If justice is the bedrock of a
just society, then the judiciary, being the upholder of justice, is the anchor
of a just society. An unjust society is indicative of a discredited, retarded
and failed judiciary. With a discredited, retarded and failed judiciary,
democracy is a mockery and freedom is a mirage. If justice is skewed in favour
of the privileged few and rough justice becomes the staple of the oppressed
majority, society disintegrates and jungle justice becomes the order of the
day. When the poor has nowhere else to turn, the rich becomes the staple diet.
Why then are the corrupt rich so thick in the head not to realise that it’s only a
matter of time before they’re consumed by the fury of those they deprive of
their valid demand for justice, fairness and equity? Why exactly is justness a
gutter word in the ears of the greedy and the wicked? Has anyone ever wondered
why the corrupt in society are so inept? The psychological imbalance of their
being is staggering.
What drove me to my mouse and
keyboard today is the furore generated by the dawn raids on some allegedly
corrupt judges. I shook my head in wonderment when some people cried foul at
the treatment meted out to these people. What on earth are we supposed to do?
Turn the other cheek and let them carry on regardless? Yes, the treatment might
have been rough, but was it any different from what obtains on our streets
every single day when people are arrested on suspicion of wrongdoing? Didn’t
the DSS have mandated search and arrest warrants to carry out their tasks?
Should these accosted people be accorded special treatments just because of
their elevated positions in society? The whole fight against corruption has
been turned into an imbroglio of unprecedented proportions. However, it’s not
to be unexpected as the depth and width of corruption have reached unimaginable
levels, and corruption is bound to fight back with ferocity.
Is the fight against corruption
worth it? Maybe we need to consider the unforgettable words of Frank Serpico
(b. April 14, 1936) “The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It
never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on our self, our families,
our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case,
the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity.” This, no doubt, is a
position any well-meaning Nigerian ought to take. Instead of castigating the
officers saddled with the responsibility of bringing crooks to book, we should
be applauding them when they fearlessly go about their tasks. Yes, mistakes may
be made and they must be swiftly reprimanded for such. However, shielding
culprits under the guise of obedience to the rule of law, when in fact what such
sympathizers had in mind was for the arresting officers to show obsequiousness
to the alleged criminals, who never thought a day like that would ever come.
They have pecuniarily tainted the noble profession and have turned the last hope
of the common man to a place to be feared. The rich buy justice for themselves
while grave injustice is meted out to the have-nots. Judges have turned the
serious business of justice dispensation into a serious business of à la carte
justice dispensation. Presiding Judges have become Residing Thieves.
It is plainly obvious that if
the judiciary isn't sanitized, the whole war on corruption would be a farcical
nonsense. Fighting corruption is not for the facile or the feeble, but the war
must be just and fair. Those in the temple of justice must be, and be seen to
be, above board and must not deprecate the hallowedness of their calling. Who
are the poor and disadvantaged supposed to look up to when they are being
dispossessed of their fundamental human rights? The rich can pay to have the
poor imprisoned for no just cause. It is anyone's imagination how many poor
souls are in prisons up and down the land that are there on the whims of the
rich, abetted by the corrupt justice system. The citizens' fiducial relationship
with the upholders of justice is dead and buried. Our courts are no longer
places of refuge for the common man. Judges dish out indefinite injunctions
like confetti in favour of the corrupt, as long as the price is right. Those
people lamenting the violation of the human rights of the accused have
conveniently forgotten that my human rights and those of tens of millions of
Nigerians have been trampled upon for decades. Who fought for us? Now the shoe
is on the other foot, human rights have shot to the forefront of
considerations. Only in Nigeria,
