Obasanjo, Please Stop This Illegality

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By Eso Ugoeze

stainoe@yahoo.com

 

 

Nigerians must be watching with keen interest the events of the past few weeks especially as concerns Bayelsa State and the President’s third term plan. The nation is standing still, and the only thing that seems to occupy the minds of the government is, how to fight opposing voices and finalize a life presidency for the incumbent.

 

Every well meaning Nigerian must condemn in strong terms, the looting of the peoples resources and treasury going on in government cycles at all levels be it Local, State or Federal. The action of the Bayelsa State Governor, D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha, as accused is totally criminal and unbecoming of a leader with whom is entrusted the destiny of his people.

 

Any keen follower of the Nigeria politics especially since 1999 will agree with me that the looting of the people’s treasury at all levels by political office holders is not coming as a surprise considering the manner in which ‘elections’ were conducted and the caliber of candidates foisted on the people who finally emerged as ‘victors’. Politics in today’s Nigeria is exclusively for the rascals, criminals and those who would not mind killing everybody in other to rule even over ghost cities. There seems to be the general belief among Nigerians that the only qualification for political office today is criminality. This group of people are strong proponents of Machiavellianism-the end justifies the means. Do whatever possible (even impossible) to achieve your objectives. The direct and indirect consequences of the action and means are unimportant; what matters is the attainment of the set objective.. No wonder Dr Orji Uzo Kalu described his party the PDP as a den of killers.

 

Under this administration, we have seen people (Bola Ige, Okadigbo, Harry-Marshal, etc) being killed and villages (Odi, etc) being wiped out and the brazen violation of the constitution with impunity by those who are under oath to defend it. We have seen a president who has a giant heart but lacks brains. Fortunately this nation needs not just leaders with the right heart but also with the right brains. We have also heard lies upon lies being told by the government and their agents in order to hoodwink the innocent and ignorant masses- leaders who do not know that ‘a no uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a yes made only to please and, what is worst to avoid trouble..’- Mahatma Gandhi. Under our nose we are witnesses to selective interpretation of the Law and application of justice and punishment for others who appear to have opposing views to those of the government. We have seen criminals and suspected criminals (Chris Uba, Iyiola Omisore, Adewale Oladipo, etc) defended, praised and heavily rewarded by the government of the day that is now synonymous with ‘Anti- Corruption’. Here is a President who makes, interprets, executes and enfo rces the law. I weep for Nigeria!

 

Nigerians are not actually surprised at all these happenings since politics is garbage in garbage out. What you put in is what you get. Put corruption, you reap corruption. Put criminals, crimes become legalized. You cannot carve a masterpiece out of a rotten piece of wood.

 

What really surprises many Nigerians is the seeming silence of the Nigeria Press and our vocal human right crusaders. The Nigeria press today has taken the job of ‘defending our nascent democracy’. After Obasanjo, they may go back to their traditional role as the voice of the voiceless and defenders of the people’s right and their constitution. The words of Martin L. King Jr may be instructive at this point, viz ‘we shall repent in this world not of the sins of evil men, but of the appalling silence of good people’. It may also be instructive to reflect over the words of Elie Wiesel-‘There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest’. Let’s call a spade a spade. It is time to speak out before evil precedents are set and references made to them as standards.

 

Some people for whatever reasons do not care about the destruction of the polity and the constitution of the Federal Republic by the inordinate ambition of one man who sees himself as the only person wh o possesses all it takes to lead this country-his so called good intentions. The defenders of the president’s actions and inactions have always maintained that the ‘Almighty Emperor’ has good intentions. But, may I ask. What is the measure for good intentions? Good intention can only be measured by its effect when put to action. This is why no matter how wonderful and nice the strategy; it is always good to occasionally look at the results. This is feedback. The President should learn to sometimes look at the effects of his actions and not be drowned in his self-bloated ego and touted good intentions.  He should be advised (if he has ears to listen and brain to reason) to respect the constitution for once. He should be reminded that ‘people who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes’. -Abigail Van Buren.

 

If the corrupt governors must be removed from office, the rule of Law must be followed. Section 188-189 of the 1999 constitution of the nation is unambiguous on the procedures that must be adhered to in removing an elected governor from office. The immunity clause under section 306 of the 1999 constitution must be respected until the constitution says otherwise, though you don’t swap horses in midstream. The wanton use of force, terror, or means other than that established in the constitution is unacceptable and treasonable, punishable by death. Chapter 77, Section 37 of the Criminal Code Art of the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1990 states that –‘any person who levies war against the state in order to intimidate, or overawe the President, or the Governor of a state, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death’ The concerned State Assembly should be freely allowe d to perform its constitutional duties devoid of extraneous influences.

 

The President and his forces succeeded but failed to remove Dr Chris Ngige of Anambra state, from power through unconstitutional means. He has also sworn to unseat the Bayelsa State governor, D.S.P Alamieyeseigha by any means but constitutional. The constitution demands that state assembly follows laid down procedures to impeach an elected governor by two-third majority. Otherwise, the governor should be allowed to complete his tenor in office and then be brought to book to answer the charges against him. And in a nation where there is honour, the elected official can choose to resign honourably.  We know this is not the case i n Nigeria.

 

The President must stop this use of illegality in fighting illegality. He must stop this jungle justice and the case of dog eat dog. The use of naked force and intimidation to remove an elected governor is barbaric and amounts to gross disregard for the people and violation of their constitution, which the President is under oath to defend.

 

The President and his PDP gang have taken politics and governance in Nigeria 2000 years back. They ha ve actually been giving political power its true definition as contained in the Communist Manifesto-‘…the organized power of a class for oppressing another’. Now and always, it has been against the people. Yesterday, it was the National Assembly. The other day, it was Chris Ngige. The day before it was Joshua Dariye. Today it is D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha and the President’s vice, Atiku Abubaka. It may be Orji Uzo Kalu and the remaining others tomorrow. And when all the opposing voices are silenced forever, the President will turn against his own shadows and go the ways of dictators. I now appreciate the meaning of the phrase- ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The irony of history is that men do not learn from history.

 

Nigerians should rise up and say capital NO to oppression, no to arbitrary use of power. And resounding no to disregard for the people and their constitution. The President should be reminded that he was ‘elected’ to serve the people of this nation, and not to be a slave to the so called ‘International Community’, which agenda he is vigorously pursuing to perpetually pauperize this country and its citizens.

 

I have no doubt in my mind that the life presidency agenda will fail. I can only say to the President what Gen. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu said to Chief M.K.O. Abiola when he was preparing to declare himself president under a constituted authority. ‘If you succeed, I will be the first to congra tulate you. If you fail, I will be the first to sympathize with you’.

 

By Eso Ugoeze