A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has stated that Nigeria is not lacking in great talkers, but rather in the commitment to do what is right.
In a post on his X account, Okutepa remarked that all Nigerian leaders know how to preach the rule of law and due process, often appearing pious in public gatherings.
He emphasized that what Nigeria needs now is the practical application of these ideals. “Let us stamp out corruption in governance. Let us take decisive action against bandits and restore peace and security throughout Nigeria. The citizens are weary of the government’s plans; they want to see real actions that make justice accessible for all.”
His post reads:
The challenge of Nigeria is not in gathering to talk. Nigerians know how to talk. All the leaders know how to preach the rule of law and due process. The leaders are pious in public gatherings. In this year NBA annual conference, members of the legal profession who are leaders in their own rights are gathered talking tough and preaching due process and the rule of law.
The leaders of the legal profession know what is wrong with the profession. In his address, the outgoing NBA president admitted that the judiciary in Nigeria is being compromised and has been compromised. Everyone knows that the institution of justice, the judiciary, has almost lost the confidence of Nigerians almost irretrievably.
The problem of Nigeria is not in talking. The problem is in our collective refusal to do what is right. There are many amongst those who are gathered at the NBA conference preaching the rule of law that are the problems of the rule of law in Nigeria. Many of them exhibit conduct in and out of courts in obstruction to the attainment of justice and the rule of law.
There are many amongst them who sit in judgment that delivered injustice in judgments, and yet they gathered in public places to advocate adherence to the rule of law. The rule of law does not admit of polluted justice in judgments. No, under the rule of law, there is equality before the law, and there is no partiality in the application and adjudications to favour a predetermined position rooted in judicial lawlessness. There are people who go about polluting the streams of justice, and yet they gathered to advocate adherence to the rule of law.
What we need in Nigeria now is practical applications of what we preached. Let us stamped out corruption in governance. Let us practically go after the bandits and restore peace and security in Nigeria. Nigerians are tired of what the government plans to do. Nigerians are interested in seeing the government doing something to make justice available to all in all in Nigeria. So, let those in government allow the rule of law to function maximally in Nigeria.
Let Nigerian politicians allow the judiciary to deliver judgments without interference. Let the power that be allow recruitments to the bench to be merit based. Let those in government stop building their own interests in contracts. That is what we need. No more talk. Let us go for action.
The annual rituals of gathering at the NBA functions to speak of the problems of our country, which problems are funded and created by some of those invited to speak at those gathering and who are the ones that have put us in the mess we are, are becoming too nauseating for some of us to bear and tolerate.
We need actions and not talks, and those who have the capacity to take action are the leaders in power. Let those in power save us from the bad governance in Nigeria.
