By Tunde Abatan,
tunde2013abatan@gmail.com 08165660217
Since the attainment of the country’s independence from British rule in 1960,one of the hallmarks of successive governments in the country is the natural penchant for applying different laws,rules and interpretations in its management of the different parts of the country.
In other words,there are two set of rules for the different components of the country just as the colonial masters adopt both Direct and Indirect rule policy in the administration of the colonies.
It has become so pronounced that ,the issue is one of the fault lines of successive governments be they military or civilian.
Besides,it has pushed the issue of North- South dichotomy into the lexicon of our national life with its effect on nation building.
But this has never assumed a bigger dimension than the period of the last twenty years of democracy when applying different rules in the management of ethno religious issues were deliberately introduced as an acceptable fault line .
When President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed power as the first President of southern extraction in 1999,some states in the North like Zamfara,Sokoto etc introduced Sharia law as it’s state policy even when the country is a secular state . Yet, the Northern states which share from parts of proceed from alcohol,one of the items banned in sharia states, by inference are beneficiaries of proceeds of ‘sinful’ habits of the South.
In spite of this glaring inadequacy, President Obasanjo not only look the other way,he declared that Sharia will soon fizzle away.
Today, over two decades after, it has assumed a monstrous posture and developed into ethno- religious crisis.
The avalanche of weapons in the hands of religious extremist groups has resulted in deployment of huge state resources to prosecute an internal war. Resources that could’ve been used to spread education in the North .
The resultant effects of this cold shoulders towards extremism is the transformation of Boko Haram,ISWAP and other non -state religious actors troubling the country to a full fledged army.
The terrorist army endures as a result of the apparent double standard in designation..a bandit in the North is cultivated,cajoled and pampered while a rights activist in the South is branded as sponsors of terrorism,hounded into jail or forced into exile.
You must give courage and statesmanship to Obasanjo , who contrary to today’s leaders used all state powers and instrument of coercion to crush both the Odua People’s Congress,Odi resurgence and others if it’s ilk in South South.
On the contrary , both President Yaradua and now President Muhammadu Buhari have watched Boko Haram and other violent vices assumed a potent non state actor with more military capabilities at its disposal to threaten national cohesion.
Last week,Justice Minister,Abubakar Malami while addressing the press gleefully announced that the federal government has identified sponsors of both Yoruba activist , Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho in the national assembly.
He did not stop at that,he accused the activist now in his third month of detention in Benin republic of having 43 accounts from which he has been funding his secessionist agitation.
Why did Malami made this spurious allegation when he himself could not identify Igboho on the street as a non state actor in 2013.?
So how did Igboho suddenly become a state actor threatening today’s government as a private person.
Besides,among many other questions begging for answer from our ‘learned’ SAN is whether as a public figure or private person,you are limited by number of accounts you can operate .
Yet,Malami have also not answered whether there is any law in Nigeria which stipulate the number of bank account,a private business person could operate.
Malami also need to answer the status of Igboho before he became a ‘felon’ now being pursued even outside the shores of Nigeria when violent state actors abound in the North bearing dangerous arms and ammunition, kidnapping, raping and abducting but never for once have been tagged a terrorist group.It is either herder or unknown gunmen.
Different strokes for different people and different situations.
Malami has also refused to let us know the position of the country money regulator, Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN on same.
While accusing Igboho of operating the various accounts,he also failed to use the law on which he is the chief operator to buttress his argument but instead constituted himself into the prosecutor,the jury and the law .
This attitude in a case that is before the court is suspect and questionable. Is this action deliberately prejudicial or not.
Two weeks earlier, a court of competent jurisdiction in Ibadan,Oyo state capital has awarded billions naira as fine on the Directorate of State Services,DSS for wrongful invasion and destruction of Igbohos house,
yet Malami has choosed to look the other way .
Sometime last year,our law officer also kept quite while Katsina state governor, Aminu Bello Masari took photographs with bandits who openly displayed their weapons of destruction.
What manner of law is in operation in the Northern part of the country,citizens have often asked.?
While our chief law officer was quick to identify but refused to disclose the national assembly member who has bankrolled Igboho to the tune of N273million, he has also refused to allow both the United States government and Saudi Arabia who are willing to disclose the identity of sponsors of Boko Haram that has spilled more blood than any religious sect in the history of the country. Yet, he kept about 400 such person’s away from the law claiming as the President too did, that disclosures of such persons identity will be embarrassing to them.
Different laws for different folks.
One of the parameters of justice in any sane clime is fairness,equity and equality before the law. But then,has the captivity of Nnamdi Kanu and his illegal abduction from another country portray any semblance of normal diplomatic procedural arrangements such that questions of fair hearing, equity and fairness are applied?.
Of what import is the decision of Malami to address a press conference after the Kanu matter has been adjourned for hearing of his application.
Malami as an after thought added seven more charges to the former charges preferred against the IPOB leader since his ‘capture’ and detention?
It follows that this government has dug further into the age long style of arresting first and later manufacture evidence to justify their flagrant violations of laws which in most cases portrays a regime intent on working towards a predetermined end..
However,the deliberate and selective interpretation and application of law and rules should be expected in a situation when religious extremists,murderers,bandits, terrorists of Northern extraction are freely walking all over maiming and kidnaping under the guise of “our man is in power.”
Without sounding immodest, Kaduna state governor, El Rufai told all those who care to listen last week of his advice to President Buhari to label bandits as a clear terrorist group which they really are.
However,that the layer has ignored such reasonable advice is part of unknown forces and hands preventing the President from doing the needful. . Hence,when categorisation of evil is done in the alter of chauvinism, nothing much should be expected.
However,what happens when their man leaves power.? Will Malami ask for justice which he refused to give now then?
By now,those running the national affairs should have been well adviced that various agitations bordering on secession are apoarent frustrations ilwith the grave injustice of the Nigerian state protected by an unjust system which add no value to promotion of national cohesion but rather breeds widespread discontent and the gradual but steady moves towards disintegration.
Those who have airs to Tell truth to power should act now and Fast too! A stich in time saves nine
