“ON JUDGMENT OF SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/667/2013 WE STAND FOR OUR - TopicsExpress

“ON JUDGMENT OF SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/667/2013 WE STAND FOR OUR HANDS ARE TIED” Great JUSUN Great!!! Good morning….. Welcome to the 3rd week of our struggling towards the attainment of genuine INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY through the total FINANCIAL AUTONOMY of the JUDICIARY both at Federal and State levels. This morning, in my quite time my mind ruminates on the historical rhetoric in the Judicial history of our Great Nation – NIGERIA. The rhetoric was made at the Judgment of Treasonable Felony against the persons of Late Chief Obafemi and 30 others in the Charge No: LA/68/C/62 constituting the most prominent Civilian Treasonable Felony trial in the Nigeria Judicial history, in which they were convict for planning to overthrow the Civilian Government of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. The trial, which lasted for 10 months, with 53 prosecution’s witnesses and 42 defence witnesses, 378 exhibits and 100 Defence Counsels, was widely criticized by the people. On 11th day of September, 1962 Justice George Sodeinde Sowemimo delivered one of the lengthiest judment on treason in the history of Nigeria. A 400 page judgment that spanned 8 hours (9:30am – 5:30 am) and afterward Chief Obafemi Awolowo made his moving allocutus and in respond the Judge declared the remarkable rhetoric that, “Whatever others may say, this is my personal view, I am not speaking as a Judge but as a Nigerian……………. I would have asked you to go. But I am sorry. I cannot do so now because MY HANDS ARE TIED.” Fast forwarded, on the 13th day of January, 2014 a Federal High Court Judgment in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/667/2013, JUSUN vs. National Judicial Council & 73 ors, was delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of Federal High Court, Abuja in favour of the Plaintiff – JUSUN. Then, in my cynical manner when I saw a colleague jubilating, I shook my head and told him that the battle has not even begun, he was very angry and blasted me telling that I am a damned pessimist. Behold, a year later we are still on it. The truth is our politicians are great when it come to the POLITICAL THEORY OF CONSPIRACY. They are crafty, sly, foxy, guileful, tricky and wily. They love to hurt (without caring whose horse is gores) yet they never wanted to be hurt. Outside, they appeared totally GULLIBLE but inside they are very DIFFICULT to handle. The Judgment is nothing but the strict interpretation of the parts of Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 that truly guaranteed the INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY in the country through her genuine FINANCIAL AUTONOMY. That same Constitution which serves as the FULCRUM and the GRUNDNORM of our noble country NIGERIA herself, her citizens and her political leaders. Yet, we keep dancing around the Judgment. Today, the national leaders of JUSUN, NLC, NBA are going to meet the Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Coordinating Minister of Finance, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Attorney General/Minister of Justice, Accountant General of the Federation and State Accountant Generals, we of JUSUN are fully behind you our leaders and we are saying KUDOS. But sincerely the cynical spirit in me while trying to analyze the situation of things made me realized that those people they are going to meet represent our own leaders who we all elected into office. There is no way they can go beyond the interest of those masters. In a situation where a Governor had categorically said that the FINANCIAL AUTONOMY can never be realizable, what do we expect from his financial agent? Or, situation where the issue of Financial Autonomy of Judiciary in the State was quickly domesticated in the Law of the State to sidetrack the realization of the said Judgment, what do we expected from that end? I strongly believed that there is a COUNCIL that can sit over this issue and everything will be settled once and for all, that is the COUNCIL OF STATE, which constituted our own President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and all darling State Governors. We are still expecting to hear from them, else we will still be lured into signing of another MOU to buy time for the politicians. To this, we are saying no more, WE, JUSUN strongly AFFIRMED that on the said Judgment of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/667/2013 we stand, because our hands are tied by the position of the LAW, CFRN, true Justice and Equity. Knowing fully well that, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts ……..” (William Shakespeares in – As You Like It - Act 2 Scene 7), we are setting good precedent for generations to come. We are praying for Almighty God to please kindly intervene in our issue as well as praying for the Leadership of the JUSUN for the successful outcome. But, our interests should be their interests. May GOD sustains and uphold them all. ALLUTA CONTINUA!!! VICTORIA ASCERTA!!!