₦airaland Forum

buckeyemedia:
Shege wetin I wan use suffer head UK do? Na when I be small pikin London dey jolly me.

Tufiakpa, cannot be a slave to The Whiteman.

Hypocrisy is in your bloodline.

VBCampaign:
Dele Farotimi: How a Failed Judiciary Triggered the Nigerian Civil War

By: Deji Yesufu

Obafemi Awolowo explains in his writing that British rule was not entirely negative. Before the coming of the white man, for instance, most of Yoruba land was at war with each other. When the British eventually integrated the many warring factions and created a modern nation-state which would ultimately be called Nigeria, they did this solely on some specific laws. The white man, Awolowo would learn with time and did not take documentation lightly. Whatever is written carries weight. This was why the first set of people the British began to take issues with were those who criticized the British government through their writings. The highest form of documentation for the British was the nation's laws. They understood that the law was blind and that the same law that stood against you today, could work for you tomorrow. Therefore, the British always obeyed the injunctions of the courts of law.

Between 1921 and 1928, two celebrated legal disputes pitched Herbert Macaulay against the British rulers of Nigeria, which eventually propelled Macaulay to celebrity status. In 1921, Herbert’s Macaulay supported Chief Amodu Tijani against the government of the day. Tijani had argued in the Nigerian Supreme Court that he was to be compensated for land in Apapa (Lagos) that the government had forcibly taken from his family. The Supreme Court ruled against him, but Tijani took his case to the British Privy Council, a body of legal luminaries, whose decisions were respected in the British Commonwealth. The Privy Council overturned the ruling of the Nigerian Supreme Court and Tijani got compensation for his land. 1928, Macaulay supported Echugbayi Ekeko, the king of Lagos, against the British government in Lagos. The government had deposed Eleko and installed Akintoye. Macaulay joined Eleko in his trip to London to argue his case, again, at the Privy Council. The Privy Council weighed the matter and ruled in favour of the Eleko. Macaulay returned to Nigeria a hero.

As the British departed the shores of Nigeria in 1960, the first thing that suffered was our nation’s commitment to the rule of law. The resultant effect of it all was that the country experienced a bloody thirty-month civil war that ended exactly one decade after the staff of government had been handed to us by the British. A lot of things could be said to have contributed to the start of the civil war, but the contributions of the judiciary can not be overlooked. In less than two years after independence, the ruling party in the Western Region, the Action Group, found itself in an imbroglio – the party had expelled Chief Ladoke Akintola, who was the Premier of the region. The party was convinced that Akintola along with a few people in his caucus, were no longer following party guidelines for the development of the Western Region. Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of the party and also the leader of the opposition in the Federal Parliament in Lagos, had been unable to get the cooperation of Akintola – his erstwhile deputy.

The government of Tafawa Balewa stepped into the matter and declared a state of emergency in western Nigeria in 1962. The matter was taken to a Nigerian court which ruled in favor of Akintola. Akintola was restored to office based on this ruling, but the Action Group took the case to the British Privy Council, which acted as a court system higher than even the Nigerian Supreme Court then. The Privy Court dismissed the ruling of the Nigerian court and declared the Action Group to be in the right. The government of Akintola was declared illegal, and Chief Adegbenro of the Action Group was declared the lawful Premier of the Western Region. The Balewa government rejected the Privy Council ruling, declaring that Nigeria was now an independent country and no longer bound to obey the British. That singular action ended all appeals to the Privy Council in Nigeria.

