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.. vows to shame judges for unfair rulings
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joseph Ajaero, has said that the the Nigeria judiciary has lost its credibility and needs urgent intervention to rescue it from total collapse.
Ajaero stated this at a press conference organised at the weekend by the Citizens’ Democratic Movement, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) at the Labour Headquarters in Abuja.
The NLC president lamented that the judiciary has set many states ablaze with its judgments, adding that the phrase “go to court” has now become a thing of ridicule because there is no longer faith in the court processes.
The Labour leader asserted that with the 2023 election case in the Tribunal, the the destiny of the country currently hangs on the judiciary and that it can either it fulfill it or betray Nigerians once again.
According to him, “The judiciary is clearly down. The judiciary has set so many states and institutions on fire. It has set Imo state on fire up till now and some people are asking how can someone who is not the candidate of his party be declared governor. The judiciary has so many questions to answer. If it fails I answer those questions within a short time, we will create a hall of shame for for those judges who that come up with such judgements and that will happen soon.
“There is need for the NBA, for the arms of the judiciary, to the Bar benchers and all to speak out on what is happening in the judiciary. We doubt whether the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man. Now the destiny of the country hangs on them, it is either they fulfill it all they betray once again. The statement “go to the court” these days is now shameful. When people tell you go to the court, they are telling you that is the end of the matter. Somebody will steal from you and say go to the court. That is the level of ridicule that the judiciary has been brought to. And as Nigerians we all need to come out to rescue the judiciary or else there will be no need to continue to go court.
Ajaero noted that the Congress Identified with Movement not only on political bases but in order to rescue the nation and to rekindle the hope of the youths.
“You can see the youths struggling these days to see whether they can make impact. You can see that there is a gulf between those governing and the youths. There is no connection at all. Some of what they learned in school as the model of governance are not what are being practiced. First example, Hassan Sunmonu in the 1780s was the first president of the NLC by three that he was in office until he met Muhammadu Buhari. Now I am the seventh president of the NLC and Buhari is still there. Now it is like we have one, two, three members who must rule this country. So there is no hope for the youths.
“It is not just hope politically. What hope they have that when they finish school, they will get a job. What is the number of vacancies declared annually? How many people graduate from school, what percentage of them get employed? So the time to rescue Nigeria is now. “ he added.
On its part, the group said the Conference was aimed at strengthening the country’s democracy and supporting workers ahead of the May Day celebrations.
In a communique signed by its conveners,
Olisa Agbakoba SAN, Comrade Shehu Sanni
Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Prof. Udenta Udenta,
Salisu Mohammed and Olawale Okunniyi, the Coalition stated that the 2023 General Elections had occurred but that its ripples and aftermath for the country’s promising democracy have been worrisome and frightening.
They said; “Some of us, who are architects of Nigeria’s current democratic experience, being human rights leaders, political rights advocates, progressives, civil society and labour movement activists that fought the military for the restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria, have watched with utter astonishment, how the processes and procedures meant to consolidate our 24 years of democratic wins have been greatly eroded through the 2023 general elections.
“We entered this season of elections with a strong consensus by Nigerians that the New Electoral Act 2022 will improve the level of electoral accountability and that the huge financial investment of about N355 billion in electoral processes (involving the deployment of Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) technology), will make a marked difference to the elections. Sadly, the 2023 general elections became an anti-climax, dashing the hopes of Nigerians for credible elections and denying citizens the emergence of qualitative political leadership across Nigeria.
They accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conniving with some members of the nation’s political class to drive a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians thus leaving the electorate despondent to resort to self-help in their effort to salvage whatever is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections.
The group noted that it was to this end, that it decided to To collaborate with the NLC, the TUC, human rights organizations, citizens and youth movements and allies in like-minded political organizations, to serve as an alert mechanism for the conscience of Nigerians and defenders of Nigeria’s democracy by “engaging with key national institutions, especially INEC, the judiciary, legislature and the security services squarely to resist the vicious and corruptive pressure from those State Operators and political class, who insist on a total takeover and control of these relevant State Organs.”
“We are quickly reminded that in the Arab Spring, the affected countries had constitutions, laws, courts and democratic institutions, yet the people arose and took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction for the lack of connection between what was happening in practice and what was stated as legally binding instruments and laws. We are in a similar season of such broken trust in Nigeria, and it will be risky to replace mistrust with empty promises. We believe that there is need to fight for and achieve tangible democratic consolidation within legally binding premises.
“As Vanguards for the Defence of Nigeria’s democracy, we will strive to protect our collective democratic aspirations and ethos as a country; with our immediate goal being to hold a watching brief over the judiciary and its actions. We are therefore soliciting the cooperation of the NBA and lawyers for democratic justice, to partner with us to re-awaken the consciousness of the Judiciary to its constitutional responsibility of defending our frail democracy through the enthronement of justice.
“Finally, in the words of Nelson Mandela, we wish to remind Nigerians that “the theft of an election is not just an attack on the people’s right to vote but on their dignity and humanity.” Consequently, we wish to call on all Nigerians to stand up, join us and be counted in our renewed struggle for the Defence of Democracy and Rule of Law in Nigeria.” It added.
