Not many writers are celebrated or appreciated when they are
alive going about displaying their skills of good writings on what
a society should be. There is no better way to illustrate this than
by the unfortunate death of Professor Pius Adesanmi, one of the
victims of the recent Ethiopian Airlines Plane Crash. It is an
understatement to say that this incident was very sad and
painful.
We pray the Almighty God to condole the families and relatives
of the victims and give them all the fortitude to bear the great
lost. The demise of Professor Adesanmi has brought about a lot of
Newspaper tributes and repeatedly re-publishing of some of his
wonderful writings on various platforms on social media. From
various comments and remarks by so many people, the Professor
seemed to be unknown to so many of them. He was a man who became
more popular in death and made possible by the power of his pen. He
was a great writer whose writings tell you the kind of person he
was when he was breathing on the surface of the earth.
From many of his writings and articles, you will see clearly, if
you have not read him before that the late Professor was a writer
with great mission and vision to better the society we found
ourselves. In one of his articles titled: “LADIES & GENTLEMEN,
PLEASE RISE UP TO RECOGNIZE THE PRESENCE OF THIEVES”, where he
advised Nigerians against celebrating those who have stolen our
commonwealth to enrich themselves, he said:
“…Where thieves feel valued and recognised in the context of
societal mores and mentality, no level of leadership or
institutional enhancement will work. We have to have a collective
vision of the social good and develop attitudes of collective
hostility to any citizen who does anything injurious to it .Such an
attitude is raw material that leadership and institutions could
use. The day you develop the courage to stop recognising the
presence of known thieves in your public and social ceremonies,
would have started our journey to civilization”
But ironically and unfortunately, the journey to civilization
seems yet to start in this country we live as it is even the
elites, the educated and those who claim to be learned that
celebrated the known thieves in our midst. Genuine fights against
corruption are now seen as persecutions. Many so-called elites that
ought to know best are the people now speaking in defence of those
who have deliberately stolen our commonwealth for their own selfish
interests. When these so-called elites are beneficiaries of those
loots, what do you expect? In another interesting article titled:
“NIGERIAN JUDICIARY BY THE TRUCKLOAD”, where the Professor depicted
how we over do things in this country, citing a particular
reference to the Nigerian Judiciary where a conference meant to be
attended by just only three Judges from Nigeria witnessed the
exodus of Nigerian Judges as well as other lawyers from the Federal
Ministry of Justice even without the knowledge of the Nigeria’s
High Commissioners to Canada, the hosting country. According to the
late Professor:
“There was some form of International Conference of Judges from
commonwealth countries that Canada was hosting .Each Commonwealth
country was allotted a delegation of three judges if I remember
correctly. Nigeria sent the Chief Judges of all states and the FCT.
Nigeria sent the Grand Khadis of all state shariah courts.Never
mind that the Canadians made no provision for shariah law in the
conference .Nigeria sent the leadership of the Nigerian Institute
of Advanced Legal Studies .Nigeria sent representatives from the
Federal Ministry of Justice .For three days ,the High Commissioner
and I were driving people, bussing people ,hosting people ….To my
friends who have been curious about the source of my powerful
connections in the judiciary,now you know .It is because I was a
driver ,aides ,cook and tour guide ,in tragic Nigerian
circumstance.”
By the time I finishing reading the Professor, the question that
came to mind then was that only God knew the actual number of court
cases that would have suffered adjournment during that period of
Nigerian Judges’ exodus not to talk about those files that would
remain unattended to during that same period when the Federal
Attorneys were of voyage. We are not saying judicial officers
should not go on foreign conference, seminar or retreat but if this
is to be done let it be rotational and periodical saying during
vacation rather than being exodus in nature at the expense of the
work they are primarily being paid to do. As long as we continue
this way, the delay in the dispensation of justice we continue to
remain with us as justice delayed is justice denied.
With the above two examples, I believe we have able to show the
essence and the impact of the late Professor as a great writer who
for long in death will continue to inspire many through his
writings left behind and with which he has immortalized himself. As
a writer he is physically no longer in our midst, but with his
works ,he continues to live on as do the like of great writers such
as Williams Shakespeare, James Hardly Chase and Chinua Achebe among
many who have left behind great literary works that have kept their
memories alive till date. When a writer departs this world and goes
into the grave, his work does not go to the grave with him. As a
great writer, Professor Pius Adesanmi had discharged his
responsibilities before his departure to the great beyond. Mr.
