NO ONE MUST BE ABOVE THE RULE OF LAW EVEN THOUGH THE LAW IS AN ASS!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER. (Looking at Nigeria's Political System from a godly Perspective). 

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church, Kpeyegyi, Abuja Nigeria. [VOL. 5. NO 166. 16th October, 2016.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

NO ONE MUST BE ABOVE THE RULE OF LAW EVEN THOUGH THE LAW IS AN ASS!

Since the advent of the new Change Administration, there had been an orchestrated gang-up of vicious criticisms by some unpatriotic Nigerians against every move made by the President and his economic team to sanitize the polity of the stench and rot of endemic institutional corruption bequeathed by past military and civilian governments in 54 years of the post - independent nation! No one was put in doubt, right from the campaign period of the 2015 General Elections, in what direction the All Progressives Congress [APC], was headed: (1) Total war against and elimination of corruption; (2) Resuscitation of the fledging and ailing economy; and (3) The re-engineering, overhaul and re-organisation of all security agencies for the enabling strategies to contain, defeat and totally eliminate the national insecurity created through six, very bloody years (2009-2015), of Boko Haram insurgency which almost destroyed the very foundation of democratic governance of Nigeria! And, of course, the massive support and unprecedented turn out for the APC, on all election days, (in spite of  rigging gimmicks, delaying tactics and money-induced voting pattern, employed by the then ruling People’s Democratic Party [PDP] ), were very clear indications of where the pendulum swung and favoured the populist Party into a landslide, convincing and undisputable victory, which prompted Dr. Ebele Jonathan to congratulate his opponent before the official announcement of final results by Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC]!

Those who swore by the "graves of their ancestors", that President Muhammadu Buhari, would never win the election, were all infuriated with former President Jonathan, faulted and scolded him for not refusing the authentic results; and have in the last 17 months, become "thorn in the flesh" of the new administration in the area of persistent baseless and unwarranted criticisms of every move of government! They have criticized, him for embarking on several unnecessary international journeys, not rescuing the over 218 Chibok Secondary School Girls, abducted by Boko Haram terrorists, since 14th April, 2014, even when 23 of them were rescued recently; for failing to revive the economy which snow-dived due to international crude oil glut and price somersault from $100 - 48 USD, in 2014; for being a religious bigot who planned to Islamize Nigeria; for loop-sided Federal appointments which favoured the Northerners; for employing security agents to harass only Southern politicians; for "unleashing" the EFCC, DSS and POLICE against PDP Opposition members; for employing "incompetent" ministers who have no solutions for the current economic recession;  for not inviting former economists who served under former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan, who piloted the economic ship of the nation and ran it aground;  for the failures in the power, roads, housing and health sectors; for not listening to the advice of distinguished, revered and eminent Nigerians at home and the Diaspora on matters relating to economic competence; for not respecting the constitutional laws of separation of powers between the Executive, Legislators and the Judiciary; etc. Though, these contracted critics had refused to see anything good in the APC Government, they were unable to stop the successes that have been recorded so far in respect of the steady and tacit defeat of terrorism by Boko Haram, the quick diversification from oil to agricultural income within the short period, and all welfare programmes specifically geared towards the alleviation of mass poverty, amongst women, children and the elderly, in spite of the lean purse of government at inception. Presently, more money was being pumped into the economy to support the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMSEs), which are the backbone and foundation to economic buoyancy of any serious administration which is poised to fulfil its social contract obligations to the citizenry. Apart from the monies looted by Nigerians and deposited in foreign banks, which are being recovered, the World Bank is prepared to support the APC Government with some favourable loan to overcome the travail of the transient economic recession.

STING OPERATION AGAINST SOME JUDGES BY DSS!
The latest and most recent criticism of the APC Government was in respect of the "Sting Operation" against SEVEN alleged corrupt High and Supreme Court judges, by operatives of the Department of Secret Service [DSS], which was adjudged as reckless, barbaric and an abuse of the rule of law against such eminent personalities of high calibre because it was forcibly carried out in the night through the breaking down of doors and barriers, in order to gain entrance into their homes; contrary to Section 37, Fundamental Rights of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution, 1999! First to vehemently condemn the operation was President of the Nigerian Bar Association [NBA], followed by all contracted critics of the opposition party, the Rivers State Governor, who obstructed the operatives from searching a judge's residence, where it was alleged that about $2 million USD was secretly removed to an unknown destination, while he, (the governor), stalled them! The Chief Justice of the Federation diplomatically described the whole episode as "unfortunate and sad ", while former Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon, opined that if due process was not followed, it would amount to a "threat to democracy"! The Nigerian Judicial Council [NJC], which is the disciplinary body of the Judiciary, met for THREE consecutive days before making the following pronouncements! All said and done, what are the implications of regarding some citizens of Nigeria as "sacred cows", while the under privileged down-trodden who bear all the brunt of the society were usually castigated as inconsequential’s? Outside of the constitutional immunity clause, which shields the President, his Vice, State Governors and their deputies, from criminal prosecution, SHOULD ANY NIGERIAN BE PLACED ABOVE THE LAW OF THIS DEMOCRATIC NATION?

