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.

Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Dumagi     Segun Olawoyin     Government Girls’ Day Secondary School Pakata     Ayodele Shittu     Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited     Binta Abubakar Mora     Lanwa     Okoolowo     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     Lanre Issa-Onilu     Mukhtar Shagaya     Okasanmi Ajayi     Smart School     Ajase-Ipo     Kulende-UITH     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Abdulrosheed Okiki     Harafat E. Mukadam     Grillo     Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund     Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Amosa     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Tunde Yusuf     Gbenga Olawepo     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     James Kolo     Ayedun     Rebecca Bake     LAK Jimoh     Crystal Corner Shops     Jebba     Pategi     Mohammed Haruna     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Government High School Adeta     Ayinke Saka     Baboko Primary School     Prince Sunday Fagbemi     Jalala     CELF     Saadu Alanamu     Abdulkarim Adisa     Ijakadi     Yahaya Dumoye     Federal Allocation     Olayinka Are     Ben Duntoye     Ahmad Belgore     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Charles Ibitoye     Usman Alkali Baba     John Dara     Kubra Kazum     Yakubu Dogara     Omoniyi     Femtech     Wahab Abayawo     Al-Hikmah Radio     Ibrahim Kayode Adeyemi     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Micheal Imodu-Ganmo Road     Oro Grammar School     Abdulrasheed Akogun     Bashir Adigun     Oladipo Akanmu Tolani     Balogun-Ojomu     Kayode Yusuf     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     JSSCE     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport     Muhammed Akanbi     Toyin Sanusi     Overland     Elerin Of Adanla    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Salami Adekunle     Mutawalle     Universal Basic Education Commission     Monsurat Omotosho     All Confederation Of Principals Of Secondary Schools     Ganiyu Abolarin     Isaac Gbenle     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Park     AGM Professional Services     Abdulkadir Bolakale Sakariyah     Oyelere Oyinloye     Sulyman Abdulkareem     AbdulRahman Saad     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Tunji Olawuyi     Mohammed Abduraheem     Yoonus Kola Olatinwo     Quareeb Islamic Association     Sola Saraki Educational Foundation     Azeez Salawu     Kazeem Gbolagade     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Ahmad Olanrewaju Belgore     Muhammadu Gobir     Isiaka Gold     Bature Bello     Egbejila     Patience Jonathan     Lawan     Umar Danladi Shero     Kwara State Health Insurance Agency     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     JSSCE     CCEPE     Sarafadeen Kayode Akorede     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Metro Park     Minister     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Tafida Of Ilorin     Ayegbeni     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Yusuf Abdulraheem     Oyedun Juliana Funke     Sodiya     Omotoso Musa     Leke Ogungbe     RTEAN     Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede     Odogun Olushola Gabriel     Suleiman Alege Kuranga     IYA ALFA NLA     Kazeem Oladepo     Firdaos Amasa     Bamikole Omishore     Plat Technologies Limited     Funmilayo Mohammed     Simon Sayomi     ENetSuD     Alapansapa     ITP     Olayinka Oladapo Jogunola     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Kulende     Academic Staff Union Of Universities     MalHub     Sa\'adu Salahu     Abikan     Issa Baba     Omoniyi     Assayomo     Kayode Bankole     Agbarigidoma     Demola Banu