By Olamide Akanji
It is a Yoruba proverb that says “Òrìsà bóò le gbè mí, se mí bo se bá mi” loosely meaning “if one cannot render any help to solve someone’s predicament, do not compound the person’s unpleasant or confusing situation”; but worsening former Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello’s predicament is exactly what your not-too-clever and not-well-thought-out article titled “Today It is Yahaya Bello But Tomorrow It Will Be You”, has only achieved.
It is not only unfortunate but ridiculous that some of you called lawyers are knowingly turning law on its head as your form of engagement in this matter. It has been extremely hard for your likes to come up with something statutory in backing your claims, the reason no single law or rule was cited in your article. Though not bothered as life also has some of you -those for whom truth is only literature.
In your article, one would have been expecting sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) or that of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act or the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act or any Federal or State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, all which would have suggested your concern is purely about the just and expeditious disposition of the matter at hand through instruments of law. But your rampaging intentions were that APC and its members should throw their weights behind Yahaya Bello against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a sick and terrible state of mind anybody can be bedeviled with.
The Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) is very clear in its Sections 13, 15(5) and 24(a),(b), (d) & (e) on the fundamental obligations of the government, abiding by the legitimate authorities, enhancement of Nigeria’s good name, abolition of corrupt practices, useful contributions to the progress of community of residence and assisting appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order. But none of these has any features in your article. Instead you went berserk, actually convicted Yahaya Bello of all allegations with your analyses and furiously asking your party, APC, its leaders and members to shield him from being punished, just because, according to you, all he has done for the party.
You went further to make and cemented insinuations that your party -All Progressives Congress (APC) is a party of thieves, all whom you reminded that their (including you) respective times of judgement shall eventually come like that of the Yahaya Bello you pointedly have convicted.
Another Yoruba proverb says “Idà mí ba àkọ̀ jẹ́, inú ẹ̀ mí dùn, ó ti gbàgbé wípé ilé òun lòun mì bà jé”, which loosely translated as “The sword destroys its sheath and rejoices; it has forgotten that it is its own abode”; you have not only completely destroyed Yahaya Bello and embarrassed your legal profession, but also, irreparably reinforced that your political party, APC is den of corrupt elements and as you have prophesied, tomorrow it will be your own turn to face the wrath of the law.
| Akanji, a public affairs commentator, writes from Ibadan