Mahfouz Adedimeji , an Associate Professor from University of
Ilorin aptly captures this in his tribute to the late Professor
that :
“ When E.B. White was asked of the responsibility of the writer
not long before Adesanmi was born ,he said ‘a writer must reflect
and interpret his society ,his world ; he must also provide
inspiration and guidance and challenge.’This is exactly what the
late Adesanmi devoted his life to : reflecting , interpreting
,inspiring ,guiding and challenging .Virtually every single article
and book, every engagement of his reflected this five areas wholly
or partly. A journey through his works like ‘The wayfarer and other
poems’ (2001), ‘You’re not a Country’ (2011), Naija no dey carry
last (2015) and hundreds of articles and lectures will attest to
this fact.”
When a writer dies, his work does not die with him and when he
goes to the grave; his work does not go to the grave with him. A
great writer continues to live in his literary work as he has
immortalized himself through the ink of his pen. Adieu to Professor
Pius Adesanmi , a great literary giant!
BETWEEN GOD, ANGELS AND MAN
Most times when atrocities are committed by men against their
fellow men I become very worried as a writer and some of the
questions I keep asking myself are that: are men created to commit
atrocities against men on the earth? Are the angels justified in
their initial opposition to the creation of men? Has God truly
regretted creating men of the earth? According to the teaching of
Islam, when the Almighty God wanted to creat man on the earth and
informed the angels, their response was in negative. In the Chapter
2 Verse 30 of the Holy Quran, it is stated thus:
“And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place
viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt Thou place therein one who
will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy
praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know
not.”
With the eventual creation of men on the earth and with their
transgression against one another, one is tempted to share the
sentiment of the angels in their initial opposition to the creation
of man on the surface of the earth. But the question one is tempted
to ask again is that: Has Almighty God regretted creating men on
the earth? A passage from the Holy Bible seems to answer this
question as in the book of Genesis 6 and from Verse 5-6 we read
thus:
“When the Lord saw how wicked everyone on the earth was and how
evil their thoughts were all the time, he was sorry that had ever
made them and put them on the earth .He was so filled with
regret.”
Whether the God has really regretted his action for creating men
on the earth or not is a question that can be better answered by
the scholars of the religious books. In reality, it will not be
proper to say men are created on the earth to perpetrate evils and
transgression because God having created the heaven and earth as
well as all within them, gave men the knowledge and wisdom to be
able to distinguish what is right from what is wrong. Apart from
this God sent prophets to them from time to time to guide them to
His way. While some men accepted and believed those messengers,
some disbelieved and revolted against those prophets of God. Where
exactly are we going?
The rate at which atrocities are being committed around the
world today particularly in this part of world is becoming too
alarming. A crazy young guy recently went to a Mosque in New
Zealand and shot about 50 Muslims dead during worship.This is
similar to the kind of madness being displayed by the terrorist
Boko Haram group in this country wherein they go to Churches or
Mosques to mercilessly kill people while they are worshipping. This
is a serious act of wickedness. I once condemned in strong term the
madness of the Boko Haram in an article titled IS BOKO HARAM
ISLAMIC? , published in the Daily Independent Newspaper of 21/8/13
that:
“…The members of Boko Haram are not qualified to be called and
regarded as Muslims because their conduct of killing innocent
people both young and old as well as destroying lives and
properties of Muslims and Non- Muslims alike is contrary to what
Islam stands for…”
The irrational visit of death against one another by men on the
earth and man’s inhumanity to man is not limited only to those
engage in religious fanaticism.We are constantly confronted with
the problems of armed robbers, armed bandits and kidnappers every
now an then .The incessant conflicts between the farmers and the
herdsmen have equally unfortunately dispatched many people to the
great beyond.What ordinarily ought not to have led to crisis among
men if they had tried to tolerate one another by living together
peacefully has become source of worry to everyone as a result of
senseless killings here and there. People fight and kill one
another because of land that belong to God and ought to be seen as
the gift of God and try to mutually enjoy it among themselves.
Unfortunately, the land has been turned to the battled field for
killing one another and ironically,it is this land that will
eventually consume the killed and the killers.
