Is Nigeria Under Mass Enchantment?

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The above quote is credited to Martin Niemoller (1892-1984), a Protestant pastor who was an outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler in pre-Second World War Germany. For his exertions he spent seven years in concentration camps under the Nazis.

The society in Nigeria is known for its vibrancy. There is a joke about asking one hundred Nigerians, knowledgeable Nigerians, one question and getting one hundred answers. It used to be so, but after May 29 2014 when the present President, General Muhammadu Buhari, was sworn in society in Nigeria seems to have fallen into slumber. The feeling is so palpable that I ask: is Nigeria under mass enchantment? Has some spiritual force held Nigerian citizens, at home and without, captive and deprived them of their natural vibrancy?

Nigerians are being treated to “Dasukigate” with many, expectedly, frothing at the mouth on the strength of the “revelations”. Not a day passes without another “revelation” about another “goat” who ate our yams. Popular is the refrain “if they had procured arms with the money thousands of our citizens, including soldiers, that fell to Boko Haram may have been saved”. It is natural to express indignation when one hears stories about untoward actions, particularly about public officers, but tarry awhile. Have we heard from the accused? The Yoruba have a saying that counsels that it is wicked to deliver judgement in a cause after hearing from only one side. In the present case, the accused is not dead, neither is their whereabouts unknown. The accusing authorities have simply denied us a chance of hearing their side of the story while plying us daily with stories of their misdeeds.

That the accused is denied a chance of telling his story is damning enough, what is particularly unpalatable about the Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) debacle is that the man is being held incommunicado against express orders of courts of competent jurisdiction. Three different high courts in Nigeria ordered that Dasuki be released on bail, with one giving him permission to travel abroad for medical treatment, but the number one citizen of Nigeria who swore to protect and defend the Constitution has vowed that the former National Security Adviser will not be allowed bail because the man could run from the law. That should send chills up the spine of conscientious citizens. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very explicit about the roles of institutions in Nigeria. It is not the remit of the President to determine who should be behind bars, or who is likely to run away from the judicial process. That role is exclusively for the judiciary. The President is wreaking violence against the Constitution that he vowed to uphold. No matter the gravity of allegations or perceived wrongdoing the same man must never be allowed to be the accuser, judge and executioner.

This is not about fanciful notions about democracy and fundamental human rights. What is frightening about the Dasuki travails is that what he is going through is not a once-off but a trend. Patrick Akpobolokemi, former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was docked in Lagos for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government and diverting monies all to the tune of N3 billion. He was granted bail and was to return to Court on January 18 2016, but was re-arrested outside the court in Lagos. He was manhandled and roughly thrown into a combi bus.

THEWILL, an online newspaper, reports that one Salisu Mamman, a nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari, has been detained alongside members of his “gang” in Port Harcourt Prison for obtaining money from some individuals through false pretences. He is said to promise to employ his closeness to the President to help those individuals procure crude oil lifting licences. He has not been charged to any court, yet he is cooling his heels, alongside members of his “gang” in prison! When did individuals who are yet to appear in court start making prison? One is not impressed that the individual concerned is a relative of the President. He simply has no business in a prison unless a court of competent jurisdiction sent him there!

Brig. Gen. Jafaaru Isa (rtd.), an associate of the President, was arrested last week but quickly released after eight hours, some say on the orders of the President. His real offence, some analysts insist, is that he was one of those that helped Col. Sambo Dasuki perfect his bail conditions.

Nnamdi Kanu leads an organisation called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose overarching objective is to have the South East secede from Nigeria. He was arrested in Lagos and charged to court. The court granted him bail, but again, Buhari thought his crime was too serious to have him breathe fresh air. The last time he was in court, Kanu declined to go through trial as he was sure that government would not respect the judgement of the court if it did not go its way. The judge has washed his hands off the case and the young man is languishing in jail. I am sure I am not alone in wishing that Nigeria, as presently constituted, would last till the end of days, but those that do not share my enthusiasm are not guilty of any crime, as far as I am concerned.

