the cases that I cited,” Falana said.
He alleged that about four judgments of the ECOWAS Court were disregarded during Weah’s administration, adding that he personally handled two of the cases.
According to Falana, the situation illustrated that having a civilian president does not automatically guarantee democratic governance.
“You may have a civilian president who behaves like a dictator. Meaning that he has no respect for the rule of law,” he said.
Falana also accused the Weah administration of harassing the media despite the decriminalisation of freedom of expression in Liberia.
He alleged that radio stations were shut down and journalists were subjected to harassment, including a BBC journalist who, according to him, was forced to leave the country.
The lawyer said the alleged disregard for the judiciary under Weah contributed to citizens seeking legal redress at the ECOWAS Court after losing confidence in Liberia’s domestic judicial system.
Falana maintained that his criticism was based on cases he personally handled and said the issues raised should not be dismissed simply because Weah was invited to address the NBA conference.
Comments