ICHEOKU says are there answers to these 'WHYS" or are Nigerians doomed as a society incapable of ever transforming into a nation of citizens who take pride in their citizenship and protects same with valiant fervor; believing that if they come for one today, tomorrow it could be their turn or that of another; and thus band together to protect each other by protecting anyone who is suffering presently from the oppression of the State. ICHEOKU says these mind rendering questions are now more imperative than ever before, because of the inexplicable detention without legitimacy of some Nigerian citizens by the State. Why is Sambo Dasuki still in detention nearly two years since a court of competent jurisdiction granted him bail.
Why is the government of Presidnet Muhammadu Buhari still detaining this guy in disobedience of several valid subsisting orders of court granting him bail. What explanation does Nigerians, particularly its Congress, have for allowing President Muhammadu Buhari operate as if he is running a military dictatorship where check and balance has zero tolerance. ICHEOKU says when a Congress, elected to represent the people, are no longer doing their job, like salt which has lost its taste, should be done away with. What use is it anyway still having them and wasting tax payers money on their remuneration and maintenance, when they cannot do their job. A Congress of over 600 matured individuals which is afraid of just one man and kowtowing to every one of his wish and caprice, is not a worthy Congress and should therefore either live up to its constitutional dictate of being a watchdog on the executive or forever lose its face and stand disbanded.
Does it mean that Nigerians are proud of what their president is doing in their name or are okay with the injustice one of their own is currently being subjected to by a man they elected to represent them as their president. Why any Nigerians should be content with the state of affairs as it concerns, affects and touches Sambo Dasuki presently, also questions any and everything that person finds satisfactory with the comatose Nigerian State. How could they display this level of apathy about the fate of Sambo Dasuki, a bona fide Nigerian who co-shares the Nigerian citizenship with them. Why are Sambo Dasuki's rights and privileges, including his constitutionally guaranteed right to bail pending trial, be violated and continuing till this day and Nigerians kept quiet as if it is not a big deal. Is what President Muhammadu Buhari doing, disregarding a valid subsisting court order, indicative of the content and character of Nigerians. If as a society, Nigerians are weighted against the background of PMB actions, is this the type of behavior they are or will be proud of as fellow citizens. Definitely not the type of a representation any civilized and conscientious human-being would expect or desire from their president; at least not those who are still good citizens. Pitiful.
ICHEOKU says President Muhammadu Buhari needs to be reminded that Nigeria is a democracy and that he is not the Lord of the manor and therefore must subject himself to all the tenets of a democratic society including the separation of powers and respect of duly constituted courts' orders. What manner of a repented democrat is this president, who would so disparagingly demean a co-equal third arm of the government and without any consequence or renunciation from Nigerians. If Pakistan could obey her own court's orders, why not Nigeria.
ICHEOKU says the whole errancy is being tolerated by a docile society, some useless pressure groups and associations, as well as a do-nothing Congress which is deathly afraid of the president, hence only rubber-stamps his wishes and caprices. A Congress which is supposed to represent the people and be their champion in chief, a watch dog, providing oversight functions on the executive branch, but which has become so intimidated by the executive that they hardly hold up their eyes to eyeball the president.
Where is their check and balance on the executive that an elected president could be this lawless and wily without fear of his excesses being curbed and curtailed by an eagle eyed law makers. But unfortunately, Nigeria is not blessed with such a studious Congress; rather it has masquerading as Congress, a congregation of fraudsters and gangsters mired in a cesspool of corruption which the president uses threat of their prosecution as a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads to ensure their silence as he raids the vaults of rights and privileges of the citizens.
There is also an ineffectual corrupt media which only reports what it has received the proverbial brown envelope for; although these days, a bank alert suffices. These are the accomplices to the aberration which is President Muhammadu Buhari's complete disregard for the rule of law, including his haughty mannerism as if he is a royalty and not a mere elected public servant. What use are these people if they cannot ensure that rule of law reigns supreme in the land and that the president operates within the confines of his authority as only an elected president and not his arrogated exaggerated power of a potentate. If Nigerians cannot ensure that Sambo Dasuki, a man who has been merely charged but not yet tried nor convicted, is released on bail pending trial as ordered by the courts, what use are Nigerians to one another, anyway.
The problem with such arbitrariness as President Muhammadu Buhari is exhibiting, especially one of flagrantly disregarding and disobeying competent court's orders, is the propensity for it to metastasize like incurable cancerous growth. It is Sambo Dasuki today, who shall it be tomorrow and this is the reason Nigerians should in unison demand that the persecution of Dasuki come to an end. If the government has a case that is provable against Dasuki, they should make their case and get it over with. The victim deserves due process including the right to bail and the chance to be allowed to adequately prepare his defense, both of which the government is denying him. This is the faux pas, the giant elephant in the room, the monster which will eventually consume every Nigerian should they continue to ignore the case of Sambo Dasuki and treat same as only Dasuki's problem and not an attack on Nigerians' collective due process right to a fair trial. ICHEOKU says Nigerians must rise up and break their collective silence and inertia in the matter of the persecution of Sambo Dasuki by President Muhammadu Buhari and demand that the president obey subsisting courts' orders and release him on an already granted conditioned bail. Anything short of this is foolish and it should not be tolerated nor condoned. Let Sambo Dasuki free on bail.
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