By Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN
There is no morality anymore. In Nigeria anything goes. Nigerians can defend any wrong and any moral wrong so long as they are benefiting from those wrongs or so long as those who meandered their ways to positions are of their ethnic or religious origin.
There is moral decadence all over in Nigeria. Some Nigerians are tolerating the most intolerable things to earn a living. The level of moral decadence in Nigeria either in political, social or religious life has reached an amazing phenomenon. Everyone pontificates to be angel but in fact and in reality most are opposite of what they preach. Public officials write beautiful public speeches condemning evils but in office they represent exactly opposite of what they condemned.
Those who condemned what is wrong yesterday can defend the same wrongs today so long as they are directly benefiting from these wrong doers. Many are incorrigibly inconsistent. It is a shame that those who saw evils yesterday are no longer seeing evils in the same evils of yesterday. Nigerians are special breeds. Anybody can do anything and the system allows them to get away free.
Even in the legal circle the level of some legal logics in some decisions that tend to uphold wrong things and breaches of laws of the land are so sickening, so alarming and disgusting to say the least.
Now it appears that the legal profession has become so tolerant of stamping some of these obvious wrongs and those evils in governance to the irritation and annoyance of justice. Some decisions are just simply deeply flawed and difficult for comprehension. Some of these decisions defy legal logic and sound jurisprudential understanding.
Today many decisions coming out of some Tribunals, set up to right the wrongs in our electoral disputes perpetuated in the name of democracy are clearly decisions that encourage electoral frauds bringadage and robberies.
Some of these decisions defy logic and sound legal reasoning. Laws are turned on their heads to achieve a predetermined agenda. These decisions are so brazenly rendered. It makes one think so many things. It makes one feels bad about what is going on in Nigerian society.
Everything seems so infested with evils and wicked plots against the people. Everybody in positions wants to be grabbing and grabbing our national resources. No more conscience. We have developed so strong spirit to accept just anything that comes our ways and ask others to put up with it. Those who have no respect for law and order preach rule of law in public and in their private and secret lives breach these laws with reckless abandon. Nigerians are in bondage everywhere.
Nigeria claims that it operates the legal system rooted in the rule of law. I do not think so. What I see Nigerians do in public offices in the three arms of government cannot be a reflection of the rule of law. Nobody obeys the law. No nobody. Everyone is just interested in what he or she can grab to earn a living.
Despite all these there are some judges in Nigeria that have held their heads high and have refused to be compromised even in difficult terrains they found themselves. Nigerians know them. These judges are great Nigerians suffering in the hands of a system that does not respect and reward merit.
The level of moral decadence in Nigeria has reached boiling points. We must restore back our moral values. The number of reckless decisions that we get which are devoid of moral values will soon land us in the theatre of legal amputation unless we change. We are in bondage in Nigeria despite being 63 as an independent nation. Judiciary must give itself independence to restore hope in Nigerians.
Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN @jibrinSAN