“A man who is blind of his own error, will never find the right path to his dreams.”
The above, very useful quote is credited to Paulieo Coeiho, and if it is well taken, it has a very potent capacity to assist men and women turn their fortunes and society around. The wise saying points out the very important art of self-awareness, taking time to re-evaluate actions and activities, taking note of the gains, mistakes and the rich lessons embedded in all walked paths.
One can call it or describe it as “power of introspection.” It is also about the “benefits of hindsight.” These are aspects of life and in particular aspects of nation building which we have failed to give the kind of attention it deserves. If we did, it is certain we would have gone far ahead of where we are in our development efforts.
One area of introspection which would have brought us so much rewards is in the Judiciary and Justice sector. If we had taken time to take the lessons of history, and particularly to critically review how countries branded as First World got to where they currently are, one lesson we would have taken and taken very seriously would be the fact and truth that the Judiciary does far more and gives societies accelerated development than actions by the other arms of government – the Executive and the Legislature.
Nobody should be deceived, what is happening to us isn’t an isolated development, there are stages societies must pass through so they can manage the higher state of well being. We call them in studies “stages of development”. The western and eastern Europe we see today boasting about some appreciable level of modernity wasn’t what it was at some levels of their nascent years. At some points in those countries’ development, they killed each other; human life was very cheap and leadership was as rudderless as what we see in our country today.
Corruption isn’t a word coined by Africans, it was prevalent at some point in the development process of some of the countries that today have become great teachers of probity. What could be worse than the inhumane trade on humans which is popularly or better known as Slave Trade.
We have come to the point for today’s discourse which is that it took the judiciary via the path of judicial verdicts and positive, very progressive pronouncements to knock sense into the leadership class and to redirect society on a more extensive scale. The monarchical suffocating structures in Great Britain wouldn’t have dissolved perhaps at the time it did if the judiciary stayed confined to the existing order.
Republicanism was birthed in Britain not by the political class who in any case would never do anything willingly to undo themselves. The new order with better lease of life for the system and people was provoked by a very responsible judiciary, that was very proactive and alive to the huge responsibility it owed the people as against a select oligarchy.
America is essentially the product of sound and very creative judiciary. Slave trade would never ended if the matter was left for the political class alone to handle. Various interests pushed in a very dastardly manner would have acted as clog in the wheel of progress. Good as the abolition crusade was, it would have been killed on the altar that “current laws made no provision for its abrogation.” In Nigeria, Donald Trump would have been in prison with his natural and constitutional rights breached in the most brazen manner by what was an obvious “politicization” of the justice system.
The judges on the case knew better. They acted the same. Justice sufficiently given is the principle. Trump wasn’t stopped by any injunction from running his campaigns. Our judiciary has no doubt done very well and to a large extent they have saved the country. Nevertheless the judiciary has failed in very critical moments. It has failed to seize the initiative.
The Rivers State government was to hold local government elections after the Supreme Court had outlawed the caretaker set up. Yet a Court in Abuja gave a verdict barring the police and other security agencies from providing security. Why would the judiciary verdict enhance insecurity? They tried to return autonomy to the local government system yet the verdict wasn’t direct and clear. The Labor Party without organizing congresses beginning from the ward level went ahead to hold a national convention from where leaders emerged, and a Court approved it.
Politicians defect from one party to another, that shouldn’t be a problem since there’s a law on freedom of association but winning an office and taking it along to another political party isn’t right. The constitution bars such a movement for legislators but silent on general applications. The one for legislators has a caveat except where there is division in the party. This is a satanic provision which the courts ought to have done away more than 10 years ago.
A decampee announces his change of party and is received by leadership of his new party. And when his eyes are opened to the consequences, he turns around to say that he didn’t fill any new membership form. The claim that did not infringe on any law is balderdash. The same law didn’t say you must fill new forms to authenticate your public announcements, especially when carried out in a properly constituted official forum. After thoughts can be allowed to redress very reckless behaviours and conducts.
The plain truth is that the judiciary can help a society recreate its laws. In fact, they stand in a far stronger position to give any country enduring rules and regulations. This is what the country needs.