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.
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