We stumbled upon this piece “Ogun Governorship Tribunal Judgement: Ori Yeeye ni’mogun T’ai Se Lo Po” written by S.F. Lubega and we thought of sharing it with you for your opinions.
Often when a murderer or dangerous criminal is set free, he or she celebrates to high heavens. The reason is that the criminal or guilty feels he has cunningly beaten the law and the legal system. But an innocent person will be remorseful, and most times ask the question “Why me?”, “why did I have to go through these tribulations?”, “Who did I offend?” etc.
I have followed the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal closely and keenly since it started. I have written one or two pieces on them and for those who have followed my write-ups, I have hinted at these procurements of “technical judgements” merchandise.
Should Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expect to get Justice from a Tribunal? Definitely No! This is not lost on the facts available, but on what the Tribunal themselves is all about. There are usually scrambles for appointments into tribunal panels from states and those who get nominated or appointed are usually considered “lucky” by their other colleagues. I should wonder why.
Just like when we were young, a lot of people want to work in the Customs or Oil companies. It was like the colour of these vocations was “whiter” than any other collar jobs. I often ask if their salaries are peculiar, fatter and far higher than any other jobs or professionals. Growing up, I realised the salaries of most of these agencies are almost the same as others, but the pecuniary benefits rooted in corruption is what make them attractive. If you are lucky to be posted to the Borders you make your monthly returns in multiple within a day through smugglers; and when we now talk about corruption in the oil sectors, we can understand why the Oil companies become so attractive. Any attempt to sanitise these processes surely will be resisted by those benefitting from them.
Some of those who have read my earlier write-ups gave me a call about two weeks ago and said Ladi Adebutu should forget about winning at the tribunal. I asked why, but his allegations were too wild to be comprehended. He insinuated (too dangerous to be comprehended) that the lawyers of some of the respondents might be writing the Lead Judgement in the matter. I refused to accept or believe this. The allegation was that some members of the panel were approached for help and they insisted the matter was too watertight to be decided the other way, and to prove how difficult they asked the counsel to come up with his draft judgement. Even while submitting that, the judges were said to have laughed off the contents of the draft judgment, conceding that the judgement was too academic and it might be difficult to pass at the Court of Appeal. A lot of wild accusations fly in the political environment though.
I am however surprised that as the judgements were being read, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some of Mr. Abiodun’s aides became the fastest Court stenographers, the speed at which they were posting the court proceedings and quoting the judges without errors was extraordinary; it was like they had an advance copy of the judgements with them and only teleprompting the judges. In some cases, they have posted ahead of the judges like a delayed Broadcast. It is so strange that even while those who are inside the Courtroom are struggling to hear the judges who were reading so silently, the Dapo Abiodun team are reporting them so accurately and correctly on social media. They have even declared victory while the judgements are still being read. Nigerians are wonderful people.
Judges are the Alpha and Omega in the Justice system. There is no reality except that which they declare to be so. “Ori Yeeye ni’mogun T’ai Se Lo Po”. There are so many miscarriages of justice that several innocent people are languishing in jail as a result of that. There are so many judgements that deliberately ignore or overlook “facts” and surrender to the surreal pronouncements of the men on the bench. How this will assist our society is my greatest fear.
The Ogun State Tribunal judgement was quoting copiously from the textbooks of the defense team without much pretensions, and seem not to be interested in the pamphlets of Justice submitted by the petitioner. One eye of the blind justice partially opened to read from the respondent’s books, while closing the other on the petitioners.
The Judgement might have been lost to the person who controls Ogun State’s purse but Justice will surely catch up at the Appeal. There is surely hope around the Men of Honour for the people of Ogun State. Adeleke in Osun lost at the tribunal in Osogbo, today he is the Governor of Osun State courtesy of the Justice delivered at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The case of Ogun State is not likely to be different in this matter.
Lubega, a social commentator and public affairs analyst writes from Ogun State.
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