At about the time the country was rejecting British lawful counsel, a young man by the name of Chukwuma “Kaduna” Nzeogwu had just been appointed the first military intelligence officer in the Nigerian army. Nzeogwu had been trained by the military in the prestigious Sandhurst military academy in England and was appointed to head the army’s intelligence unit in Lagos. Nzeogwu was a conscientious person who detested oppression. He had imbibed socialist ideas while in England, and was convinced that these ideas could change Nigeria and the whole of Africa. As a military man, he had the option of carrying out his revolutionary thoughts using weapons. He hoped to bring positive change to Nigeria, and then head to South Africa to overthrow the apartheid government of that time. Nzeogwu, via his work at the intelligence office, had access to classified information and could tell that the government of the day was persecuting Awolowo – a man whose socialist ideas he shared. It was at this time that Nzeogwu met up with Ifeanyi Ifeajuna and Adewale Ademoyega to hatch a plan to violently overthrow the government of the day. When peaceful means of change and development are rejected by a people, violent means become inevitable. I am arguing here that the seeds that set the tone towards the Nigerian civil war were a brazen rejection of the country’s laws by the Nigerian ruling class in the first republic.

____________

These thoughts bring me back to Dele Farotimi and his book “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”. You will be living on Mars if you believe that Nigeria has a functional justice system. Farotimi may have exaggerated his point by stating that the nation’s judiciary was criminal. However, we all know that the best way to make a point is to employ something of hyperbole in our words, and this is what Farotimi has done. What is abundantly clear with the Nigerian judiciary is that money talks; the poor and ordinary man cannot argue a case on its merit alone – you must be able to back up your claim with money. Most people who run foul of the law in this country, and go to jail, are usually persons who don’t have money or don’t know somebody – or both. No nation can move forward where there is a brazen disregard for the law. How many times has the government refused to obey court orders in Nigeria? It appears that the government operate by its own rules, and only obeys court orders that suit them.

Now, whichever way Dele Farotimi’s case goes, the man would remain a winner. His book is shedding light on a fundamental problem in this country. And whether he wins or loses his case, we all know now that there are fundamental problems with the judiciary that must be fixed ASAP. Another thing we must keep in mind is that Farotimi is a continuation of the #ENDSARS revolution. What #ENDSARS failed at achieving, this Farotimi case will succeed at. By helping Nigerians rethink the trouble in this country, hopefully, we will find workable solutions.

I have provided the civil war twist to this matter to warn us in this country: the things that drown a country in perdition are usually little things. Top on that list are brazen disregard for the rule of law; cheating the weak; stealing from the poor; and disobeying court injunctions. Dele Farotimi, in one book, has provided this country with a synopsis of her problems. We will avoid greater trouble by attending to the issues raised in the book, rather than crucifying the prophet God is using to speak for the betterment of the country.

Deji Yesufu is the Pastor of Providence Reformed Baptist Church Ibadan. He is the author of HUMANITY.

Source

God bless you man of God for standing on the side of the truth.


No nation can develop with pretence and hypocrisy.......

It is not possible.

Good development by the governor but I wish that those security agents will be highly monitored with cameras fix on those vehicles.

Government must monitor what they are doing in the field to know who are in government working with these criminals.

That's what is obtainable in other places, you don't just give them a vehicle and guns and then believe that everything is going on well without monitoring them.

Hmmm

Where is the noise making supreme Court?

Come and see the people fluting your judgment.


APC are noise makers nothing good can come out of them.


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Greatechng:
Keep deceiving your likes

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Just look at a trained general talking nonsense like a motor part person.

Nawaoo for Nigeria.

Only God knows the interest of Yoruba people over River State.


Funny thing is that they have governors like Dapo Abiodun who has been a disgrace to them but because they are bloody Hypocrite, they will never talk about them.

What a people

Omoawoke:
First he is Yoruba, then a Nigerian, then a west African.

A win for Omoluabi is a win for Nigeria.
Congrats to him and Nigeria

You are a proud ethnic BIGOT.

NIGERIANS are pretenders, even many people here on Nairaland pretend a lot.

Hmmm

BigIyanga:
They looted your economy when $1/200? But today it’s $1/1700? They looted your economy when public debt was $5bn…. Today, it’s about $50bn

Don't mind those useless hypocrite who has promised the devil that they will never ever say the truth in their lifetime.

Nonsense people.

Hmmm!


