Is Justice for Sale? 

By Emmanuel Franklyne Ogbunwezeh 

Pretence is a dangerous occupation. Like all hypocrisies, it strives to prove a non-existent point. It struggles to appease a non-existent god. It plays to the gallery of a non existent audience. To keep up the illusions, it is so very ready to sacrifice any pedestal of meaning to achieve a cosmetic success. When pretence ascends the tribune of power or competence, it becomes siesta time for reason. This explains reason’s derisive disrespect for pretension. To this end therefore, reason capitulates when irresponsibility is subsidized. And when reason capitulates, savagery reigns. When reason bows to unreason, folly is canonized. When rationality quits, monstrous questions overload our consideration.  

Andy Ubah wants the Nigeria public and the world audience to buy the crap that he wants justice. This guy pretends to some decency he neither possesses nor consults. He pretends to be seeking justice from the Supreme Court. He claims to be pleading with the Supreme Court to reverse itself on case that was unambiguously settled by the august court. Ubah’s laughable pretence to humility at this point is the kind of humility with which a hungry beast approaches his prey. He pretends to be pleading his case and following due process, while he is backstage, spreading filthy lucre, seducing compromised consciences as he goes along, in his bid to bribe the Supreme Court justices into reversing their judgement. Ubah’s lineage has been an eminent culprit in the saturation of the Nigerian judiciary with bribe. Wilson Egbo Egbo; and Stanley Nnaji are some high ranking judicial officers that the Ubah’s bribed into disrepute and self-destruction. Goodness knows other ethical embarrassments and moral compromises the Ubahs have engineered with their loot. 

Saharareporters.com had it on excellent authority that this rogue has mapped $20 billion dollars for his onslaught on decency. He has got enough monetary firepower to raze ethically challenged mercenaries of his ilk to ashes. He is so sure of having the Supreme Court justices on his pay-roll that he has not by-passed any opportunity to boast his imminent success at buying his way back to the Anambra State government house, come November 1. We are still waiting for that to happen. The world is keenly on the watch. We are waiting to see his loot arm him to victory and purchase justice for him. 

The metaphysic of justice rendered and configured justice an unmarketable commodity. It cannot be purchased. It is not sold. It can never be on sale. Justice is a sacred commodity accessible only to the true and just. The bad equally get justice. In justice everyone gets what he deserves. It is not a commodity reserved for the bidder with enough loot to pay for her. Obscene wealth cannot buy her. Pompous flamboyance cannot swindle her with its ephemeral charms. Neither can she be bullied or threatened into miscarrying herself. She stands tall against the torrents of brazen impunity consulted by men of crooked provenance. The assault of money will never drown justice. Justice is invincible and apportions the right recompense to everyone quite oblivious of stand and station in life. This accounts for our hope. This is the only attribute of God that embraces all others. And our learned justices of the Supreme Court know not only their job detail as to be a judge is much more than a job. It is a vocation to act like God, sitting in judgement on ones fellows. Quickly apprising himself of the immensity of this responsibility, the Hebrew King Solomon, fell on his knees and pleaded earnestly with his God for wisdom to give right judgement. This wisdom, which a condition-sine qua non, in a Supreme Court judge, is a vocation to do right, even when the powerful terrorize with their arsenals of cash and non-morals.  
 

Ubah has got enough loot. He has paid a gang of hungry newspaper columnists and media houses to launder a non-existing image. This guy will fail. If the Supreme Court dares succumb to the power of stolen money, then we shall bid Nigeria a very long sad farewell. But the learned justices know their duty to posterity. In the battle between rightness and money, the Supreme Court will naturally side with rightness. The reasons are obvious. Rightness is eternal. Money is ephemeral. Rightness outlives and follows one till the days breathe and the shadows flee. Its odour propels one to immortality. Money cannot purchase a good reputation. It cannot purchase a good night’s sleep when one is in thraldom to the judgement of conscience. This was why Macbeth with all his power, influence and property was compelled by nature to marry insomnia, after he murdered innocent sleep. The learned Justices are aware of this. They spent their lives building a name and a reputation. They invested their youth doing that. No man would auction that off for the pittance that Ubah is offering, at the twilight of his life. A $100 million dollars is pittance compared to the splendour and magnificence of a good name, and solid reputation. Many people who have money possess no reputation. But a man of integrity and reputation has never been known to starve, even when he is poor. All the reputation-less money listens to him when he opens his mouth to talk, because his character is solid. It mesmerizes people into awe and commands their attention. Obasanjo is one of the richest tyrants ever to rule Nigeria. But if he ventures out today on the streets of Nigeria, many people will stone him. Since he left power, his acquaintance is now considered a rude inconvenience by many of the hangers-on, who sang his praises. Compare him to Wole Soyinka or Tai Solarin or Chinua Achebe. An acquaintance with these men of character leaves one in good odour. Their presences edify wherever they choose to appear. Men rush to identify with them. Women sing their praises. Kids aspire to be like them. Women would willingly give their names to their kids. But I wonder who would give her son the name Judas, or Obasanjo, if that person has not got the misfortune of bearing it as a surname.  