According to Wikipedia,  a sting operation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI], in the 1980s, code-named "Operation Greyford unearthed massive corruption in the Cook County Courts in which almost 100 lawyers and judges who were eventually sent to jail, disbarred or suspended for their illegal actions; while one who could not bear the shame (in another operation), committed suicide! It is instructive to inform our readers that sting operation is not limited to members of the BAR and BENCH, but extends to all illegal activities from labour union corruption to drug trafficking, organized crime activity etc. According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the DSS operatives acted within the frame work of the rule of law because they had well- documented warrants of search and arrest and even when prevented by the sitting governor of Rivers State from carrying out their legitimate duties, they exercised professional restraint to avoid a calamity!

DSS sources also threw more light on the "Sting Operation" as follows:
1. That investigations into allegations of corrupt enrichment and bribe takings by the Judges in question had been on for over six months.
2. That litigants who were solicited for bribes by these suspected Judges co-operated with the operatives by meeting the demands of the Judges who were monitored and evidences in form of videos, phone conversations, banks statement of accounts, and several incriminating evidences including Closed Circuit TV camera footages, were collated against them before the surprise operation of 8/9th October, 2016, was carried out!
3. Some of the accused Judges opened bank accounts in the names of their wives, daughters, sons, etc. for the illicit funds but were exposed through Bank Verification Numbers [BVN], in which pictures of account owners were captured!
4. One particular Judge was alleged to have camouflaged in a funny dress to meet and collect some US dollars bribe from a litigant at a shopping mall without suspecting that he was captured by a CCTV camera lens!
5. Incriminating evidences in forms of bank documents, and monies in local and foreign currencies totalling a sum of over N93 million naira was recovered as evidence against the accused judges during the said operation!
6. Some of them co-operated while others did not, but the good news was that, they were all granted bail in self recognition within 24 hours of the operation and interrogation and were to report back to the investigators at appointed times.
It is very true that these eminent jurists are very important personalities in the society, it is also true that they should be accorded due respect but not at the expense of jeopardising justice and internal security of the masses whose work and sweat pay their salaries!

WHO IS AN ASS? THE LAW, THE INTERPRETER, OF THE ENFORCER?
The Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) is the only Constitutional Body responsible to INTERPRETE the law for disciplinary action against erring judges; therefore, every complaint against them must be reported to the body for necessary actions and sanctions against indicted members of the revered Bench. The DSS is an Agency empowered under an amended Act of the National Assembly (NASS), to both investigate and ENFORCE the law in matters relating to crimes, corruption and threats to national security and since judges occupy sensitive positions in the dispensation of justice while the Judiciary is regarded as the "last hope of the common man", it is imperative for both bodies to work in unison.
But it took THREE DAYS of almost 72 hours for the NJC, to condemn and issue an official statement in respect of the DSS sting operation against the suspected corrupt judges because of their complicity in the entire episode as follows: (1) NJC was informed of the planned DSS sting operation in February 2016, when it faulted the submissions which were not accompanied by a sworn affidavit! (2) DSS went to a court of competent jurisdiction to swear on oath that all allegations of corruption against the judges were authentic and backed with genuine and proven evidences, but it took the operatives about two months to get an approval! (3) NJC requested for time to STUDY, SCRUTINIZE, ANALIZE, VERIFY and AUTHENTICATE all submissions for necessary disciplinary action! As at the time of the nocturnal sting operation on 8/9th October, 2016, NJC was still studying DSS documents and evidences submitted by DSS with sworn affidavit in March 2016!
Who is the ASS - the foolish or the stupid in the entire scenario? The bold move to arrest and detain the "untouchable judges" by the DSS is a re-awakening call to the Change Government and Nigerians at large that it was high time to expunge all obsolete, archaic, anachronistic and time-wasting laws that still our legal shelf to allow for up to date and efficient statutes that are trending in the 21st Century digital universe! Presently, some very corrupt serving legislators, and yet to be unmasked, civil servants of the Executive Arm are still walking free and earning salaries and allowances from the sweat, labour and taxes of the TALAKAWAS of this nation because the LAW IS AN ASS! What an irony of life! The Word of God says: "THOU SHALT KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE." (John.8:32). The truth is that President Buhari and his Vice, Prof. 'Yemi Oshinbajo - a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), MUST PRIORTIZE A SPECIAL BILL TO AMMEND ALL RETROGRESSIVE LAWS THAT WEAKEN THE "MODUS OPERANDI" OF OUR VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS which portray Nigeria as a laughing stock among the comity of nations and quickly forward same to the National Assembly for urgent passage into fresh, workable and unambiguous laws!
THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA MUST REMAIN WHOLISTIC! Imagine if some American Judicial Council had placed some clog in the wheel of progress of the FBI in their regular sting operations, this world power would not always remain a reference point! A Word is enough for the Wise!

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066   g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.