obailala:
To give you the benefit of a doubt, I had to read your post and mine again as you suggested, and I did it slowly this time around. Unfortunately I still stand by my previous statement; your reasoning smacks of ignorance if you expect people to be thrown in jail without a procedure even in a democracy.

Investigations => prosecution => judgement => prison. So far we're still at the investigation/prosecution phase, and yes, this stage could involve holding the suspects in custody.

but what we have is : arrest-prosecution the investigation, is dat what u were taught?

effrontery of Tompolo
January, 19 2016
The refusal of ex-militant, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, to honour the invitation of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the summons of the court is an affront on the Nigerian law and nation. It is a clear
statement from him that he is above the law. And that is not acceptable in a nation that has law and order.
The reason there is sanity in society is that there is law and order. People know that there are lines they must not cross, and if
they cross such lines, they know that they will face the consequences. Those who cannot discipline themselves and their
desires occasionally cross such lines. The law descends on them. That makes those who don’t cross such lines to see more
reasons not to cross the lines, while those who have been penalised either learn their lesson or learn no lesson and continue to
be victims. That encourages law keepers to obey the law and discourages lawbreakers to break the law. Thus, anarchy is
prevented from society.
In his statement why he refused to honour the EFCC’s invitation, Tompolo said inter alia: “As my solicitor’s letter indicated, I am
already in court with the EFCC in Suit No: FHC/W/CS/152/2015. The EFCC had been served with the court processes since
October 20, 2015 but they refused to attend court on several occasions, or to file any court papers, only to appear for the first
time on November 30, 2015 without filing any court papers. They even asked for the matter to be adjourned to December 17,
2015, the date they are now inviting me to appear before them.
In fact, the EFCC only invited me two months AFTER I sued them. In my solicitor’s letter I informed them that as soon as the
court decides one way or another, I would honour their invitation.”
It seems Tompolo has learnt from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari that one may have “genuine and
compelling reasons” not to obey a court order. He may have also seen that some people who obeyed court order or honoured
invitations by the Department of State Services or the EFCC never regained their freedom in spite of court orders that they be
released “unconditionally”. Once the court orders such people to be released or once they fulfil their bail conditions, the security
agencies prosecuting them either refuse to release them or decide to re-arrest them on the excuse that they have fresh charges
against them, even though no court has granted them the powers to keep such people. And those who never see anything
wrong with any action taken by the Buhari’s administration would immediately defend the disregard for court orders, citing the
examples of terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba by the United States of America. Corruption charges and terror
charges have become one and the same thing! Even at that, one can also see how the US ensures that the Guantanamo Bay is
not within the US territory where its laws cover.
The issue of Tompolo has moral implications. Definitely two wrongs don’t make a right. Just like Nnamdi Kanu told Justice
Ahmed Mohammed that it was of no use standing trial before his court because whatever judgment he reached that did not
favour the government would not be obeyed by the government, Tompolo would have reasoned that once arrested, he would
not be allowed to step out even if the court ordered that he be released.
It has been said repeatedly that government must not set a bad precedent of not obeying court orders to avoid citizens
copying it and throwing the nation into anarchy. Our people say that when the she-goat chews the cud, her kids watch her
mouth. In addition, when the teacher breaks the chalk, the pupils break the blackboard. Those in government must set a good
example so that the followers will not find any excuses to take the laws into their hands. It will also give those in authority the
moral right to prosecute those who break the laws.
In January 2014 when the current governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai (who was a member of the opposition then),
was invited by the DSS over an inflammatory statement he made, he initially refused to honour the invitation. Even some of his
colleagues in the opposition, like Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, came hard on him for not respecting an agency of the government as a
former minister of the nation. Eventually el-Rufai, dramatically driven by the then governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi Amaechi,
and accompanied by Dr Chris Ngige, his opposition colleagues, honoured the invitation. A month later, a former militant, Alhaji
Dokubo Asari, was invited by the DSS for some inflammatory statement he made. Happily, he promptly honoured the invitation.
It is not just about invitations from law courts or security agencies. It may be invitations that don’t have the force of law but
need to be honoured for the sake of showing regard for the authorities and the people. It is necessary that such invitations be
honoured. One remembers the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, popularly called Oputa Panel, which started
sitting in 2000 but whose invitation was ignored by generals like former military heads of state, Ibrahim Babangida and
Muhammadu Buhari. In 2011, then President Goodluck Jonathan refused to attend the presidential debate, giving all manner of
excuses. In 2015, Buhari also failed to attend the presidential debate, also giving excuses.
That was not all, from 2003 when he lost the presidential election to then incumbent President Olusegun Obasanjo, Buhari
stopped attending the National Council of States meeting and all other functions that required the presence of former heads of
state. He continued that protest until 2015 when he won the presidential election. Yet, there was no evidence that in all those
years of protest, he refused to accept his benefits as a former head of state. Also, in 2014 when Nigeria celebrated her
centenary, and Jonathan named Buhari as one of the recipients of national honours, he attended the event and received the
award.
Similarly, for the better part of the Jonathan’s administration, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu
Tambuwal, did not attend many national events and meetings, even though he was the No 4 person in the nation.
The people watch these actions and note them. They tell themselves: If this top person can refuse to honour this invitation, I
can also fail to honour such an invitation.
Public figures must know that they are in the public glare and must weigh their actions very well before taking them. Impunity
breeds nothing but impunity. Lawlessness breeds nothing but lawlessness.
In the final analysis, we are in a nation with laws. President Buhari must ensure that court decisions are obeyed by all agencies
under him. Similarly, even though Tompolo’s first name is “Government,” he must ensure that he obeys the invitation of the
court rather than seeing himself as a parallel government. That is the way to ensure that there is no breakdown of laws in the
nation.
– Twitter @BrandAzuka
Source: http://www.punchng.com/the-effrontery-of-tompolo/