As for the media houses that swallowed his loot to suppress the truth or to launder a broken image: they have dug their graves. After the rain comes the sun. Ubah like all fly-bys like him will go away after the Supreme Court must have finished dealing with his ignorance and putting a cure to his pompous errors, but Nigerians will always remember the names of his cohorts and accomplices who essayed to swindle and manipulate the truth for a fee. Nigerians will visit their names and memories with derision, like the name Daniel Kanu, which today attract nothing but revulsion from Nigerians.  
 

In Andy Ubah’s actions and amblings in Anambra State, one could see a fool with loot. In Igbo country, there are actions that a child will take, or behaviours that a child will exhibit, or courses of action he will subscribe to, or propensities that he advertises, which gets the elders immediately asking: who is this orphan!. This inheres in the fact that such actions betray a lack of home training and discipline, which only good parents can impart. Such a child even if his parents are alive and well, is invited to dance the dance of orphans. This dance is designed to be an indictment and a dirge, depending on the side of the existential divide that the parents are on. This is made to be an indictment on his parents, for failing in their responsibilities. If they are dead, it serves as mourning of their absence, as to give the child some upbringing.  

Every scenario you have ever read in relation to Andy Ubah and Ifeanyi Okonkwo’s case makes rationality churn with anger. Ubah has no good advisers. He has only hangers-on, parasites and men of little intelligence. He should go tell a 10 year old child the whole story, not what he believes the story to be or the concoctions he has made of the truth of that story, but the true story. A tell year old child will tell this man to go stop wasting his money because he has no case. A normal reasonable person would view his line of action as a capitulation of reason. How could one ask for justice when one mocks justice with his actions? Whoever seeks equity must do equity. Burning down a state in order to rule it is the exclusive province of conquerors and robber barons. You don’t pacify a people and turn around to ask the same people for a mandate to govern them. It stinks of hypocrisy. The Ubahs’ sponsored arson in Anambra State, in order to make the state look ungovernable and facilitate their smuggling of themselves into the tribunes of power. But this guy fails to realise like David Hume wrote many moons ago, that the few governs the many based only on opinion. Our opinion is not in support of the Ubah madness in Anambra State. He cannot purchase that opinion by frightening us into submission. He can not equally have it by terrorizing the state. The people’s mandate should be freely given to a person of their choice.  

Secondly, by sponsoring a non-election in Anambra state in collusion with Maurice Iwuh, this guy portrayed his absolute disdain for democracy and the rule of law. How could he turn around and be asking the same law to accommodate his justifiable booting out of an office he neither merited nor is fit for? 

Thirdly, this guy subsists on credentials and title he neither acquired nor merited. He affixes a Dr. before his name; a title he just bought like one buys roasted corn by the road side. But by all standards of decency, it is unacceptable, since he has enjoyed the privileges attached to a title he does not possess.  That makes him an impostor. How then could an impostor aspire to an office, where the people would repose all trust on him to govern them? How sure are we that our interests will not be auctioned off to sustain this edifice of lies? How sure are we that he would not be blackmailed into handing over our heritage to his fellow impostors who know the worthlessness of his credentials?  

Fourthly, this guy matriculated from a man in economic exile in America to one that declared assets worth over 8 billion naira in 8 years?  Did he invent any software that dwarfed that of Bill Gates? Did he inherit his wealth from his father? His father was not known to the Nigerian public as a wealthy man. So what is the source of his wealth? Those he wants to rule wants to know. It is our right under the social contract. Purchasing people to shout down anyone who dares ask these questions will not cut it. The sound more hollow, the more the mount their wooden apologetics of a defence. These questions are genuine questions that must be answered before one could ask for our mandate. Equity recommends it, as a part of what must be done. If one seeks equity, cleans hands are imperative. 

Ifeanyi Okonkwo on his own is a certifiable fool that is ready to televise his foolishness to the whole world for a fee. We reserve no words or patience for such debauched liars and inveterate men armed with frozen moralities. He is not worth any consideration. But in justice to all parties to the case, let’s look at the issues. 

