Icheoku says they don't come a dime a dozen, such men and women that change the world. William Shakespeare was right that some people are born great, some have greatness entrusted to them, while some others achieve greatness. Yes, Nnamdi Kanu falls in the category of great men contemplated here as he has achieved greatness. His name has been written in indelible gold ink as the man of great courage who stood up to say enough of marginalization and enough of tribalism and in any other event, to 'let my people go'. Icheoku says highly commendable and indeed very admirable and imitable too.
Luckily, several months in detention and continuing, he is still standing very tall and unfazed; his spirit not broken and the people are still solidly behind him and cheering him on. Icheoku says not since the advent of the late Odumegwu Ojukwu and the Great Nnamdi Azikwe on the stage of Igboland, has any Igbo person commanded such organic follower-ship by true blooded Igbo people as Nnamdi Kanu. A followership to die for; a follower-ship worth dying for and a follower-ship for which so many people have laid down their lives already and which follower-ship many more people are still prepared to follow suit, if need be. The follower-ship was not purchased, staged, contrived nor contracted; but purely an undiluted outpouring of love, for a brave and courageous son of Igboland, coming straight from the heart.
Like Jesus Christ said, do not be afraid of those who can only torture or kill the body. The Great Nnamdi Kanu understands this and this is part of what founds his courage and the abiding spirit to soldier on and he is soldiering on. Icheoku says victory is assured and so within sight, it sizzles. Following his re-indictment, Nnamdi Kanu did exactly what Icheoku expected, allege the probability of not getting a fair trial and force the judge to recuse himself, which he did. Icheoku also expects that whichever judge that is finally assigned the case or who agrees to take the case would punt the case back to the government, demanding to know why an earlier order of a brother judge was not obeyed by the government. Thereafter, as a reprisal, the judge should then just dismiss the entire case for lack of prosecutorial merit.
This is the only way President Muhammadu Buhari will be forced to shed his despotic cloak which he now wears under a civilian babaringa. By so doing, the court will finally baptize President Muhammadu Buhari into a full functioning democrat; and pull him away from his current "converted democrat" status. How can a reasonable, responsible and law abiding government, under a democratic dispensation, disobey a court's order; and in turn, shamelessly go before the same court (same jurisdiction as the court of unconditional bail) to ask for an order for itself, in respect of the same cause and matter. Icheoku says shameless and utter nonsensical; and total disregard for the rule of law. What a havoc wrecked to the independence of the judiciary and challenge to the co-equality of that third arm of the government to the executive.
Anyway, the whole world is watching and paying very close attention to the travesty that is unfolding in Nigeria under the supposedly "converted democrat" who has no respect for the tenets of democracy, principal of which is adherence to the rule of law. Like Bishop Kukah rightly posited and which Icheoku adopts here, President Muhammadu Buhari should know that 2015 is not analogous to 1983; that Nigerians "are now in a democracy where dialogue, diplomacy and patience are the hallmarks of good leadership." According to the still truth-speaking bishop, “My position on Kanu is straightforward. I am not in any way saying that he is innocent but in order to avoid upheavals and tension, the government should settle through engagement. One of the parties has to trade something for something else. We are not in a military regime. Dialogue is the solution.”
Icheoku says be-eni; the whole truth and nothing but the truth. BUT would President Muhammadu Buhari listen or become deaf like the pharaohs of old Egypt until it is too late. Only time will tell. Thankfully team Nnamdi Kanu achieved somewhat a victory by successfully moving the Justice Ahmed Mohammed's court to recuse himself from hearing the case. The charge reading "unlawful society" is rather ridiculous as the government is branding indigenous people a society; forgetting that societies are formed as opposed to a people that is and has been in existence from time immemorial. Further, if the detained concealed goods in a container as is being alleged, was it not the duty of Customs and Excise to find such and impound them if need be? As for possession of firearms allegation, Icheoku wants to know who gave those murderous Fulani cattle rearers greater right to bear arms, far and above that of Nnamdi Kanu, assuming indeed he was found in possession of firearms?
Icheoku condemns the government's action in refusing to obey a valid order of unconditional bail of the activist which was granted by a court of competent jurisdiction. Icheoku also says the government acted illegally by continuing to hold the activist post bail and as a result has lost every moral authority to now seek redress from the same court it flaunted its order. Icheoku says Nnamdi Kanu's defense team should in addition to whatever other remedy being sought, seek the indictment of the Department of State Security Services for contempt of court for their failure or rather refusal to abide by respective court's ruling on bail including one for Nnamdi Kanu's unconditional release. Whatever case the government might have cannot go on until they obey subsisting court orders and thereafter, they can rearrest and re-indict the activist if they so desire.
In his powerful submission for recusal of judge, Nnamdi Kanu said "Based on information available to me, I cannot get a fair trial before this court. I will not sacrifice the due process of law founded upon the principle of natural justice on the altar of speedy release from detention. In other words, I will rather remain in detention than subject myself to a trial that I know amounts to perversion of justice. There have been several court rulings delivered by competent courts of jurisdictions which the DSS never respected.” Icheoku says very true and correct; as those seeking equity must first do equity. God bless Nnamdi Kanu and God's speed to the fruition of his cause IJN.
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