Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has alleged that some state governors cannot pay the proposed N30,000 minimum wage because they are not blocking the leakages going on within their governments.<\/p>\n
According to him, only Kano State has an anti-corruption commission.<\/p>\n
Falana, who said this today when he was featured on a breakfast show on Arise Television, said the fight cannot be limited to the federal government alone.<\/p>\n
He lamented what he called the negligence of state governments to join the federal government in its fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
His words:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn line with section 15, subsection 5 of the constitution, the provision says the Nigerian state shall abolish corrupt practices and abuse of office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat does not mean the federal government. The Nigerian state, including the federal government, state government and local government. But apart from the federal government, no state in Nigeria is fighting corruption.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why some of the state governments are saying they cannot pay minimum wage because they are not blocking the leakages going on. Kano state is the only state, this may interest you, has an anti-corruption commission. No other state in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, access to information is denied by all state governments in Nigeria apart from Ekiti state. Only Ekiti state government, under Fayemi, has adopted the freedom of information act.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it\u2019s difficult in any state to ask for information with respect to public affairs. So, you can\u2019t just single out the federal government fighting corruption in a country where majority of state governments are not bothered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, it will not be fair to limit the fight against corruption to the federal government. As a country, Nigeria has not decided to fight corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n