UPHOLDING THE SANCTITY OF THE COURTS Vs THE IMPUDENCE OF TOMPOLO

“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose; they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.”- Martin Luther King, jnr.
The hallmark and purpose of the law is to ensure sanity and decorum in a given society. Plato says, “Mankind must either give themselves a law and regulate their lives by it or live better than the wildest of the wild beasts.” This implies that, the existence of the law ensures peaceful co-existence, harmony and justice. And before justice could be enthroned in a given society, government, institutions and individuals alike must be seen to be equal before the law and succumb to the vagaries or dictates of it. Consequent upon his vehement refusal to appear before the Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba on charges bothering on 34 billion Naira fraud preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) a warrant of arrest has been issued on Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo). By this order, Tompolo who is a fugitive in the eyes of the law shall be compelled by the relevant law enforcement agencies to appear before the court willy-nilly.
We must all ensue that the sanctity of the courts is respected and upheld at all times. The impudence of Tompolo is unheard of in any sane environment and must be dealt with accordingly. As a citizen of or resident in Nigeria, he is duty bound by law to obey court orders, pronouncements and summons. The law on the other hand should equally protect him against any form of molestation or infringement on his fundamental human rights either by individuals or the state. His right to institute any case or to pursue an existing one against EFCC on the same matter relating to the summons or the case in contention is not enough ground for him to shun or rather dare the court when an injunction or pronouncement was not made. It is not in the interest of the nation for him to shy away from the course of law and justice. This piece encourages Tompolo to appear before the court with a formidable defence team and counter the allegation levelled against him instead of embarking on this futile journey to arm-twisting the court.
From any angle one looks at it, the judiciary and its credibility is at the epicentre of this ridicule and judicial rigmarole. The temple of justice has become a “whip” for settling cheap political scores in recent times. For this reason, people no longer have confidence in the ability of our judiciary which is the last hope of the common man. The sanctity of our judicial system shall only remain intact when it detaches itself from becoming a partial umpire for the mighty and powerful in determining the political intrigues currently going on in Nigeria.
When a mother goat eats the grass, the kids keenly look at its mouth is a popular saying among the Igbos. Another one goes on to say that when the elderly gets involved in covetousness; the crime is bound to continue even among the young. Instances abound where government and its security agencies especially the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have treated the law, court orders and pronouncements with utter disdain. The apparent non-compliance of government with the bails granted Nnamdi Kanu and Sambo Dasuki are celebrated cases of government deliberate interference with and defiance of the law. The bail conditions of both accused were met only for them to be re-arrested within the premises of the court and rammed again into detention. When Tompolo defied EFCC and court summons to appear before it, many did not bath an eye lid. Should one not admit that Tompolo who is the kid goat was keenly watching the government which is the mother goat as it ruminates and mangles the grass of adjudication? Government should show cause why people should not believe Nigeria is receding into a Hobbesian state where life is nasty, short and brutish or an Orwellian situation where some animals are more equal than the others. Government must be seen to lead by shining example at all times.
The avowal to bring sanity and ensure probity and transparency in the business of governance was cardinal to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. In fact, President Buhari’s aversion for graft, crimes and criminality were known facts. It was not surprising that the 2.1 billion Dollars arms scandal featuring former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki and other corruption cases are vigorously pursued. For too long, the nation has existed without citizens paying attention and due regards to the extant laws of the land. For quite some time a dangerously structured dam of corruption has blocked the flow of social progress in Nigeria.
With President Buhari, the appointed time to interrogate the stewardship of our past and present leaders is right here with us. The apparent lack of the will power by those in positions of authority to check the sources of ostentatious living of our leaders was the bane of our nation. Therefore, the ongoing arrest and prosecution of some political big wigs in the country on account of fraudulent diversion of our national resources to themselves and cronies is a welcome development. Every well-meaning Nigerian should ensure it succeeds. Those who the court genuinely finds guilty of robbing us all of our common patrimony should be made to face the consequences of their actions. However, this assignment must be carried out with utmost diligence and sincerity. It should not be seen as a selective political vendetta to punish some supposed “thieves” or potential political enemies. The current media sensationalisation of the prosecution of the suspects is already negatively telling on effort of government and should not be allowed to interfere with the role of the court. It is an effort in futility without fairness in this drive to rid our nation of corruption and corrupt tendencies. The fight against corruption should be holistic, permeating all departments, agencies of government and ministries. Our eyes will open to the level of rot in the polity when we begin the search for looted funds at least from 1985 till date. It did not just begun now.
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze, a Media and Communications Specialist wrote via sunnyeze02@yahoo.com and can be reached on 08060901201