Press Releases

Fashola Calls For New International Legal And Economic Order

Mar 12, 2010 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Friday called for the introduction of a new International Legal and Economic Order to take care of the emerging needs of the world.

Governor Fashola, who spoke as Chief Guest of Honour at the 32nd Annual Lions Day with United Nations Celebration held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, added that the United Nations Charter as designed in 1945 only contemplated the evolution of the world today.

Said he: “Is this not the time to revisit the Charter to modify the Charter, reform it so that it can be better be able to respond to the needs of today. The UN Charter then was designed to stop international aggression particularly against the expansionist policy of Germany”.

At the heart of that were the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of nations in the comity of nations thus becoming a policy of international engagement.

The Governor explained that what is now being observed is not the case of nations taking up arms against themselves but leaders of nations taking up arms against their citizens.

He noted that the global community cannot rise against this in the spirit of the old UN Charter because it is regarded as internal affairs, adding that this explains why the world turned a blind eye on Rwanda.

Governor Fashola however observed that curiously sometimes when economic interests are concerned, it is no longer regarded as an internal affair because then, might becomes right.

In his words: “This is a time to ask new questions about the viability and sustainability of those laws made about 60 years ago to deal with the problems we face today. There is a need for a new legal and economic world order”.

The Lagos State Governor who wondered if man can live a life devoid of arms, stressed that the production of arms is a huge business and when one looks at the international distortion in economic relations between the nations that use arms and the nations that produce them, it may not be in their economic interest to stop the production of arms.

“At the point where society has evolved that even in Africa, games reserve, forest reserve are subject to laws that prohibit indiscriminate killing of animals, it is striking that human beings that make those laws to protect animals cannot make the same laws to protect themselves from weapons that kill human beings”, he added.

Why supporting the position of Governor Oshiomhole who was the guest speaker on the need for a reform of the political system, Governor Fashola noted that it is only when the political system is right that the right people can get into position.

He said the crises that happen from region to region have global impact, with people being dislodged and displaced leading to refugee situation that has at its underlying cause the economy and struggle for the allocation and management of life’s resources.

Speaking earlier, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who spoke on the theme: “Contemporary Transnational Threat to Global Peace” said today terrorism is growing in scope globally leading to anxiety about a subversion of peace among nations.

He said in the Nigerian context, growing poverty has resulted in a rising population of the poor who are ready for criminality at the snap of a finger, adding that the situation has not been helped by Nigerian leaders who undermine peace at all times with their do or die approach to political power.

Governor Oshiomhole added that the Nigerian State is working for only a few people as demonstrated by the seeming inability of the Federal Government to prosecute people who have consistently demonstrated that they have no regard for human life by taking the lives of others with impunity.

The Governor explained that there is a need for the state and the business private sector to work together to reinvent and reposition the Nigerian economy to provide jobs and reduce the army of unemployed frustrated people that abound.

He called on Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to revisit the source of political power and ensure a cleaning up of the electoral system to give ultimate power to decide to the majority of the people at all times if he wants to leave a lasting legacy.

He added that there is a need to revisit the issue of how the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the State Resident Commissioners are appointed, adding that the present arrangement where they are appointed by the President is unacceptable.

He also said the present political arrangement where a beneficiary of a fraudulent electoral act is allowed to enjoy the spoils of office while the election is being investigated is not fair and should be revisited, adding that almost three years into office of some political office holders, there elections are still being adjudicated over by the courts.

He affirmed corruption also need to be talked with everybody getting involved beyond mere paying of lip service to issue of corrupt act by political leaders, adding that it is very pitiable that the more dollars the Nigerian government spends of NEPA to improve power supply, the more darkness the country gets into.

Governor Oshiomhole called for a revisit of the good governance agenda in all ramifications such that the people will have jobs as a tool for fighting poverty, adding that the current arrangement is unacceptable.

He said Edo State has borrowed the Lagos example by planting flowers and designing the walkways such that all area boys have been fully engaged with jobs which have made them useful members of the society.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Oladapo Fafowora praised Governor Fashola saying in recent times, Nigeria has not seen a leader who has been as committed as he is to the welfare of the people and the eradication of poverty.

Ambassador Fafowora said he has always religiously followed the budget of Lagos State yearly commended the Governor for always giving prominence to capital expenditure in his yearly budgetary provisions.

He added that the Lions club owes it a duty to always enlighten the people on the evils of wars and that without peace there can be no development.

He said the quest for material has always been responsible for humans making nations to go to war, adding that the Nigerian civil war was unnecessary and did not change anything.

Awards of honour were presented to the doyen of the Lions Club in Nigeria, Chief Akintola Williams, his late wife, Mrs. Oye Williams who also received a post humous award for her contribution to Lionisim in Nigeria and Governors Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Adams Oshiomhole.

Prominent among those who were present at the event were Lion Club members in Nigeria and the chairman of the organizing committee of the Lions Day with the UN Committee, Lion (Mrs.) Bintu–Fatima Tinubu.