Date Published: 02/19/10
RE: OLUDARE OGUNLANA ON SOKOTO APPEAL COURT CASE By MOHAMMED S. UMAR
It is indeed unfathomable the unusual interest Oludare Ogunlana just developed in Sokoto political equation. He wrote last week on the Appeal Court Judgement to be turned in favour of DPP, and went further to call on civil society organizations in the country to storm Sokoto to cause chaos if judgement did not go the way of DPP. A sister organization replied him appropriately which held us back from similar reply.
This time Oludare Ogunlana who previously claimed to live in Baltimore , MD , USA has written to Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), President of Nigerian Bar Association ostensibly to arm twist the judges of the Court of Appeal to do his paymasters’ bidding. He in turn mischievously embellished his letter and published it as article in Sahara Reporters’ website with all substance of his original petition extant, but under a curious name Sani Sokoto.
Alhaji Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko is a taciturn on burning issues not as a weakness but as circumspection of a wise man. Definitely, it is not in the character of Magatakarda to be diarrhea mouthed to boast on a case pending in court. It is apparently the concoctions of the mischief makers who vowed to ease him out by all means or make Sokoto State ungovernable for him. Callosity and over-bearing pomposity remain the hallmark of members of DPP who were already in disarray and incoherent before the 2007 elections.
Certainly something must have gone contrary to opposition expectations and scheming. The rascality of the political vampires echoed throughout Sokoto when they engaged in celebration this week of assumed victory. They rolled out drums to sensitize traders in Sokoto Central Market that judgement had been entered in their favour by the Appeal Court judges. The curious public wondered how the judgements of the Appeal Court judges must have been given to opposition when the Court had not officially delivered its judgement. Skeptics believed that some water must have passed under the bridge by opposition that orchestrated their confidence and subsequent celebrations. We may restrain from bribery by opposition allegation against the Judges as we do not have evidence, but tongues are wagging how they got their information and confidence of favourable judgement already written that guarantees their occupation of Lodge Road , Sokoto, seat of Sokoto State Government. That is the puerility of opposition activists!
Indeed, it may not be surprising that political jobbers like Oludare Ogunlana must have been one of those facilitating the dirty job of not only sniffing around but also manipulation of the judicial process to favour opposition in Sokoto. The mention of Senator Umar Dahiru in the smearing campaign is a deliberate effort to connect his office in the Senate to the fantasy being fabricated to adumbrate the real facts that opposition is desperate to capture power in Sokoto State . This is a party that has demolished all structures of a political party in Sokoto State . The connection if carefully examined of Senator Umar Dahiru with this case and Justice Ayo Salami betrays the senility of the writer. It was President Umar Musa Yar’adua who nominated Justice Ayo Salami as Chief Justice of Nigeria. The Senate Committee on Judiciary in performing their constitutional duty only ensured the credibility of the candidate. The writer wittingly insinuated that Justice Ayo Salami must have some deficiencies that Senator Umar Dahiru Tambuwal helped to cover up to enable him scale through to merit “payback time”. To the best of our knowledge Justice Ayo Salami was eminently qualified to merit nomination by President Yar’Adua as confirmed by the entire Senate.
Again the desperation reared up again in notorious corruption allegation leveled against the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Michael Aondokaa. Mr Oludare Ogunlana has now informed the public that because Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu (CJN) is related to Mr Michael Aondokaa the Nigerian judiciary may be infected with corruption syndrome, including Sokoto governorship Appeal case. The writer further added that the CJN is not competent to carry out his duties due to illegal nature of his swearing in. It is very glaring that desperation has really permeated the total psyche of opposition. Their writers now engage in discrediting any body or institution as a means to carve niche to bulldoze their way into Government House, Sokoto. Edo , Ondo and Rivers did not resort to such political garrison and mud-slinging against the judiciary to attain justice. Nobody sensitized the judiciary to gold signet or plaque which only the underpinnings of Sokoto opposition and Oludare Ogunlana can provide to be satisfied with justice.
Mr Oludare Ogunlana and his cohorts should be educated that the nullification of Sokoto governorship election on observed technicalities necessitated the ordered re-run during which period any observed irregularity(ies) must have been corrected. The re-run election was legitimate exercise conducted by INEC, a body lawfully charged with conduct of elections in Nigeria . Opposition parties, including DPP, fielded candidates who were trounced by Magatakarda and PDP. Similar exercises were conducted in some States and constuencies, including Kogi State where nobody was excluded from re-contesting on ground of technicalities that necessitated nullification of elections. Other States and constuencies that found themselves in similar circumstance accepted the verdict of the law, but due to unnecessary stubbornness of those that do not wish Sokoto well it is endless litigations and abuse of cherished values of Sokoto people, their leaders and revered institutions.
Perhaps, the holier than thou personality flaunt of opposition members must have been badly bruised by the recent Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) discovery of embezzlement of N15 billion public funds by the previous administration. This money is very precious to Sokoto people to accelerate development of key sectors very vital to overall economic and social growths. Probably, Ogunlana’s love of Sokoto people may stimulate humane activism on his part to facilitate recovery of the money for the good people of Sokoto State . Governor Wamakko has remained strident in provision of dividends of democracy to Sokoto people in all aspects that really touch the lives of the masses, especially education. The previous administration hated education as opprobrium to mercantilism. In spite of the global economic meltdown PDP administration in Sokoto State under Governor Wamakko has opened up dormant sectors of the economy to move ahead with the modern world to the chagrin of the opposition. Those Oludare crave their return to power only engaged in building personal empires and gleefully dispense crumbs to the people with the affirmation that Sokoto people could be likened to chickens and grains. Insult of the highest degree to the Seat of the Caliphate. Eminent Sokoto people were chased away from the State. This is the condition Oludare Ogunlana wants Sokoto people to return?
We are conscious of sociological factors in court adjudication processes. No condition should be heated where a cabal should be hoisted over the masses merely to satisfy sensibilities of emotional droopy. Sokoto people do not yearn to return epoch of Islamic religious dichotomy of Shittes against Shunnis that took lives and property of innocent citizens. They have been clandestinely goading all kinds of destabilization activities to stoke this ember as a subterfuge to gain political ascendancy.
Oludare Ogunlana lives very far ( USA ) from Sokoto and should please either desist from meddling in an environment he’s not well informed or he should relocate to live among Sokoto people to understand Sokoto political terrain. We are not contesting his right of commentary on Sokoto (as a Nigerian State ) but we urge commentary to be factual, decorous and progressive.
Mohammed S. Umar is President
Sokoto Liberal Democrats Media Foundation (SOLID)
Sokotosolid2007@yahoo.com
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