LEGALIZATION OF FORGERY IN NIGERIA

By Ama Chukwugoziem (Abia writers)

Edited by Solomon Elughaiwe

From the legal perspectives, many are still trying to recover fully from the judicial stupor, as to erase from their memories, some disturbing images that made the news in the just concluded tribunal legal battle between the incumbent APC government and its opposition PDP party. The events marked another trade-fair-like display of the quirks that make Nigeria an enigma and a laughing stock in the civilized world. Nigeria is a contraption and a country that consistently elevates stupidity and mediocrity into the status of honour and distinction.

How priceless was the image of the Nigeria judiciary when the current autocratic regime led by APC confusedly broke all the judicial protocol and selected a sharia judge in the person of justice Mohamed Tanko to be the chief justice of the federation. 

Let’s take a little walk on the memory lane, during the court session, did you not see the vast array of lawyers sleeping? What did you make of such an image? Also, were you not struck by the mute image of the defenders of the masses?  Was that not amusing to you? It was not to me at all. For me, the immediate prognosis of that simple image of muteness was that the future of anyone living in this contraption, called Nigeria would surely be bleak, especially the common man. It will be a journey to the unknown. The lawyers were perhaps signalling to Nigerians to get ready for a trip into the night and the strange universe.

But make a little mental contrast between the images at the tribunal room that day and those found in most state judiciary. Do those contrasting images speak anything to you? They say quite a lot to me. From the common man’s knowledge, the word to legalize means: to make legal or the condition of being allowed by the law to persist or to forge ahead that it doesn’t matter at all. A forgery is an act of making up something to deceive the very gullible one, but for me and the IPOB, which is the indigenous people of Biafra, cannot be deceived. And in as much as, it is punishable under law, in fact, it is of very least to say that person is sent to prison if found guilty of such actions. 

During one of the cross-examination and question, the West African examination council testified, discredited the authenticity of the WAEC results presented before the jury. The truth was contrasted with divers conflicted images on the day of delivering of judgment by justice Mohammed Garba led tribunal, Believe that there is enough to this thing about the country (Nigeria) and enough reason also had been displayed that the hope of a common man is lost faraway. Nigeria and Nigerians are now living on chance. The odds are so high that things are getting bad in Nigeria.

But first, the chaos at the centre of power in Nigeria is real. Nigeria’s centre under the present administration can no longer hold as things have fallen apart. The sheepishness of the chairman of election tribunal during his delivery of judgment makes that more than apparent. Judiciary, as an independent institution, is deflated, confused and out of ideas. The executive is the hand influencing everything there, begging the election tribunal and the Supreme Court to find the courage and save it from itself.

Secondly, is the muteness of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), the body that handles the justice at the same time, unbiased umpire between the government and citizens, is telegraphic to all Nigerians.

Finally, looking at the pictures, one cannot but lament the fact that this contraption appears doomed forever. The question is, now that forgery in high places is legal, what about the famous slogan that the court is the last hope of the common man. Where is the hope of the common man again after all these shenanigans?

Biafra restoration is our last hope.