azu12:


That's nonsense.

Buhari ass licker sighted, I had been expecting zombies to spite my comment and finally u came on d defence of yo candidate going to bolex club dancing with ladies amidst the avoidable tears if yo GCFR had caution his soldiers to provide security and not by been a stooge to SYLVA

Daintelectual:
And the looser went about clubbing and drink hennesy! What an irony.

my dear yo guess is as good as mine, I was surprised to see him at Bolex club that fateful night.

Blessinzy:
no reason is enough

apc fan sighted, pls in pdp we don't celebrate death unlike yo party whereby the president alone instigates electoral violence

SmartMugu:

Even if the DSS official has to be remanded, it definitely doesn't have to be there in public. Who knows if he was remanded afterwards? All we saw was the video from the public gathering.

then why are u and dos malams defending the indefensible, saying it's a legal obligation for a dss official to clean minister's shoe been his orderly?

SmartMugu:
To everyone condemning the DSS official, if you were sitting at a public gathering and someone offers to clean your shoes without you asking,
1. Would you just let them do it quietly or
2. Attract more media attention by yelling at them or kicking them?
I know for sure most people would let them just do it quietly but come here to condemn others.

what are u saying in d essence, was it a good conduct for an sss to be cleaning shoes in public?
do u know d meaning of Dss and their functions?
I see why we are where we are as Nigerians.

tsdarkside:


hmm..this fee dee fee sef....why cant they just go down in honour.....??..

time to leave,,,,,you are useless......

the party is over....bye bye.....

a party u described as over bit u mercilessly in the recent conducted Bayelsa election in d midst of d militarizationand militancy dat graced d election.

sule17:
If u like bring jega na una know

u will eat yo words, u think apc can stand against lamido, then u r in a long thing. with Lamido as pdp candidate, u will
see a tsunami of defections from apc to pdp, especially in the Yoruba land because of Obasonjo.

expect some zombies to call him names

H.E. Sule Lamido of Jigawa state, our collective presidential aspirant 2019. pdp power to the people and not to selected few.

madridguy:
First of all, Tompolo should present himself to the court of law for trial and allow the NPF to fish out the culprits behind the bombing.

so that u disgraced him the way u v been doing to others by disobeying court orders I guess?

prettytasha:
He should obey court order. Nobody says his guilty yet ?

when yo Yoruba and Itsekiri dudes in conjunction with yo media and has already convicted him.
My guy, Tompolo will never appear before any court because the efcc will never obey court ruling, neither Buhari will obey the court's decision so what is d need of appearing in same court. Tompolo should rather die fighting than subjecting himself to a lawless institutions or powerless court.

