The news of the arrest of the so called “honorable” judges
filtered the media during the week with a lot of diverse opinions. Some agree
with the arrest, some disagree while some agree with the arrest but disagree
with the manner of arrest.
Let us take some minutes to dissect this position. I will
use the Rotary International 4-Way test to analyze this issue and I hope we
will get to a better understanding and uniform stand.
11. Is it the truth? – did the judges really collect
bribe? Did they rule in favor of the bribe-giver? Now, from all indications the
answer to these questions is YES. No judge has come out to debunk the claim. All
the NBA and NJC are fighting is the manner of arrest. Also, worthy of note is that
fact that the NJC had already started internal investigations on most of these
judges. Some judges were forcefully retired few months back based on some of
these allegations.
22. Is it fair to all concern? – It will be only
unfair to those who want to play politics with every situation. The judiciary,
the say, is the last hope of the common man. If this same “last hope” is
compromised, then the common man is as good as hopeless. This means that if the
common man has a case in court with a wealthy or “uncommon” man, it’s as good
as wasting his time. Rumor has it that one of the cases in which bribe was
collected was a case on treason. If this is true then the DSS is right to make
the arrest as this borders on national security. Again, some people argue of
the time of arrest. Other criminals who stole less amount are arrested at any
time and any place. How come we suddenly have a problem with arresting someone
who took bribe of thousands of dollars at the middle of the night? Those it
mean that there should be preference in arrest? Same judge sentenced someone
who stole N10,000 to 10yrs imprisonment is taking thousands of dollars as
bribe. As far as I am concerned, he should be embarrassed as well.
33. Will it build goodwill and better friendship? – This
is the most controversial of the test. Of course, there is no way it will build
good will and better friendship. The people currently being arrested are the
main culprits, how do you think the other beneficiaries of the bribe will befriend
people who are after them? NBA and NJC’s latest threat of strike does not help
their course as it puts them in a bad light; it’s like they support the
bribe-taking act as they have not condemned it. I do not want to speak much
here because it will raise a lot of controversies.
44. Is it beneficial to all concerned? – In the long
run it will. If they government can “genuinely” clamp down of erring judicial
workers and return the hope of the common man to the courts, I think other
security outfits will follow suite. If the law truly does not respect status,
personality, wealth etc. then we are on the right part to recovery.
I do not support everything this current government is
doing. In fact, I do not support most of her actions. But for this corruption
drive, I think I am with her. Yes, some people might argue it is selective, but
look at it this way, if you are innocent, will you be apprehended? So far it is
only the guilty that are being prosecuted. So the best way is to keep yourself
clean and straight. Who knows, another government who will not favor you might
come into power and hunt you.
---My layman’s view