I was taught in my second year law class that Equity aids the vigilant and not the indolent. Was it anywhere recorded in the court proceedings that Ubah questioned or raised an objection to the constitution of the bench of judges that heard his case during the court process. No is the answer. He reposed full confidence on the bench so constituted, which had Aderemi present, until judgement was delivered against him. The Supreme Court entertaining this point would be simply impermissible. The question would then be, if judgement had been entered in his favour, with Aderemi on the panel, would he have said: “No, I obtained judgement with a judge that heard the case at the first instance sitting on the panel, so it is not fair on my opponent, lets retry the case to give my opponent some chance at fair trial"? No is the answer.

Secondly, Ifeanyi Okonkwo's case is like a thief asking the law to protect him from the consequences of his action. It is clear from all indication that this man is not credible. He has shown himself to be purchasable. How could the honourable court believe this man, who has shown himself to be dubious? He accepted bribe and entered into a contract to withdraw his case. He got a consideration of 10million for that. He did not then withdraw the case like he would have us believe, and now, after whiling his time in indolence, wants equity to reward his indolence. It is a simple common sense thing. A contract which goes against public policy is null and void; so also a contract to commit a crime, or to thwart the course of justice, which Okonkwo claims to be the case here. The court will let that prodigal rot in his dubiousness. He has no credibilty upon which belief or trust could be reposed. The Supreme court should take this abuser of process to the cleaners and make the world see that no one should be allowed to profit from his crimes.  

That Andy Ubah and Ifeanyi Okonkwo’s to application would succeed at the Supreme Court is a stunning improbability. It will be like a sandstorm spinning through a garbage dump and leaving in its wake a fully assembled moon rocket. It will be like the legendary monkeys hitting on a typewriter and producing the masterpieces of Shakespeare. That is a factual impossibility. It can never happen. Money can never buy justice. The Supreme Court has no option than to use this occasion to etch that in gold for all times, that money can never buy justice. 

The advantages of folly in Ubah has already been evidenced in the army of hungry hangers-on tagging along as his entourage. Most of them are avaricious men, who without clowns like Ubah will be suffering some gastronomic emergencies, because they have no useful occupation from which to earn their living. Flies will always constitute a convoy for cows. Cows in Igbo common parlance are noted for being dumb-assed piece of meat, without ratiocinative powers; good for nothing but “suya”. And Andy Ubah is comporting himself like an “Efi-Awusa”, while the avaricious flies, and other parasites tag along, perching on him for their daily bread and sustenance; without knowing that once the Efi sees visits the kitchen or “mai-Suya” kiosk, that the flies will find themselves another host. It happened to Abacha. It happened to Obasanjo. It happened to IBB. It will happen to Andy Ubah. Even the great Christ organized a picnic for such hangers-on by the mountainside. At the end of it, the following day, more hangers on came from everywhere asking for a repeat of that miracle of the loaves. But he told them point blank that they are seeking him not because they love him or believe in his cause, but because he fed them yesterday with bread. The mercenaries hanging on Ubah are there for the bread he affords them. Not because they believe in him or his cause, which is an incredible one in the first instance. I will add in justice to him that his imbecility lies in his non-realisation of this fact. This imbecility is a great enhancement of his standing among his cheerleaders, who are compelled to cheer when he farts, if they are to retain their source of bread. 

Come November 1, 2007, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will provide an answer to this question. This case is not only a case between Andy Ubah vs. Peter Obi; it is will be a defining moment for the Nigerian judiciary. The whole world is watching how the Honourable Justices of our apex court will comport themselves, in the conduct of the business at hand. Although universally acclaimed as a very corrupt country with serious dysfunctional structures of governance, Nigeria has only our judiciary to thank for be an oasis of reason, in a vast desert of hopelessness and government gangsterism. Our judiciary has in the course of time, save for a few blots of crooks masquerading as men of law, striven to assert itself as the final hope of the common man. The judiciary has been quite exemplary in retaining our confidence, in spite of the difficult socio-economic and political terrain, in which it is compelled to function within.  

We know the honourable justices will not disappoint natural justice, equity and good conscience come November 1. Justice in this case must not only be done. It must be seen to have been done. Money can never purchase justice. 

