NIGERIA, A NATION OF DOUBLE STANDARDS; A JEST OF DEMOCRACY BY UBAKA CJ

By Ubaka Chijioke.
It is no longer hearsay that the version of Nigeria in which we operate now can be likened to what is obtainable in George Orwell’s Animal farm, where ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than the other’.

It is no longer News as well that the Buhari administration has since inception of office enthroned tribalism, religious and ethnic bigotry as well as unparalleled hatred for a particular race; elements grossly detrimental to the true practice of democracy in such an infant democratic nation like Nigeria.
It is only an anarchy and violence thirsty administration that will give an order through its Attorney General for the rearrest of a freedom fighter whose only crime was going against his ‘Legally outrageous’ bail conditions, the worst bail conditions I have ever heard of.
Going down the memory lane;

Let us recall that on the 17th of December 2015, the Abuja high court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola granted Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditional bail, but the federal government swore that the bail order will not see the light of the day. Why? Because he is from a different tribe and maybe religion too. And today, the dishonourable minister of justice cum AGF, Mr Abubakar Malami is calling for his rearrest.

Regrettably, these things are happening at the same time the Arewa youth Council issued a bloody quit notice to all people of Igbo extraction living in the northern part of Nigeria to vacate on or before October 1st 2017 or be visited with untold genocide. What did the federal government do? Even after coming openly to promise the arrest and consequent prosecution of the people involved, they went behind closed doors only to gift them with maximum security escorts while they parade the streets of Nigeria as free born. What a disgrace to justice and freedom.

And to continue parading themselves as the true owners of the federation, the same Arewa youths recently held a meeting to ‘withdraw’ the said quit notice. Withdraw! That’s what they call it, meaning they can still revoke it anytime any day. This in itself again is a worst act of terrorism, holding your fellow country men and women at ransom, keeping them hostage in their own land of birth where they are supposed to be enjoying maximum protection and freedom. What a shame to justice and democracy.
From all indications, the silence of both the federal government and the Nigerian security forces over this issue is a clear pointer that the quit notice originated from the northern elders, backed by the government in power. The Arewa youths were just used as a vehicle for conveyance. Their choice of the Kaduna ‘Arewa house’ as their place of rendezvous says it all. And the only problem the federal government has perceived in the country so far is Nnamdi Kanu, hence their call for his rearrest.
Mr President is only showing acts of hatred true to his nature. I still recall vividly his same show of ethnic terrorism, in the case between Shehu Shagari and our own Dr Alex Ekwueme.

It was Buhari who overthrew the democratically instituted government of Shehu Shagari some three decades ago, and while our brother Alex Ekwueme the then vice president was languishing in Kirikiri maximum security prison, Buhari’s kinsman Shagari was gifted with a comfortable cozy apartment all in the name of house arrest. History will always give an inclination to the happenings of today, Buhari’s hatred for the Igbo people didn’t start today.

It still beats my imagination that the Fulani herdsmen after all their genocide and murderous attacks on innocent farmers in the south eastern part of the country were not brought to book. Instead, the federal government is looking for Kanu to rearrest.

The heinous and ungodly activities of the Boko Haram sect have left so many dead, maimed and even displaced. Several businesses owned by the good citizens of the nation destroyed, and their ambitions laid to rest prematurely. What did the federal government do? As usual, he is busy generously gifting them mouth watering amnesty, with no compensation plan for those horribly affected by their devilish acts. If this isn’t ethnic bigotry at play, tell me what else is!

Nigerians, President Buhari is the’hatred and hate speech made flesh, that dwells among us’.
The Igbo people are known for peaceful coexistence and brotherly care even from Adams. Yes, we are republican in nature and so we may have diverse opinions or even quarrel and make up, but that doesn’t mean that we are divided amongst ourselves. We are one indivisible entity, bound in love for one another. Hence, coming for Kanu is tantamount to coming for all of us.

I want to make it clear that the call for the rearrest of Nnamdi Kanu is hinged on hatred and tribalism because the young man poses no threat to the peace and unity of the nation. Between a group that issued the treasonable quit notice and still went ahead to record and circulate the anti Igbo songs, AND a young man who is calling for a restructuring of the unbalanced system of governance through a referendum whose only weapon is civil disobedience, who should be arrested?

In the practice of law, the verdict made by a judge even under the influence of alcohol must either be respected or appealed against in a higher court. Hence, if the federal government couldn’t obey the court injunctions of justice Ademola in 2015 to grant Kanu unconditional bail, how do they expect the young man now to live up to the legally outrageous bail conditions of Justice Binta Nyako? Let is be stated clearly still that the so called bail conditions granted him are depriving him of his constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights of speech, movement and association, making him look like a criminal even when he was not convicted of any crime.

Joining my voice to that of Chief John Nnia Nwodo, I stand firm to say that “We are not fighting against Kanu’s rearrest because he is above the law, rather because the call for the rearrest is unjust and poses a threat of hatred to a people of particular extraction”. The federal government should channel its resources to fighting those set of people who are plotting against the unity, love and peaceful coexistence of the people of this nation without sentiments of tribalism and ethnically induced favoritism.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and when injustice is enthroned a law, resistance becomes a duty on the part of the masses.
Nigeria, where goeth thee?