Although Prof. Wole Soyinka made a volte face before the last Presidential Election we need to refresh our collective memory about why Soyinka was so vehemently against Buhari becoming Nigeria's President in 2007:

• During his time as Nigeria's military Head of State, General Buhari took pleasure in making Nigeria a prison for its citizens. Under the guise of instilling discipline, citizens were treated like trash;
• Buhari's fight against corruption was directed at the Second Republic opposition. Arrested NPN big wigs miraculously escaped and made their ways abroad, while opposition figures that were not found guilty by any court or tribunal were incarcerated until the fall of Buhari's government;
• He backdated a decree that prescribed the death penalty for drug couriering and through that decree sanctioned the execution of three Nigerian youths. When asked after his retirement from the army, Buhari insisted that he had no regret executing those youths;
• Buhari showed utter contempt for the Oputa Panel set up by Obasanjo during his tenure as President and refused to appear before it.

The above are only a few of what Soyinka said back in 2007 but the déjà vu will not go away. Nothing that Buhari has done since his swearing-in on May 29 2015 has reassured one that what Nigeria has is a reformed democrat. His contempt for Nigerians is still there. Save for the disastrous Media Chat that he allowed, belatedly, in December 2015, Nigerians got to hear from their President only when he was abroad and through his spokespersons.

His fight against corruption is still a selective one. Reasons other than corruption are responsible for who gets grilled and who gets a tap on the wrist.

President Buhari is not a democrat, period. No democrat would disobey a court order with relish. No matter what the allegation is court orders are court orders.

What is really scary is that, save a few courageous voices that have pointed out what is going on, most of Nigeria is sleep-walking into the nightmare to come. Are Nigerians simply desperate for the promise of the better life that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lured them with, or are they truly enchanted and are powerless to break the spell that holds them captive?

What manner of a judge goes on with a case after an order he gave was contemptuously wished away? Should the judge not wash his hands off the case until the executive has shown that it believes in the separation of powers doctrine that Nigeria's Constitution is based on? The judges are obviously part of the enchanted mob! During Buhari's time as military head of state the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) played a leading role in exposing the draconian nature of his regime. Lawyers boycotted the tribunals that the military set up to try corruption cases, and the only one that disobeyed that decision, late Gani Fawehinmi, was blacklisted. Although the president of the NBA, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, has decried Buhari's disobedience of court orders the NBA can do better than that. It is not too much to ask the NBA to direct its members to boycott all cases involving the Federal Government until it undertakes to obey all decisions of courts in Nigeria.

Where is the National Assembly? Has the National Assembly forgotten that it can call upon Buhari to do the right thing? If the President will not act according to a resolution of the National Assembly to obey court orders, disobedience of court orders is an impeachable offence. Surely!

Where is the robust, fearless, enthusiastic and free Nigerian mass media? It has been pocketed? It is also a victim of enchantment?

Obviously piqued at comments by Yoruba muslims on Facebook one Babatunde Gbadamosi posted on his Facebook timeline last week “They have dealt with the Shiites. You cheered them on. They are dealing with PDP, you are hailing them. Soon, they will start on the Ibos, you will sing their praises. They will complete their elimination of the Middle Belt tribes, and you will still justify it. Then they will come for the Yoruba Christians, and you will claim piety. Then they will tell you you are not a real Muslim and deal with you finally. There will be no one left to stop them from finishing you.

Keep hailing the evil tyrants that see nothing wrong in taking lives that they cannot give or create. Your day will come, sooner than you think, at their hands.”

Gbadamosi's prophecy need not become our history if citizens will snap out of their reverie and act like citizens. The prize of liberty is eternal vigilance! There is no gainsaying the fact that corruption needs to be fought vigorously in Nigeria, but that fight must be within the ambit of the rule of law. It must not be selective. Nobody, no matter how trusted or vaunted his squeaky clean credentials look, should be endowed with the capacity to be accuser, jury and executioner.

Written by Olanrewaju Aderemi Obafemi.