While the whole world denounces these hunger, poverty, human rights violations, killings of hundreds and thousands, among them children and women, the leaders of today still continue with their misleading propaganda; ‘we are fighting to protect the country.’ In all of these humiliation and intimidation, Dino Melaye is the winner and those persecuting him are the losers for a tormentor trains his victim in hardship, and who knows if Dino, like the biblical Joseph, like Presidents Mandela, Obasanjo and Buhari is being prepared to be Nigeria’s President. I forewarn. The people can tolerate hunger, poverty, lies, propaganda but I have come to believe that one thing the people cannot bear is a sense of injustice, so our leaders must learn to lead in fairness, equity and justice while investing in peace building to solve the problem of our beloved nation.
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerians need practicable democratic assurances against the trend of hunger, poverty, human rights abuses and abuse of power. In the politics of leadership, we all know that when a political leader is desperate to remain in power, he creates room for abuse of power by sycophants who perpetuate all sorts of evil in the guise of loyalty to the leader whereas our true loyalty should be to the Constitution which is given for the good governance and leadership of the Nation.
Nigeria is a constitutional nation which must live by democratic tenets and abide by the rule of law, and not the rule of man. Section 1(1) (2) (3) of the 1999 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides thus:
(1) This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
(2) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
(3) If any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.
Sections 13 and 14 of the CFRN state the obligation of government to the people by directing in Section 13 that: “It shall be the duty and responsibility of all organs of government, and of all authorities and persons, exercising legislative, executive or judicial powers, to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of this Chapter of this Constitution.
Section 14 declares: (1) The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a State based on the principles of democracy and social justice. (2) It is hereby, accordingly, declared that- sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority;
(b) the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government: and
(c) the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.
Section 39 (1) of our Constitution guarantees that: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.”
It is also important to state that the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights (1948), in Article 19 of the document provides for the fundamental right of expression, holding of opinion and disseminating such opinion; receiving information from others as well as imparting through various ways of communication without interference or restriction.
On the above premises, any or every Nigerian, including Senator Dino Melaye has the right to express his or her opinion especially on matters of public policies.
The humiliation and intimidation of Senator Dino Melaye, using state apparatus, is a blatant and arrogant disrespect of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), abuse of executive powers, executive recklessness, executive rascality, violation of the people’s rights and preconceived attempt to silent divergent opinions, gag the press and instill fear in people.
Dino Melaye’s arrest, humiliation and intimidation negates the provisions of Section 8(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), and Section 34 of the Constitution which command that a suspect must be accorded humane treatment, having regard to his right to dignity of his person; and not subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The humiliation of Dino Melaye is an attempt to intimidate, blackmail and reduce the National Assembly to a rubber-stamp and praise-singing machine at the expense of its constitutional function as law-maker and regulator of executive powers spelt out in Section 4(1) (2) of the Constitution thus: (1) The legislative powers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be vested in a National Assembly for the Federation which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
(2) The National Assembly shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part 1 of the Second Schedule to this Constitution.
Where are the good men of this nation? Where are the good men and women who fought to take our nation to where it is today? Are they afraid to come out to defend Nigeria as promised in our national anthem or they are lazy?
Where is the media whose constitutional duty as provided in Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is that “the press, radio, television and other agencies of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people?”
Where is the Nigerian Bar Association? Where is the National Association of Nigerian Students? Where are the Christians, Muslims and other interest groups who carry their caps about on their hands begging for aid instead of wearing it on their head in dignified patriotism and unalloyed loyalty to the fatherland.
It is the duty of all to stand for, and promote justice. Injustice and evil thrive because good men keep silent, and when they do, the silence becomes manure and fertilizer for the growth of evil. The Almighty God with the revelation of the Quran brought justice on earth, thus;
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
“We have already sent our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice.”
The Holy Bible in Proverbs 31:9 encourages us to “Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and oppressed” and Isaiah 1:17 admonishes us to “Learn to do what is good, seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless and plead the cause of the widow.”
Leaders of today allow destruction of property and spilling of the blood of the innocent to remain in power. When the people rise to protest against them, the leaders still continue with their lies saying: “People love us, but those who protest are traitors and are corrupt.”
And they incite wasted youths, whom they have destroyed with their whims and caprices to attack those who oppose them like they did to Senator Matthew Urhoghide at the Benin Airport for living up to his duty-call.
We all have the duty to speak against and fight injustice. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German apostle said that “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
Ellie Wiesel, a Jewish Professor and Holocaust survivor said “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever humans endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormenter, never the tormented.”
In the immortal words of Bishop Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” while in the words of ex-US President, Thomas Jefferson, “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent”.
Martin Luther King Jr., said “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest it.” – (Elie Wiesel).
While the whole world denounces these hunger, poverty, human rights violations, killings of hundreds and thousands, among them children and women, the leaders of today still continue with their misleading propaganda; ‘we are fighting to protect the country.’
In all of these humiliation and intimidation, Dino Melaye is the winner and those persecuting him are the losers for a tormentor trains his victim in hardship, and who knows if Dino, like the biblical Joseph, like Presidents Mandela, Obasanjo and Buhari is being prepared to be Nigeria’s President.
I forewarn. The people can tolerate hunger, poverty, lies, propaganda but I have come to believe that one thing the people cannot bear is a sense of injustice, so our leaders must learn to lead in fairness, equity and justice while investing in peace building to solve the problem of our beloved nation.
Dr. Blessing Agbomhere is Executive Director, Gatekeepers Foundation and Publisher, National Oracle Magazine.