That's why I love Nigerians, every lies expires when you leave the office.


Please allow Tinubu people to continue telling lies like the children of the devil they are.


Tomorrow is coming.


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fuckJones:
I need a god fearing sugar daddy, I can't do this alone

Are you serious?

buckeyemedia:
You dey mind that semi illiterate so called Governor?

See this useless APC ONLINE PAID AGENT who has been claiming to be in the UK.


Shameless lot suffering will make you claim to live in Jericho very soon.

Soludo has always been a snitch and he will end badly politically.


Let's see how far he will go with his double standard lifestyle.


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Almaigaa:
He is an Igbo man from the East. Where hunger is showing everybody shage

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Keep deceiving yourself.

I hate Tinubu for this.


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Shut up there Reno,

What moral justification do you have to talk, after calling Tinubu a drug dealer criminal who has faked everything about him and you now supporting the same criminal with fake ID.


Useless dog who goes back to his vomit.

ShogunNoName:
Yoruba people and propaganda!!!

Na all these Una lies Una dey use deceive the akpu min hers that makes dem enter bus from onitsha 😂😂😂

Which part of the southwest is developed apart from Lagos? 😂😂
The whole southwest is one slum 😂😂😂😂

A big slum with public defecation and ritualists everywhere 😂😂😂

💯 Percent correct

MadmanObi:
You hardly see anybody supporting Tpain now among his supporters,most of them have realized their stupidity and too ashamed to talk,but you see those obedient they're the one shouting everywhere that tinubu must complete 8years as if this current hardship doesn't affect them,you don't play such stupid politics in Nigeria.because some people voted for Tpain because of tribal politics mean we shouldn't regroup and do everything to chase the clueless man out of Abuja.

Please believe me they are not serious, all they are doing is to rob salt on their injuries.

Atiku and Peter Obi will win 2027 election if Jonathan will not spoil the show with Kwankwaso.

Take this to the bank and cash it.

MadmanObi:
Use your brain,I campaigned and voted for Atiku


Hope you won't chicken out and started shouting Obi in 2027?

You voted for Atiku and you leave Tinubu and his supporters who has made your life miserable with his useless policies and you are attacking Obi's supporters?

My brother please look for the nearest mountain of fire and miracles church pastor nearest to and thank God today is even Sunday because your deliverance section will be extraordinary.


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Where are Tinubu wicked supporters?

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Thundafireseun:
If Peter obi could be whisked away too ….

That guy needs to rest and relax from reacting on everything and walking around like a jobless child

I can't believe you are so angry like this and you are not even angry with Tinubu and his useless policies.

Are you a slave or a citizen?

Nawaoo for your type of education.

RingRoadCartel:
If it has gotten to the point where hopeless people like you are now the ones advising Iran on what to do, then all hope is indeed lost.

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Nigeria terrorist supporters will start crying now.

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GBTYO:
Stop projecting your failures on others.
I am not suffering and yes Tinubu is president but that does not give Obi carte blanche to start forming saint that he isn't and will never be

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Online billionaires association of Nigeria.

Funny enough all these events are from the same region attacking who is not their president now.


Well I wonder who will be the next?


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GBTYO:
And you did not counter the fact that Obi was caught red handed moving Anambra state funds by road to his office in Lagos.

The issue here is how Obi keeps going about pontificating rubbish about corruption and bad leadership when he is also plagued with a legacy of corruption and bad leadership when he was in office.

Bottom line is Obi was a terrible , wicked and corrupt governor and so he should stop preaching to us.

And Tinubu is the president now and you and your family is suffering his policies, I wonder why we should even be remembering Peter Obi and what he did in Anambra State at this terrible time.

If this is not a misplaced priority I wonder what it is?

You have never started suffering because when you do, you will learn the right thing to do at any given time.

All the Tinubu supporters are living in penury,

The only thing that they are using to hold them down is a threat to their life and family.


What a miserable life they are living.

The picture below describes their miserable life style.