OPINION: Mr. President should provide leadership and protect the Judiciary. By Bukola Saraki

Date: 2014-09-28

The current security situation in Ekiti State today is a big threat to our nascent democracy, political stability and judicial independence. Above all, it is an afront to our peaceful co-existence in our immediate environment and to our nation in general.

I am personally worried and concerned as a Nigerian and as a stakeholder in the Nigerian polity. Whether the Ekiti State cris?is is APC or PDP driven or whether it is as a result of an act of commission or omission and or whether it is government, group of people or individually driven, I must say without any ambiguity that what has happened in Ekiti State in the last few days is totally unacceptable and should be dealt with immediately and decisively too in good time.

A situation where the independence of our judiciary and its institutions in particular and the office of our respected judicial officials are no more secured and safe to discharge and practice their constitutional responsibility and professional roles respectively, calls for a signal that anarchy is about to set in to our polity. It is unfortunate that at a time when we as a Nation are battling high rate of insecurity and insurgency across the country and such assault is being unleashed on a Judge of a High Court on official duty, brings a deeper thought to the level of leadership we are providing to this country.

It is appalling that since the attack on one of the High Court ?judges in Ekiti State, the Federal government, the Presidency and the rulling party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has either refused, neglected and or failed to make a formal pronouncement on this unwarranted attack is a sign of bad leadership. A precarious situation of this nature should not be sacrifice on political expediency. ?This is unacceptable.

The National Judicial Council, National Judicial Institute, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Body of Benchers and other related judicial bodies must also condemn this act and show concern in respect of this barbaric attack to one of their own.

A situation where the Federal Government, the Presidency and the party that forms the government at the national level deemed it not to be concerned and decided to keep mum over the unwarranted attack on our judges is an act of dereliction of duties and responsibilities. If the symbol of the common man on the street and the abode of his last hope is been diminished and degraded or insulted by whoever personalty or group of people, and we all see it as one of those minor issue, I am afraid to say that the leadership of this country has failed all of us in this regard.

Let me reiterate it once again as I always say, Nigeria is bigger than all of us as an individual or group of people. Nobody, I repeat, nobody should be above the law. The situation in Ekiti state is an indication that anything goes in Nigeria. For a public official in the temple of justice to be so attacked and humiliated while on official duty and the Federal government ?is looking the other way round is unacceptable and should be rejected by all concerned Nigerians. An attack on one judicial officer is an attack to the entire judicial institutions and all that represent it, an attack on a judicial officer is an attack on our democracy and its institutions, an attack on any judicial officer is an attack to the last hope of common man, while an attack on a judicial officer is an attack to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which we all sworn to defend and protect.

I hereby call on the Federal Government, the Presidency, NJC, NJI, NBA and other relevant private and public institutions to make a pronouncement forthwith without delay and condemn this criminal atrocity and act of affront to our collective sensibility . This act must stop and government must stop it. What impression are we giving the outside world where the sanctity of the rule of law has been undermined?

It should not be under any guise. This is not about politics, it is not about election neither is it about any personality. It is about our judicial institution and the respect it deserves and the need to uphold it's sanctity.

Anything short of this portends dangers and anarchy against Nigeria as a Nation and it should be resisted forthwith.

Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON represents Kwara Central at the Nigerian Senate.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Hauwa Nuru     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Olaiya Zuberu     Kwara Teaching Service Commission     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Omoniyi Ayinla     Oba David Oyerinola Adedunmoye     Ghali Alaaya     Local Government     Ballah     Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede     Yusuf AbdulRasheed     CLAY POT     Hajj     Albert Ogunsola     Moshood Mustapha     Mike Omotosho     KWASIEC     Ajasse-Ipo     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Yahaya Seriki Gambari     Suwa-Arabs     Oba Abdulraheem     Vishvas KOZ Tractors     Aso Ofi     Saka Balikis Kehinde     Madawaki     Awili Pedro     Yomi Adeboye     Habeeb Saidu     Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Eleyele     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Kale Ayo     Joseph Bamigboye     Ohoro Of Shao     Oba Abu     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     Yusuf Ali     Adama Isa     Mufutau Olatinwo     Baba-Isale     Kwara State Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Makama     IHS     Tsaragi/Share     Baaziki Sulaiman     FERMA     Owo Isowo     Akeem Olatunji     Temitope Ogunbanke     Bello Bature     Musa Aibinu     Mubarak Oladosu     IEDPU     Ileloke     Idofin     Henry Makinwa     Baruba     Atunwa     Florence Saraki     Oke-Oyi     Omoniyi M. Ayinla     Abdulmumini Sanni Jawondo     Muhammed Akanbi     Shola Odetundun     GANZY     Lateef Ademola Olatunji     Toyin Abdullahi     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Omoniyi     Oyin-Zubair     Awoye     Oloje     Kwarareports.com    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kwara Politics     Salman Alada     Isin     Gafaru Olayiwola Olorisade     Ajibola Ademola Julius     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Egbewole     Kannike     Bilikisu Oniyangi     A.E. Afolabi     Waziri Yakubu Gobir     Oluronke Adeyemi     Daud Adeshola     Durbar     Jelili Yusuf     Sabitiyu Grillo     Kisira     Amuda Musbau     Babs Iwarere     Yaru     Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa     Pakata Development Association     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Bisi Kristien     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen     Tsaragi-Share     Mohammed Lawal Bagega     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Tunji Oyawoye     Awwal Jawondo     Raimi Iyanda     Ilorin Metro Park     T And K FOODS     Raheem Adaramaja     Ahmed Ayinla Jimoh     Frootify     Siraj Oyewale     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Ridwan Agboola     Yakubu Shaaba     Ubandoma Of Ilorin     Ilorin Central Mosque     Tunde Akanbi     Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia     Fatai Adeniyi Garba     ANCOPPS     Bolakale Kawu Agaka     Ita-Nmo Market     March 28     Wasiu Onidugbe     Onilupeju Of Ilupeju     Budo-Egba     Mashood Abdulrafiu Agboola     Ayotunde Emmanuel Alao     Umar Ayinla Saro     ASUU     Kwara Hotel     Gabriel Fashanu     Third Estate     Olayinka Jelili Yusuf     Muhammadu Gobir     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Jaigbade Alao     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Owu Fall     Maigida Soludero Transit     Forgo Battery     Saheed Alakoso     Adesoye     Zaratu Umar     Ahman Pategi     Hakeem Idris     Ayinde Oki     Yahaya Oloriegbe     Oba Of Jebba