SAMBO DASUKI: A VICTIM OF A SOCIETY WITH NO CITIZENSHIP FERVOR.

ICHEOKU says where is the citizenship in Nigerians that what touches one of them does not concern them or translates to a collective pain suffered by all. Why is it that the government of Nigeria can isolate and destroy Nigerians individually without the entire population seeing it as a we for all and that what effects one effects all? Why is Nigerians so individualistic and apathetic to the hurt of others and seem to suffer a "provided it is not me" syndrome, which every previous and subsequent leader, including maximum dictators, have exploited to their greatest advantage in ravishing and ravaging Nigerians like a cheap prostitute? Why is a hurt of one not treated and reacted to like a hurt of all; or does the one cap fits all of citizenship inapplicable to Nigerians? Paraphrasing Marvin Gay, ICHEOKU says 'what's goin on' Nigerians; or are you out of your mind and have lost your total sense of collectiveness, such that it is not your business if your brother is in trouble or sister, for that matter. 

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. 

Even Pakistan, as fundamentalist Islamic as it is, still obeys its courts' orders. It just released a convicted Al Queida terrorist murderer implicated in the murder of innocent victims. Zakuir Rehman Lakhvi, who is believed to be the operations chief of the Islamic militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, whose ten members, in 2008, mounted series of attacks in Mumbai India that killed 166 people and injured more than 600, was freed on bail pending appeal. But how about Sambo Dasuki, who did not kill anyone, neither is he a terrorist nor a member of any terrorist group, regardless of whatever capacity; yet he is being illegally held against his will and in utter disregard of series of subsisting orders of courts to release him on bail. All he did was work as Nigeria's National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan and did not do anything so heinous or so adversarial as to warrant his perpetual detention. 

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. 

A hurt of one should be a hurt of all as nobody knows for whom the Buhari's despotic bell  tolls tomorrow. It is Sambo Dasuki today and tomorrow it might be ICHEOKU, admitted that is now an impossibility since ICHEOKU now longer pleads the authority of Abuja. Where is the Nigerian society's rage that one of its own is being persecuted by the government due to several decades past personal issues. Why the conspirator's silence that is pervading the Nigerian society with everyone acting as if it is just Sambo Dasuki's problem and only he should deal with it. Like Hitler had planned, after the Jews would have been others, as well as all those who were saying it is just the Jews that he is after and as a result, Hitler could have so easily had his way with the world and gotten away with it. 

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.