Recently, about five political parties have filed applications to the Supreme Court asking the apex court to review its own judgments delivered on elections cases. The condemnation of the above move by politicians were unanimous. However, what was most disturbing is the fact that two of Nigeria’s finest legal luminaries filed one of the applications which asks the Supreme Court to rescind its own judgment. B O Oladeji comments on the development and many others. He describes politicians as viruses and takes a swipe on the lawyers involved.
Read him
Politicians are like virus. The biological monster, virus, can infiltrate its human host _vide_ nose, mouth or break in the skin.
Once inside, it finds a host cell to infect. In the course of time, virus reproduces itself through a lytic cycle process. By lytic cycle, virus reproduces itself, using cell chemical mechanism of its host. Thus, it activates and decentralizes its operation coverage by self-multiplication.
Human society is like human body and as such a system with units of a kind. Politicians have invaded every unit of our society, sparing none with audacious impunity.
They have infiltrated religion/faith base; thus maintain their company of soothsayers. They have infiltrated our traditional government; hence they determine heirs to the throne, perfect the deal, ditch customs and finally common sense otherwise Abdul Rasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, wouldn’t have been ultimate choice for aged stool in the light of his royal excesses. Figurative virus has infected innocence of our histories and men of temporary thoughts dictate terms of future.
They have infiltrated all our institutions and you can find stenchy pores of their acts oozing and overwhelming our collective human ecosystem.
Finally they pounced on the “holy of holies”, the judicial institution, a mile that even military junta were reluctant to dare. In the wee hour of the night they invaded houses of Justices. But we are yet to see any of them convicted. By _exparte_ application they unseated Chief Justice of Nigeria. We were tossed to mind letters (arguing for and arguing against) while they mind platter of gold that their evasion got them. But they wouldn’t stop. They have found basis to appeal the final appeals as long as the cycle permits. Bar and Bench have no different calls but justice. They got the Bar before they got the Bench but revelation of decadence of the Bar has obtained passing remark solely because they are men in business with or without ethics.
The inner and outer Bar have never been separated by convincing logic but a mere expression of will of men to lord it over their equals. But inner and outer Bar have been infiltrated too otherwise what is the name of hard currency that time-established, war-tested and immortal iconic Aare Afe Babalola has not heard, seen and touched before? For a number of years he has kept to his farm and pro-modern university. We assumed the Eagle has recessed to reproduce after its order in the days of rest as it was in the days of youthful wings. Who woke up the lion to resolve unreal protest in the jungle? No one could have done that but the politicians, the social virus! He is to pay cost of N30, 000,000. It is beyond money. He can afford it. Symbolically, it was daring dart of the men and women of exalted Bench who look up to him but looked down by him otherwise he would have resisted luring invitation by the unprincipled politicians.
Usual rhetorics: honour resides in the inner Bar, horror resides in the outer Bar. None wants to bear “reproach” of the latter, though artificially created. Stardom with the noble in the inner a goal in sight… But the lid is blowing off. The gloss over the form is waxing off. Death of the Bar races in quick paces as shield of the Judiciary, which the Bar is, falls apart, exposing it to vulnerability of figurative virus.
I was corrected by a colleague recently when I said learned senior Counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, was a millionaire. He retorted: “that is an insult. He is a billionaire”! Mr. Olanipekun is a member of Body of Trustees of NBA. He has two sons who became SANs while still in active service. He has traversed the length, breadth, depth, and width of the profession with premium encomium. So who bewitched him to stoop so low? I know innate desires to have hall of ” Firsts” but not on clear letters of law. This fall goes to record too because we shall not only be remembered for problems we solved but also problems we caused.
This country needs healing before this virus concludes its mission, breaking down social immunity of the tender thread of human society life.