It works like this. A man (almost always, a man!) corruptly enriches himself. The law catches up with him and when he eventually manipulates his way through the system, his handlers organise a massive rally to welcome home their “illustrious son – in a show of “People Power”. But ex-Governor and retired top Naval Officer Olabode George took it one step further. After gorging on the resources of the Nigeria Ports Authority, on which board he served as chairman, and for years escaped justice, he finally had his day in court. He turned every hearing into a carnival, with aso-ebi clad supporters singing and dancing in the court premises. It was clearly a veiled attempt to use corrupted “People Power” to intimidate the judiciary.
The first day of August has come to acquire a certain significance in my life since that Monday, 26 years ago, when I became a father. We had had to wait more than two years, two years that seemed like eternity, two years during which questions were already being asked and accusing fingers being furtively pointed in the usual direction! Thank God, nobody needed to publicly recant of their opinions. The rapidity of the “follow-ups” took care of that.
This August 1, however, registered a different kind of significance. One of my favourite international figures died. The woman died. The woman you could say gave the world “People Power” died. Corazon Aquino, one time President of the Philippines died, felled by colon cancer at 76.
The woman Filipinos liked to call “Cory” and “People Power” came to my mind during the week as I reflected on the trial, conviction, march to jail and, refusal of bail (for now, at least) of Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George, well-known chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by a Lagos High Court. Wondering about the connection? Here goes.
Corazon was married to a certain journalist turned politician, Benigno. As leader of the opposition in their country, he had become a threat to the status quo. So, Ferdinand Marcos threw him into jail and assumed full dictatorial powers in 1972. Undaunted, Benigno, with the full backing of his wife, became the icon of democratic struggles in the Philippines. Some seven or so years later, he went on exile to the United States, where he continued the struggle. On August 22, 1983, he began the fateful journey home from exile to continue the campaign for democracy. He never made it. He was shot right on the gangway of the aircraft on landing at destination. Dream determined? No way. It was dream deferred. Deferred for about two years; the period it took the devout catholic wife of the murdered hero, to acquiesce to the will of the people that she stepped into the shoes of her husband.
She finally did, when Marcos, the over-confident dictator, called a snap election in November 1985. Cory became the opposition candidate, filling her nomination form as a housewife. The election which held three months later was called for Marcos. Cory’s supporters knew differently and would have none of it. They poured into the streets, a million strong, clad in their candidate’s favourite yellow colour. Led by rosary-wielding nuns, they stared down Marcos’ armoured tanks chanting “Cory! Cory!! Cory!!!” Four days of sustained, but peaceful street protests later, the military joined the masses and the dictator scampered out of Manila to exile in Hawaii. Cory assumed leadership of her country and “People Power” was born – with a lot of help from the Church, the dominant catholic wing of it.
“People Power” in several variants, has in the 23 years since Cory inspired it, been put to effective use against vote-rigging and dictatorships in many places – from Poland, former Czechoslovakia and Thailand to, Taiwan, Mongolia and Ukraine. But, although apartheid fell to it in the Republic of South Africa, it is yet to chalk up much success on the continent.
In Nigeria, in spite of several attempts, including the recent series of marches put together in several cities by the Nigeria Labour Congress and its civil society allies, in opposition to government’s planned downstream oil sector deregulation, canvassing increase in the minimum wage for workers and electoral reforms; “People Power” is yet to chalk up any major victory. The “whys” of that would have to wait another day. “People Power” of the manipulated kind, however, seemed to be catching on in this nation. The Abacha million-man march easily comes to mind here. But, there’s an even more nauseating manifestation of this variant and that is the reason for this musing of mine.
It works like this. A man (almost always, a man!) corruptly enriches himself. The law catches up with him and when he eventually manipulates his way through the system, his handlers organise a massive rally to welcome home their “illustrious son – in a show of “People Power”. But ex-Governor and retired top Naval Officer Olabode George took it one step further. After gorging on the resources of the Nigeria Ports Authority, on which board he served as chairman, and for years escaped justice, he finally had his day in court. He turned every hearing into a carnival, with aso-ebi clad supporters singing and dancing in the court premises. It was clearly a veiled attempt to use corrupted “People Power” to intimidate the judiciary. It failed, thanks to the courage of a judge who chose to align with the dictum of the progressive school of adjudication – “let justice be done, even if the heavens fall.” Would that there were more judges like him – particularly on the higher benches!
It was a clear demonstration of these wise words of the Bible: “They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them” (Proverbs 28:4). A section of the people, obviously suborned, forsook the law and celebrated the wicked. But mercifully, a judge chose justice and contended with the wicked. “George Cross” is a decoration that the English used to award to civilians who exhibit bravery. Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, who judged George, deserves such a medal. So, by the way, does the as yet not-widely-accepted Mrs Farida Waziri, current chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who in spite of “threat, blackmail and pressure” treaded where predecessor Nuhu Ribadu dared not. And Nuhu, legend has it, was a brave man!
No comments:
Post a Comment