The savage stench of Nigeria’s judiciary and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration levitated through the Federal High Court roof yesterday as the traumatized 67 underage minors had four of their fellow inmates fainting out of hunger in the courtroom. I will be addressing the judiciary presently.
The tear-jerking spectacle of minors in their teens was some of thousands of #EndBadGovernance protesters who called out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tyrannical government to ease the yoke of hunger pang from necks brought about by his draconian misgovernment.
I have no recollection of a country in the 21st century with such a bizarre iron fist narcissism in peace, hauling innocent citizens, especially minors, into prison for seeking legitimate spaces in their country for descent living . That President Tinubu has become so emotionally detached, so drenched in wickedness and so entrenched in coolblooded tyrannical maneuvers, using callous and lawless national institutions like the courts, police and prisons, points to a nation at its own graveside.
Two weeks ago, I asked this question in my regular column: “What Is Tinubu Telling Himself?”. Is Tinubu telling himself the nation’s economic woes will just disappear overnight or suddenly evaporate because he thinks so? Is he telling the citizens to endure degradation and death?
Is he expecting the hunger, starvation, poverty, deprivation and his hellish Breton Woods neoliberal stagnant policies to curtain the drifting of the economic turmoil because he’s told so? Tinubu must be reassuring himself that, having bought the presidential seat with his personal money, his antagonistic media aides can easily browbeat the entire nation to submission, regardless of the genuine intent of citizens to refocus him to the business of governance.
Tinubu’s despotic style of leadership is a testament that all his years of lurking in the corner to “grab, steal and run away with power” were for personal grandiose ego tripping voyage. If not, he should have read President Nelson Mandela’s eternal course in leadership.
“If you can’t develop your country, build schools, educate citizens, create jobs, empower youth and women, then build prisons.” This quote emphasizes the importance of prioritizing education (schools), social empowerment (citizens, youth, and women), and economic growth (jobs) over punitive measures (prisons). It suggests that investing in people’s development is key to a prosperous society, while neglecting these areas may lead to increased crime and incarceration.
Regrettably, Tinubu has chosen the latter’s Mandela’s legacy, which emphasizes reconciliation, social justice, and empowerment.
The danger inherent in this barbarism of persecuting hungry citizens is farflong beyond the comprehension of Tinubu and his cheerleaders and court jesters. Prison walls do not curtain revolutionary ideology, nor do they tame or conquer the minds of a generation that is trampled upon by self-defeating tyrants who chose power over people.
Truthfully, Tinubu’s administration is an example of a self-deprecating, self-condenming and self-delusional presidency that has been trying to reap oranges from an apple tree. Like a child, he’s believing that when he shuts his eyes, the tactile damage of economic ruination will simply go away.
Yesterday, the world was zoomed into a nation on trial that fastened the hands of hungry minors in chains in place of bread, a president that chose cruelty over compassion, a leader that preferred prison for its citizens over development and a nation that pampered the kleptomaniac political ruling elite and public service graft and corrupt judges over the plight of the downtrodden.
Here is another challenge. Do we have judiciary or chaos? The Nigerian judiciary has been facing intense scrutiny lately, with many questioning its effectiveness and impartiality. The judiciary’s handling of high-profile cases has sparked widespread outrage and raised concerns about its ability to serve as a beacon of hope for the common man. The fear is rife that the judiciary will set Nigeria aflame in the coming years if it remains unchecked.
The disparity in bail amounts granted to a House of Representatives member accused of assault and minors protesting bad governance has again fueled allegations of judicial bias. The representative was granted bail of just ₦500,000, while the minors were detained for over 90 days and granted bail of ₦10 million each. This stark contrast has led to accusations of corruption and partiality within the judiciary.
Respected law Professor and activist Chidi Odinkalu has spoken out about the corruption within the judiciary, stating that it can no longer be considered the hope of the common man. The National Judicial Council (NJC) must address these concerns and demonstrate its commitment to protecting the rights of all citizens.
The question is, will the Nigerian judiciary reclaim its role as the hope of the common man, or will the perception of injustice continue to prevail? The Nigerian judiciary is facing severe criticism over its handling of high-profile cases, sparking widespread outrage and raising concerns about its impartiality and commitment to justice.
For a reprieve, Tinubu, as a matter of urgency, must reverse his hellish Breton Woods neolibral stagnanting hellish policies that brought the nation to its knees, including fuel subsidy removal, floating of the naira and punitive criminalization of civil agitation for a better Nigeria. Anything short of that, Tinubu would be ridiculously riding on the tiger’s tale. He will surely end up in it’s stomach.
Erasmus Ikhide contributed this piece via: trojan.newsng@gmail.com.