A lawyer, Daniel Makolo, yesterday, threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari to court for allegedly refusing to appoint a minister to represent Kogi State at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), six months after the demise of James Ocholi (SAN).
Late Ocholi from Kogi State, was the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital on Sunday, Makolo said that the failure of Buhari to appoint a minister to represent Kogi in his cabinet, as required by the nation’s Constitution, had rendered decisions reached during FEC meetings within the period in question, void.
“The decisions of the federal government as discussed and ratified by the regular FEC meetings, without our (Kogi) contributions, or input from our appointed minister, in my humble opinion, is challengeable and voidable in court of competent jurisdiction”, he said.
“In view of the above, I am proceeding to the court of law to challenge this constitutional violation. To say the least, this violation is impunity by the federal government.
“It’s as if we, the people of Kogi, are not part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
The Kogi-born lawyer said that as a concerned citizen of the state, he had earlier written a letter to President Buhari, asking him to appoint a qualified indigene of Kogi to represent the people in the FEC, the highest decision making body of the government.
Makolo further said that he was compelled to take the legal option “since the federal government appears unwilling to do the needful in the interest of justice and fairness for the people of Kogi”.
