From Taofeek Surdiq, Ado-Ekiti

The President, Body of Benchers in Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, has admonished the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency find reasonable solutions to the plight of the people of the country as regards the naira swap currently being experienced in the country.

Olanipekun said “the reality on ground is that the policy of the new redesigned naira note is a good idea, but the implementation of the good idea is faulty”

He said the people in the informal sector who are in the majority are the one which is badly affected in the country now, those who don’t have bank account such as the motherless, fatherless, taxi drivers, orphans, petty traders, among others

“That Nigerians are suffering, yes, people depend on some people, who are not using POS, to feed, pay school fees, buy something to eat at home everyday”

According to the legal luminary, “In Nigeria, those who make out the informal economy are people who are not into white collar jobs, government don’t pay them monthly, they sell, hawk their wares, the downtrodden.

“The naira policy, the way it was initiated, I don’t want to doubt the good faith of government, but one thing is that government exist to make life easier, pleasurable, meaningful, habitable for the citizenry, that is the prime essence of government”

“I will not say much if government says that they are doing this because, they don’t want the politics and election to be monetized. I agree with government but the question is this, if your election and your politics are monetized, what are the security agencies doing”

“Majority of the people are suffering, if the people have the money they cannot access in the bank, that money is useless”

Olanipekun, who was just appointed a visiting Professor of Legal practice by the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, weekend, said it’s sacrilegious for any lawyer to be commenting fancifully on any matter that is pending in court.

The legal giant also gave N10 million, to 20 best students in the faculty of law to encourage them in their studies.

He pleaded with Nigerians not to pull down the judiciary in the country.

He noted that: “It is always better and even very decent and the ethics of our profession when a matter is subjudice not to comment on it”

He advised lawyers to subject any matter or judgment if the court to criticism in law journals, law reports, write ups, and not by ways of abusing and to call it beautiful names

He noted that abuse is no arguments, it doesn’t improve arguments.