Unjust killing is a serious crime against God and humanity which
is the reason why those involve in such crime must not be treated
lightly as if they are so treated without being punished,they will
continue to be audacious in perpetrating the crime.The government
that is shouldered with the responsibilities of protecting us must
be up and doing by providing adequate securities. The securities
agencies must be adequately equipped to enable them do their work
deligently. The government with the support of everyone at every
level must liase and mobilize heads of various communities in the
locality with the view to rob minds on own to detect and prevent
crimes .This will go a long way to drastically reduce crimes and
ensure the safety of our communities. If there are disputes between
any groups in the community serious efforts must be made to find
immediate solutions to such disputes before they get out of hands.
We must all be our brothers’ keeper so that we can all live in
peace and harmony.
REMARKABLE PRONOUNCEMENT ON CRIME AND
SOCIETY
“The powers of arrest and prosecution conferred by the various
sections of the criminal procedure law and the criminal code on
“any person” has the magic effect of giving locus standi to any
person who cares to prosecute an offender, if and only if, he saw
him committing the offence or reasonably suspects him of having
committed the offence. Criminal law is addressed to all classes of
society as the rules that they are bound to obey on pain of
punishment to ensure order in the society. The rules are
promulgated by the representatives of society who form the
government or the legislative arm of government for the benefit of
the society and the power to arrest and prosecute any person who
breaches the rule is also conferred on any person in the society in
addition to the Attorney – General and other law officers for the
benefit of the society. The peace of the society is the
responsibility of all persons in the country and as far as
protection against crime is concerned, every person in the society
is each other’s keeper. Since we are all brothers in the society,
we are our brother’s keeper. If we pause a little and cast our
minds to the happenings in the world, the rationale for this rule
will become apparent.”
Per OBASEKI, JSC in Fawehinmi Vs. Akilu (1989) 4 NWLR (Pt. 67)
798 at 832 and also referred to in Fawehinmi Vs. I.G.P. (2000) 1
WRN Pg. 107 Lines 10-20
THE SETTLED PRINCIPLE OF LAW
On right of aggrieved party to appeal against any decision
“It is the constitutional right of every party to any civil or
criminal proceedings to appeal against any decision of the trial or
even appellate court with or against which he is dissatisfied or
aggrieved. He can exercise this right up to the highest level of
our judicial hierarchy. i.e the Supreme court.”
See HAWAD INT’L SCHOOL LTD Vs. MIMA PROJECT VENTURES LTD (2004)
FWLR (Pt. 188) Pg. 992 Para E
HAVE YOU OBTAINED YOUR COPIES?
For more Settled Principles of Law and Remarkable Pronouncements
from our Supreme Court Jurists from 1956-2016, obtain or order for
your copies of LAW PRACTICE KIT and LEGAL LUMINARIES. Call or text
08055476823, 08164683735 or email: rasheedibraheem68@yahoo.com.
Your library is incomplete without these books.
24th March 2019
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Perm Sec Pledges Support on Prison
Decongestion
The Newly posted Permanent Secretary to ministry of interior,
Barrister Georgian Ekeoma Ehurian has agreed to support Nigeria
prison service in decongesting prisons nation wide.
Barrister Georgian stated this during a familiarization visit to
Nigerian Prisons Headquarters (NPS) Abuja. She shared her
experience in law and criminal case which developed her interest in
prisons.
The perm Sec congratulated the Controller General of Prisons
(CGP) Ja’afaru Ahmed on his recorded achievements and urge the
service to involve the services of lawyers to assist in the
decongestion of Prisons, which she noted is mostly overcrowded with
inmates on awaiting trials.
Earlier in his welcome address, the CGP solicited the support of
the newly posted perm Sec to help the service in decongesting
prisons as that has been the major challenge confronting the
Service.
Ja’afaru said, so far the service has recorded some achievements
which include the provision of logistics for conveying the
prisoners to court, Educational programmes for inmate, improvement
on staff welfare, infrastructural upgrade etc.
Until her posting to the ministry of interior, Barrister
Georgian worked with the ministry of Defence under the cabinet
affairs office and later posted as permanent Secretary to ministry
of mines and steel development, an astute public servant with years
of cognate experience, she also work as the permanent Secretary at
Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSOF).
She took over from Dr Mohammed Bello umar ,who has been moved to
Ministry of power ,works,and housing.
Ezelie Francisca
Public Relation Unit PNHQ Abuja