By Eze Onyekpere.

The human being is driven by an understanding of the concept of law and order, rules of decency and association which binds all members of a community. As citizens and individuals, we understand the idea that punishment is a natural consequence of disobeying the law and doing things that are socially forbidden. There is also an inherent understanding that reward and acclamation follow good behaviour. Beyond the law and legalism, the dominant religions in Nigeria are founded on the ideals of justice, love and doing unto others as we would want to be treated. Therefore, an individual expects the natural consequences of his actions and omissions. This is the foundation of democracy and development, innovation, progress and great feats achieved by humanity across different civilisations.

In any society where there is a clear disconnect between actions, omissions and stated consequences, and exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action becomes the norm, such a society is bound to retrogress because certainty in the preservation of law and order is the fulcrum of development. This brings to the fore the challenge of impunity in the conduct of leadership in Nigeria. The other ideas related to impunity include immunity, indemnity, license, exoneration, special treatment and being above the law. In the Nigeria of today, leadership has become a licence for being above the law and which decouples infringement of the command of the sovereign, being the law from sanctions. This discourse reviews the prevalent impunity in Nigeria and recommends a way forward for the survival of society. Three recent examples of leadership impunity will demonstrate the decadence of leadership.

A couple of days ago, tens of security agents stormed the residence of Supreme Court Judge, Mary Odili, under the purported authority of a search warrant issued by a magistrate. The story line was that one irresponsible rascal swore to an affidavit alleging that illegal activities were being carried out in a house on a street where Justice Odili lives. There was no articulation of the nature of the illegal activities and no undercover investigation to ascertain what those activities were. In their indecent haste to denigrate Her Ladyship, the warrant was addressed to a different house number that was not hers. Pronto, the security agents appeared at the house of their target demanding to be let in. When their illegal and wicked plan failed, the Attorney General who is the chief law officer of the federation denied authorising the search, police denied authorising the plot, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission issued a denial while the Department of State Services also put up a denial. The magistrate later revoked the search warrant claiming he was misled by the deponent and the individual/institution(s) who sought the warrant. The Inspector General of Police announced an investigation to unravel what has happened while media reports indicate that one of the irresponsible fellows who came for the search had an identity card signed by the Attorney General of the Federation, meaning that they came upon his authorisation. So, everyone is in denial implying that Nigeria is an ungoverned space where security personnel in broad daylight would invade the house of a Supreme Court Judge and their bosses simply issue a denial. And they expect Nigerians to believe such a cheap and obvious lie?

Getting away with impunity begets further impunity. It was the same impunity that prevailed when judges were first attacked by the DSS some years ago, in utter violation of due process and civility. The same impunity, writ, led to the unlawful removal of Chief Justice Onnoghen by an administrative tribunal manned by a man who had demonstrated irresponsible conduct in street brawls and ethnic slurs. The Nigerian society was then divided between those who saw through the impunity and those who thought dictatorship would solve our national challenges. Because no one challenged the perpetrators then and they had their way, we gave them an inch, they took a yard and, now, they have a yard, they seek a mile. In their thought process, they had dealt with a serving Chief Justice of Nigeria and had their way, removing an ordinary Justice of the Supreme Court would be as easy as eating ripe pawpaw.

Recently, the Plateau State House of Assembly made up of 24 members was in the news. The news was about a purported change of leadership wherein eight members purported to have impeached the Speaker of the House. The first point is that all the members of the House from the day they were sworn in knew that to impeach the Speaker, they needed a two-thirds majority, 16 members to undertake the assignment. In a scene of obvious refusal to play by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, in utter defiance of the legislative rules and common sense, they claimed to have impeached their Speaker. Apparently, they sought to behave in what amounts to insane delusions because they had the support of the leadership of the state executive. The second point is that the law enforcement agencies sealed the House as their response to what everyone knows is deliberately orchestrated mischief by the eight legislators who suddenly by magical arithmetic became the majority in a 24-member legislature. What else can we call this act of turning facts on their head? Impunity empowered by powers from above. But that above must be from the pit of hell.

The third demonstration of impunity manifested itself in the Anambra State governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress. Andy Uba, who eventually flew the flag of the APC, in the gubernatorial election was reported to have colluded with the authorities of the party. While other aspirants were waiting at the designated venues for the conduct of primaries, the party authorities simply ignored them and there was no primary election. In a magical fashion, Andy Uba was declared the winner of a primary that never held and became the flagbearer of the APC. The usual impunity mindset projected that the other aspirants were dumb and had no dignity and feelings of being cheated and alienated. They were supposed to move on with their lives and support the declared winner. From that moment of declaration, it should have been clear to the party that their chance of winning the gubernatorial seat was dead on arrival.

Nigerians must unite in the struggle against impunity and oppression, in the struggle against gods made of the feet of clay who seek to dominate, insult and deny our humanity. We must say no to the idea that leadership and governance has to be reduced to the imbecility of the depraved unreasonable fellow who finds himself in the corridors of power. Nigerians must say no to the race to the bottom rather than the race to the top. We must censure, rebuke and deprecate in the strongest terms anyone entrusted with power who abuses it in a devil may care manner that asks the entire country or a certain constituency to go to hell. We need to send such a fellow to hell through ostracising him from the comity of decent humanity. Enough of impunity.