Protesting Nigeria: And Lawyers Too Striked...A Strike Too Many

By

Prince Charles Dickson

Jos, Plateau Nigeria

 
 
Lawyers made good their threat to boycott courts nationwide to protest alleged rampant disobedience of Court orders by the executive arm of government and its agencies, instead of the Attorney General looking for a peaceful and dialogue oriented solution took the NBA told Court and good a thing the Judge asked the Minister of Justice to go and put the NBA on notice.
 
For the past six years it is no gain saying that this Obj led government has treated Court orders and rulings with disdain and scorn, right from the Anambra saga to the drama in Plateau state. I make bold to say that the Judiciary has never been ridiculed in its history like it has in this present dispensation go to Oyo, ask Ladoja, Alams, Dariye, the onions of the issues involved notwithstanding.
 
We have witnessed the EFCC, the Police, the President, Ministers, INEC, all disregard court orders and rulings, the list is endless either it is outright disobedience or the agencies are circumventing the orders. The ‘quality’ of Judgement and the latest motivation of Judges claiming that they were misquoted or judgements typed wrongly has not helped matters.
 
It is sad that even in the empty appeal made through an advertorial by the Minister of Justice, it was spoilt by false ignorance, requesting the NBA to tender proof of disregard for Court orders by government.
 
Yet another strike, labour has gone on strike on several counts to the point, these days no one cares, kerosene is no where, the masses are suffering, no one cares, no one is bothered or interested in a strike because it is no longer a viable tool, the government already has an antidote to the strike style.
 
Yet another Strike, Medical Doctors, resident Doctors all have gone on Strike for every and al l reasons, at a point it was the psychiatrists at the National Psychiatrist hospital that left mad men and lunatics on the prowl. On the whole the patients…. Poor patients have borne the brunt. The last one in Lagos, several patients died, who cares, because all those on top have their headaches and back pains treated in anywhere from Vietnam to United Kingdom.
 
The political messiahs that they are, have watched as teachers go on strike, from primary to secondary level and tertiary institution. Several academics years have been lost in seven years of this present misadventure led by the PDP. Gone are the days when the teachers had any type of reward both in heaven and on earth.
 
For professors and senior academics, it has been a continuous brain drain, for primary and secondary school teachers, they have left empty classes in the wake of the search for a better life in banking halls of Oceanic, Zenith and co of this world, the communication rooms of MTN, Global com, that is when the oil rigs of Shell, Chevron and co is not their destruction.
 
The Strike, yet another Strike, the Nigerian police has gone on strike but for the last one that was not ‘too’ successful it would have been the second one in as many years. If the police can go on strike once and threaten a second one and the citizenry are beginning to feel safer with robbers than the police. We then have a big problem. When robbers strike everyday, we hear the President and his men continue their elongation of tenure dance and they care less.
 
In this short take I wonder why no one is talking after this strike, the whole matter largely will remain unsolved the real issues will still continue and the government’s strategy of overlooking the complaints of the masses will continue. They have caged the labour movement, the civil Coalition and civil society is battling itself. The divide and rule politics established by Lord Lugard has been given a concrete foundation by our present crop of leaders.
 
Our mothers went on protest and the police went on rampage venting their frustration on ‘their’ mothers via tear gas, just because of a peaceful demonstration.
 
The last regional styled strike dealt a big blow to the Civil Community and the media terrain and in its usual we do not care attitude as two people’s advocate died; their deaths did not move the government to any people sensitive action.
        
Hunger pervades the land, Nigerians daily go through hunger strikes for lack of food that is why you hear youths, NANS et al talk of third term, hunger affects the brain for sure, it inhibits the sight and impedes hearing. So we have all manner of strikes.
       
Even banks, communication outfits, oil companies have resorted to casual workers, a situation which all the picketing and strikes have not corrected. The truth is that in essenc e, none of these strikes have been an exercise in a triviality or for the fun of staying back at home. However it is also a sad development that ‘no one counts the loss the nation incurs when all these strikes occur. We are nation that in the last seven years have protested and gone on strike on every issue, however the government has not bothered, it has not listened, it does not care, and it keeps saying things are getting better. With bribes in form of 2006 Peugeot cars, to officers of the armed forces motorbikes to rank and file the army cannot strike…the politicians only strike when their pockets are threatened However Almighty Allah can strike when He strikes it would not be funny.
 
With the conclusion of Mantu’s dirty job, it is now clear except Nigerians rise up to the occasion, there is high prospect of Obasanjo remaining President for the rest of his ‘adult’ life.
 
Most people are of the opinion that despite all the speculations on voting methods and voting blocs as regard the third term gaffe, the bitter reality is that like the recent NBA led lawyers strike not much in terms of terms of the people’s will can stop this crooks. We should strike beyond the normal strike, whether the third term is for Obj, Jbo or Job, w e do not want it. We should do something that would make our leaders listen to us, at least for once.  Power in the real sense belongs to Almighty Allah and the poor masses.