Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has asked the Federal Government to identify other heroes of the June 12 struggle.
Falana, who was guest on Channels Televisions Democracy Day edition of Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, advised those who were part of the struggle, and are now in government, to ensure that the ideals are actualised.
“My advice to the government, beyond recognising Chief MKO Abiola, beyond the national honour, well deserved, conferred on him, as well as Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we must also identify other heroes of that struggle from all over the country. This was not a NADECO and Afenifere affair.
“The beauty of those who are coming from the civil society who have found themselves either in the executive or the legislature is to ensure that those ideals are actualised and implemented in government, that is why June 12 is so significant,” he said.
He added that after the elections, candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Bashir Tofa, was under pressure to go to the tribunal and it was at that point the civil societies and trade unions began the struggle.
His words:
“The point has been made abundantly clear, after that election, Bashir Tofa, the other candidate congratulated his opponent and that is what is done in any civilised society; he was under pressure to go to the tribunal but he said no.
“From that moment, the civil society came in, the progressive trade unions came in and made the country ungovernable for the dictators.
“They were waging the struggle when some of us were captured and taken to jail houses, they made it ungovernable for the military dictators to have their way, at the end we won the battle for the restoration.”