lol

donc26:
op you are a funny dude. you claim PDP is on ground yet APC an opposition keep getting defactors on daily basis. in my ward 2 of Rumudra we have over 2000 active supporters. you talked about elelenwo probably because of chinda you forgot that's the home of Hausa community in a Rivers state. PDP is dead and buried in Rivers state. The earlier you get that into your brain the better. you claims Igbo are sympathetic to PDP but how many of these Igbo have their PVC to vote .Even your soo called wike knows this.Besides with all the money wike is sitting on, nobody has defected from APC to PDP. Even in Wilkes ward we are representing that God to a new change of govt. This time their vote will count no matter how small

how many personsd efected to apc in bayelsa, pls park well make I see road

Voice234:
Wike is from Obio akpor not ikwere LGA. Mr OP, first impression matters a lot and the first impression I got from your post is that "You Know Not What You Are Saying"

go back to the post and see where he said Wike is from, because u want to comment for yo sour losers party u can't even comprehend the write up

hollywater:
What are they going to challenge here?The both party should stop noise and hit the ground running abeg.PDP the power is still with you guys, do the voters proud by listening to their needs.

hmmmm

From #BayelsaDecides to # BayelsaHasDecided
The state APC Agent made this final remarks to the INEC REC " We shall challenge this result at the tribunal"......
[ JAB ]
The state PDP agent and a serving member in the house of representatives, made his own closing remarks " APC we are the
ones taking you to the tribunal to return all our stolen votes, there is no way you can get 80k votes and we will challenge that
result in the tribunal, you used violence and terror to get those votes, you shall hear from us"

funny pdp agent, after winning the election u r still hell bent on disgracingthem in the tribunal

From #BayelsaDecides to # BayelsaHasDecided
The state APC Agent made this final remarks to the INEC REC " We shall challenge this result at the tribunal"......
[ JAB ]
The state PDP agent and a serving member in the house of representatives, made his own closing remarks " APC we are the
ones taking you to the tribunal to return all our stolen votes, there is no way you can get 80k votes and we will challenge that
result in the tribunal, you used violence and terror to get those votes, you shall hear from us"

xtervaganza:
That APC could get almost 40% of votes in bayelsa shows the people have moved on from the jonathan tears. Unlike some miscreants fools who are still crying about the presidential election

in yo small sense what apc secured was 40%? go to school and learn arithmetic again

Southern Ijaw apc-10216 pdp poll 23,081

Alphaoscar:





Did you read my comment before quoting me ?


That figure is not for the whole of the LG but the few units where elections were rescheduled.

do u even know brass, pls live yo Ijebu land and come down to vote yo devilish and propaganda party. party of media trial

discusant:


But ethno/religious bigotry is what made southwest and most of north to reject Good luck Jonathan.
Day one as Jonathan entered Aso Rock, Boko was summoned against Nigeria. Boko hit and fought until Jonathan was rejected by the north and southwest electorate.

What worse can you do that you have not done?

u r d bomb my dear, 2 bottles of origin for u

idieagle:
Politics of ethnicity I'm sorry 4 my SS brothers but remember that if north and S/W shld reciprocate or follow suite then S/S and S/E will never smell Asso Villa cos politics is a game of number

ntor, as if it was not base on ethnicity u guys set up Jonathan. we hate apc over here, pls Bleep off

APCsupporter:


No probs. Just know that you have just proved to us that we shouldnt take your opinion serious while fighting corruption

pleas who's fighting corruption? if fighting of perceived enemies means fighting corruption then u v to wake up dude

SOUTHERN IJAW WARD 3(Korokorosei) RESULT. PDP 2,604 APC 735

WARD 1 Constituency 2 IGEBIRI COMMUNITY Polling Unit 29 PDP 149 APC 71 Void Votes 3 Polling Unit 30 PDP 105 APC 55 Polling Unit 31 PDP 217 APC 90

By Karina L.S Matthew

Otuan ward 5 result Southern Ijaw constituency 1 Pdp 1040 Apc 597 Reported by Karina L.S. Matthew

kolaosita4:
Madness

but when yo kinsmen did that at Ibadan last yr against Jonathan it was sanity? Or as apc did it in rivers state and akwa ibomlast yr it was sanity? guy pls ask God to give u objective reasoning small abeg as new yr gift

APCsupporter:
Can those useless liars that accused APC of rigging now swallow their lies in shame? They are applying the same tactics to stop our corruption fight but we will resist it with stiff stance

don't forget yo party apc thought pdp ds habit of shouting when nothing has been done? I remember Osun election where apc was shouting while they are winning