Robot  # 1 | 25.10.2007 16:55

Come November 1, 2007, the Supreme Court of Nigeria will provide an answer to this question. This...Read the full article.

gwobezentashi  # 2 | 25.10.2007 18:13

We know the honourable justices will not disappoint natural justice, equity and good conscience come November 1. Justice in this case must not only be done. It must be seen to have been done. Money can never purchase justice. The last time Andy Uba tried to bribe Supreme Court judges was over INEC's right to disqualify. That time, he and Bayo Ojo were sent scurrying with their tails between their legs by Kutigi. This other desperado called Okonkwo who admits receiving bribery must now show probable cause. The onus is on him to prove that he is indeed a felon (for accepting bribery) who deserves to be in jail. He must think that we are all mu-gu-s and he insults the intelligence of the Supreme Court. We are actually giving him the benefit of the doubt to show us the money he received, where he kept it all these months, what he bought or didn't buy, who he told or didn't tell etc. There is some semblance with the case of Justice Uwais and the Ibori ex-convict case in which allegations were doing the rounds about corruption to smear reputations of the CJN and as cheap blackmail. The suggestion that somehow Obi greased the palms of the Supreme Court judges is a load of cobblers and could never fly. The judgement that was given that sent Uba packing was sounder than sound. It received universal acclaim. The only dissenting legal opinion I recall came from Gani Fawehinmi who has made a habit of dissenting to every and anything. What these two bit hustlers called Uba and Okonkwo do not know, is that when you get to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and this is as high as it gets, you must tread very carefully. Some of these judges have seen temptation bigger and older than some of the twerps parading new stolen money. No Supreme Court judge under Kutigi will contemplate taking a bottle of Odeku from Andy Uba talk less naira. You can take that to the bank. Justice Tobi, no matter how sympathetic he may be (and I sincerely doubt this) knows Kutigi well that he will not even dare broaching the subject. Kutigi is a man that told Abacha where to go and most recently Obasanjo. So who on earth is Andy Uba for crying out loud? A small insignificant fry of a gangster. But don't take my word for it - look at the judgements coming out of the Supreme Court since he got in the saddle. Do they smack of a comprising figure? Let me give Andy Uba and any other desperados some good advise and it is free of charge. If they as much as dare wave a N20 note in Kutigi's face, they will end up in jail. Now you can take that to the bank. If Andy Uba wins the case and there is no cat's chance in hell of this, it is because the Supreme Court agree with him. So Mallam Emmanuel Franklyne Ogbunwezeh, please sleep easy. The judiciary needs the support of all progressive citizens to help them flush out the charlatans in their midst (and there are still a few lurking in the shadows in the high courts and CoA, like the jester Okeke in Benin) and help us correct some of the glaring injustices done to Nigerians during Obasanjo's era. What the judiciary needs is diligent prosecution. A purposeful prosecution service (from the AGF) and an investigation authority with integrity (Nigerian Police). These all come from the community and until Nigerians decide for themselves that they do not wish to live among cheats, murderers and spivs, then no real progress will be made. Until we all say individually and collectively "Never Again" and are prepared to put our money where our mouth is, then with the best will in the world, the Kutigi's will make their impact and pass away and we will return to business as usual. Tommorrow, we will be talking about what the current governors of Delta, Rivers, Plateau, Bauchi etc are chopping and not the one before or the ones before them. What Andy Uba cannot get over is why most Nigerians do not like him. He cannot get it into his head that like the mafiosi gangsters of yester year, no amount of money can buy gentrification because he is unable to disclose how he came about the money he parades. Worse, is that Okey Ndibe has challenged him to prove that he is not a fraud. Babu answer. Aluta! Gwobezentashi

igwe  # 3 | 25.10.2007 21:41

My take on it is that both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans will dry up first before the Justices of the SC will give a favourable ruling to Uba in this particular case. Gani and Uwaifo could spin all they want. Nigerians, and most importantly, the Justices, are not fooled one bit. BTW, there are many typos in your article, mazi Ogbunwezeh. They are just too many to be ignored and needs your attention. Please take care of them and re-post this very sound article. Thanks. Ka Chineke mezie Okwu!

Kay Soyemi (Esq.)  # 4 | 25.10.2007 21:46

We know the honourable justices will not disappoint natural justice, equity and good conscience come November 1. Justice in this case must not only be done. It must be seen to have been done. Money can never purchase justice. My dear brother, If I have some burukutu to share, I'll ask you to join me. The simple answer to your poser in my opinion is YES! Our justice system remains cash and carry till I am proven otherwise. Yes, money cannot purchase justice but it can buy the conscience of our justices in Nigeria. Is it not the same legal system and the justices that have been issuing ex parte orders, like flies in a Bornu cow market, to shield corrupt ex-governors from prosecution in the same obodo Nigeria? Abeg, my broda, make you drink some tombo with me make your eyes clear! Seriously, nothing is impossible in our country even though we all wish things are rational and would follow logic. We can only hope justice and truth would prevail in the matter but leaving it to our justices? uhmmmm Let us pray.