It’s the job of the court of balance national security and other constitutionally guaranteed rights not the government as alleged by a trained lawyer. He ought to know and if he did not he is either a layman masquerading as a lawyer or just being mischievous.
Lai: Why this government flouts court orders
Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, has explained why the Muhammadu Buhari-led government flout court orders.
Speaking in an interview with Osasu Igbinedion on The Osasu Show, Mohammed said the government flouts court orders in the interest of national security.
The trained lawyer also said the judiciary does not have the entire picture on some cases at hand and it was the responsibility of government to balance human rights and national security.
When asked why the government continually flouts court rulings on the release of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA) and Ibrahim El Zakzaky, Lai said: “Every government will balance national security with human rights; every country in the world. It is the level of the balancing”.
“As a government, I will balance national security against human rights; and then I will take a decision. Because there is security, there is stability, that the courts also exist.
“What I am saying (is) that the court has ruled but the court does not have the entire picture when it comes to national security. I am a lawyer too, therefore I have utmost respect for the judiciary”.
Mohammed however added that the Nigerians cannot pick one or two cases and conclude that the Buhari government is a government of impunity.
“You cant pick two, three cases which bother on national security to condemn a whole government and say this government is a government of impunity,” he added.
“How many cases are determined daily in Nigeria? I still say every government has that right to balance national security”.
Centre for Nigeria Progress 