"I will not reply the failed old man. He is an ingrate. Was
I not the one that helped Bode George via the Supreme Court?" - Wike.
From the foregoing statement, it's obvious Chief Bode George's
acquittal by the Supreme Court in a case of fraud instituted against him by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) was purchased or facilitated by
Chief Nyesom Wike while serving as Minister of State under GEJ. The same Wike
who is leading a group which claims to have answers to all the problems of
Nigeria.
Nigerians know that such help was beyond legal representation at
the Court because Chief Wike was not in Chief George's legal team. And the
former Military Governor of Ondo State, former Chairman, Nigerian Ports
Authority, former National Vice Chairman(South West) and former Deputy National
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) wasn't so broke that he had to
rely on a Good Samaritan in Wike to bankroll his legal fees.
Through such interferences and inducements, they completely
destroyed the judiciary. I keep wondering why we had more virile, independent,
fair, just and impartial judiciary under the military than the era of civi
Rule.
How can democracy survive with a compromised judiciary? How can
the war against corruption succeed when Wike's agents dominate our Bench?
They are desperately fighting to reclaim Aso Rock in 2019 so as
to reverse the little sanity President Buhari has fought hard to instill in the
beleaguered nation.
Nigerians will rather wait patiently for this generation of
corrupt Judges appointed/or befriended by Wike and Co to retire and give way to
incorruptible and ethically minded ones than take the risk of allowing them
return to power and consolidate corruption.
The judiciary, once regarded as the last hope of the common man
has been purchased and pocketed by Governor Wike and his friends. Most of the
recent judgements delivered by our courts in cases involving politicians defy
common sense, logic and most importantly, clear provisions of the Law.
Thank God they are now using their own mouths to confess how
they destroyed the once highly reverred judiciary and by extension Nigeria.
Governor Nyesom Wike's voluntary statement about a possible
manipulation of the Supreme Court reveals a warped worldview of a supposed
leader and how deeply we've sunk as a nation.
Nigerians cannot again afford a nation where people with scant
respect for law, order and decency call the shots at the national stage.
It would be recalled that in August, 2008, the EFCC arraigned
Chief Bode George and four others before the Lagos High Court on a 163 count
charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and alleged
illegal award of contracts worth worth N84 billion while he was Chairman of
NPA. The anti graft Agency later reduced the charge to 63 counts.
In October 2009, Chief George was found guilty and sentenced
accordingly by Justice Joseph Olubunmi Oyewole. Interestingly, the Court of
Appeal upheld the judgement of the trial court.
Quite curiously, on December 13, 2013, the Supreme Court
discharged and acquitted Chief Bode George on technical grounds. Not a few
Nigerians suspected political interference in the judgement which absolved the
top politician of wrongdoing. Specifically, it was rumoured that Bode George
and other Politically Exposed Prisoners were freed as part of the build up to
the 2015 general election.
It's against the backdrop of the foregoing that Governor Wike's
confession to being instrumental to Chief George's luck at the Supreme Court
cannot be treated as an empty claim. It should remind us of where we are coming
from and reinforce our resolve to prevent a reoccurence of such acts of
meddlesomeness in the judicial process.
In related developments, in June 2014, the then Attorney General
of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke(SAN) withdrew a money laundering charge
preferred against the eldest surviving son of Late General Sani Abacha while
the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha,Chief
Security Officer to the late Military Ruler of conspiracy to murder Alhaja
Kudirat Abiola.
There's no doubt that with the loss of federal power by Governor
Wike and Co, Nigeria has sojourned out of Egypt even though she's yet to arrive
Canaan. No matter the allure of Egypt in the face of stress occasioned by the
long trek, returning to Egypt should never be an option. If we keep moving
despite the pains, one day, we will arrive the promised land.
Omen Bassey.
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