Opinion
By Perry Brimah
Late Maitama Sule repeated the words “justice” to Buhari 28 times when he first got elected. “An unbeliever who is just will remain in power, but Allah the All Mighty will remove an unjust believer from the thrones of power,” Maitama warned. [https://youtu.be/Lvi1jQFa4cY]
Thousands of legitimate petitions have been written to the Buhari administration since its inception. Petitions were written when Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai’s Dubai properties were discovered. Petitions were written against Abba Kyari after the MTN 500 million bribe scandal was exposed. Petitions were written when Attorney Malami was said to have secretly met with and imported fugitive Maina from Dubai. Petitions were written for the arrest and prosecution of Babachir Lawal for allegedly stealing millions for displaced Boko Haram victims. Petitions and petitions have been written and keep being written to deaf ears. But it took under 24 hours for a suspect petition by Buhari’s henchman to embarrass Nigeria’s judicial system days to the presidential elections.
In fact, stronger than petitions, the courts ruled for Dasuki to be released on bail and Zakzaky and his wife, freed and compensated, but justice was denied.
Buhari recently said that while he knew the embattled security chiefs were horrible, he would not remove them in the best interest of the nation, due to the potential risks to his reign it may cause. Yet in spite of the risk to the upcoming elections and Nigeria’s fragile peace, Justice Walter Onnoghen is to be removed at this eleventh hour? The two or three presidency cabal determined to hold on to power at any cost, appear to have no limits in what they will put the entire nation through in effort to maintain their home in Aso rock. 28 times Maitama said the word, “justice.”
The NJC that recommended the sack of Justice Salami in Jonathan’s era, has described the process in attempt to remove Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen as illegal in itself, citing several court rulings in a piece that has gone viral. According to the release, Buhari unlike Jonathan, violated the principle of passing all actions through the body.
The implications of the travesty of justice today cannot be put in full context.
By standing boldly and unrepentantly in contempt of court on too many occasions, Buhari and the ruling APC has intimidated and rubbished the judicial arm of government.
By persecuting judges and now even the chief justice of the federation, the judiciary has been conscripted as a servant of the ruling party and can no longer independently function in service to the state.
Justice in Nigeria now stands on it’s head. This is why as I just told an associate, Dino Melaye’s dramatic shows of resistance are necessary and the only left courses of action of any Nigerian citizen under probe by state security. The nation is officially lawless. Citizens must use all means of civil disobedience to protect themselves from brazen persecution of the state, illegal detention and even murder by state security arms as globally exposed in a recent indicting investigative video of the latest army massacre of unarmed protesting youth in Abuja, by the prestigious New York Times. [See: https://youtu.be/R6-6wV0agvs]
But then, dare I say, perhaps it serves Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen right. Why has he not loudly protested while he serves as Chief justice, with petitions to the National Assembly and press, against the abuse of power by the executive?
Why did he not publicly consider resigning or resign in protest of all the subversions of justice by the Buhari administration which locked up, persecuted and selectively protected in violation of the law, at will? Did he think it will not one day touch him?
They say, if you are silent when it gets to others, pray that others will not be silent when it gets to you. And the worst anarchical silence is that of those in power..
We stand with Justice Walter Onnoghen.
We stand with all Nigerians, victims, all of us.
The Cabal Must Go!
*Dr. Perry Brimah, Whatsapp: +234-903-420-3031; +1-929-427-5305; @CabalMustGo; @EveryNigerian
– Jan. 14, 2019 @ 11:52 GMT |
Tags: The Abuse and Selective Use of Justice is the Worst Form of Injustice
