Recently, we expressed some worries over the possible path the 9th National Assembly would thread in the present dispensation. We were worried because for a nation that is desirous of building its institutions to such a level where individuals would no longer see themselves as being bigger than the institutions from where they derive their legitimacy all hands must be on deck to get things right. However, the upper legislative chamber has continued to give one cause for concern. First, it was the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who showed little strength of character when he dropped an aide following pressure from some party members.
Sometime in June, Lawan inexplicably dropped Dr. Festus Adedayo, who was earlier appointed Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of the Senate. The decision came barely two days after appointing Adedayo.
The recent screening of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s choice as Chief Justice of the Federation, Tanko Mohammad, gives one even more worries. It appears all the Senate would do during Lawan’s reign is play politics strictly as dictated by the APC leadership. Justice Mohammad’s rise to the seat of the numero uno in the judicial hierarchy is a case study in political subterfuge.
It is a poorly written script that seeks primarily to raise mediocrity and lift parochialism to Olympian heights. First, there was veiled attempt to deny Justice Walter Onnoghen the position of Chief Justice of the Federation to which he was clearly the next in line in order of seniority. President Muhammadu Buhari, a provincial leader to his bone marrow, grudgingly sent Onnoghen’s name to the Senate but still had his clandestine plot close to his chest.
When eventually Onnoghen was sworn in as CJN in Buhari’s absence, he could barely conceal his discontent on his return from UK where he had gone for medical attention. On arrival, things started happening with the speed of light.
The presidency set its target on the judiciary and ensured that that arm of government was browbeaten into submission. It chased the judges as though the executive arm of government which the president heads is populated by angels. The judiciary cowed, it went after Onnoghen, who exhibited so much naivety for a man of his standing. Knowing there was no love lost between him and the president’s hatchet men, he carried on as though Nigerian politics is played by angels and in accordance with heavenly standards and guidelines. The same president, who has not seen anything wrong with his lieutenants helping themselves with the public till, a la Gandudollar and the grass-cutting fable, chased Onnoghen vigorously as though his existence depended on the sack of the embattled CJN.
Finally, Onnoghen got the boot and in came Justice Tanko Mohammad. Uncharacteristic of the presidency, the process to install mediocrity, to further the president’s narrow plot, went on at a neck breaking speed. Tanko appeared before the Senate shielded from being interrogated by the Senate president, who increasingly is carving for himself the image of a professional politician as opposed to being a statesman. The confirmation was included in the Order Paper of the day. It was, thus, expected that Mr. Mohammad would be screened and confirmed during plenary – as is the custom. This was, however, not the case as the lawmakers unanimously agreed to go into a closed-door session.
This was after the Senate resolved into the committee of the whole
to begin the screening and confirmation. The resolve to go into executive session is part of the plot to make his path to confirmation as CJN as smooth as possible and in the process the Senate prevented him from going through the rigours expected from anybody aspiring to occupy such a delicate office. Nigerians were denied the opportunity of assessing the content of character of the man to whom the hope of the nation and the fate of the people to access justice rest.
This very narrow mindedness in discharging matters of state is the reason our schools have been abandoned by our elite as all their children school abroad. This very parochialism in appointments is the reason the president and his fellow politicians go abroad to treat flu.
They play politics with our entire existence and junket around the globe to benefit from societies whose leaders made their societies to work while we fool ourselves. Will the Senate president and his cohorts be prepared to parade Tanko before the rest of the world as the best our system could bring forth? During the screening, the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South), in a veiled reference to the recent Supreme Court judgment on Osun State Election had sought to know the views of the CJN on technicalities in judgments. In his response, the CJN said, “Permit me to say that what is a technicality is something which is technical by definition.
It is something that is not usual, that may sometimes defile all the norms known to normal things. It may be technical. We have technicalities in our laws and this is because these laws that we have inherited, we inherited them from the British. The British had, some time ago, introduced what is known as technicalities in their laws. “If something is technical, it is in a way giving a leeway for double interpretation. It may be interpreted one way by Mr. A or it may be interpreted the other way by Mr. B. If something technical comes before the court, what we normally do is that the trial court will ask people who are experts in that field to come and testify. We rely on their testimony because they are experts in that field. Ask me anything on aeroplane, I don’t know. Ask me to drive (sic) an airplane, I am sure if they told you that that flight is going to be driven (sic) by Tanko, I am sure you will jump out of the plane. Because it is something that is limited to technicality, my technicality is in Law.” Whether we want to admit it or not, the truth remains that Tanko Mohammad certainly is not qualified for the job he has. We can choose to continue to play the ostrich and continue to deceive ourselves. There is a reason for which there are three arms of government and that must not be lost on us.
Those who designed this did it for a purpose and its intention remains sacrosanct if we want to get things done rightly in the country. Thank God the president finally sent his cabinet to the Senate for screening.
All those so far screened are told to take their bows and leave. For the National Assembly, it is a tradition, a tradition that has left us where we are now. It is a tradition that allows all former members as well as friends of the National Assembly appear before the legislators just to fulfill all righteousness and walk away without even as much as telling us what their vision and aspirations for the nation are.
Meanwhile, these aspiring ministers only got their nomination because they are card carrying members of the APC. Unlike in the past where some known experts within and outside the nation have been appointed ministers, the APC government drew its list from all those who fought by hook or crook to win the last general elections. No consideration was given to the abilities of the appointees.
The only qualification is their contribution either through violence or financially to secure for the president the much needed second term. Naturally, all these appointees would take their strolls in and out of the Senate and take their much expected bows and walk away to further destroy our schools, hospitals and other public institutions while our rich politicians go abroad as usual to access these services.
END
Be the first to comment