June 12: A Befitting Day To Pardon Orji Kalu Like Other Prisoners

Busy Brain Writes From Ebonyi State

June 12 is a democracy day in the history of Nigeria. A day to showcase the system of government of the people, by the people and for the people. To be candid, this definition of democracy has been the most funny and sarcastic definition I have ever come across in my life. I think the author of that definition did not ever imagine there would be a country like Nigeria, maybe another definition of democracy would have been specially designed for the country.

The recent case of Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State and Senate Chief Whip is a perfect example of the kind of wobbled and disjointed democracy that is being practiced in Nigeria. A system of government that celebrates and welcomes looters back from prison with merriness and laughter.

One needs not to be told that Nigeria Democratic System is lopsided to favor some calibre of people that cascade down our rivers of hope. Or how would one describe this kind of democracy when Abdulrasheed Maina who stole the sum of 2.1billion naira feigned sickness to escape judgment in the court of law.
















Maina was accused of fraud, money laundering and operating fictitious account; he was initially declared wanted by EFCC and later got arrested and charged to court on 12 counts including 2.1 billion naira pension fund scam. Before Maina was arrested, I want to belief firmly that he has undergone series of training on how to feign illness in order to display it perfectly in court and when he finally appeared in court, he acted everything correctly and scaled through.

So, Maina who was healthy and fit before the EFCC sent him a signal embraced sudden illness because of trial. What an emergency sickness in a democratic society. Today, the issue of Maina after he was being granted bail is a dead matter. What a democracy!

During the era of Covid-19 lockdown that usher-in social and physical distancing, actress Funke Akindele staged a birthday party for her hubby in her home, Funke Akindele was charged to court for staging a party that housed less than five hundred people amidst lockdown and she served her punishment accordingly. She was also replaced by Toyin Abraham as an ambassador on Covid-19 awareness and sensitization. She disobeyed the law and faced the consequences as a common citizen but we all witnessed the level of crowd that attended Abba Kyari's burial. All the Covid-19 preventive rules and regulations were not followed during the burial and nothing happened because it involves those in the helm of affairs. That is the nature of democracy we practice in Nigeria.

Back to the basic, Orji Uzor Kalu was convicted by the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Thursday, December 5, 2019 and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for N7.65 billion fraud. He was convicted for defrauding the government of Abia State where he was a governor for 8 years using his company, Slok Nigeria Limited. Many Nigerians raised encomiums on President Buhari led administration for waging war against corruption without taking sides. For real, the administration deserves encomiums for jailing a serving senator who is a member of the ruling party.

But on the flip side of it, the Supreme Court, in its verdict delivered on May 8, 2020, held that Idris who convicted Kalu gave the judgment without jurisdiction. This amounted to the judgment being annulled on the ground of technicalities. My God! Judgment was not annulled base on falsehood but technicalities. So, all the charges against Kalu were real and true but were annulled because the judge had been transfered to appeal court when he made the judgment. Kalu who enjoyed all bonuses and allowances while in correctional center is now back to the senate building enjoying the stench of cool breeze. That is the nature of democracy we practice in Nigeria.

Worse still, Kalu on arrival from prison was welcomed like Naira Marley by his co looters. A delegate headed by the senate president sent to Uzor Kalu to welcome and celebrate his arrival. 12 years jail term has ended in couple of months. June 12 is a special day for prisoners to be shown prerogative of mercy. So, why not waiting for June 12 to pardon Orji Kalu like other prisoners and celebrate our bowlegged democracy together?

Nigeria democratic dispensation has been marred by corruption, favoritism, tribalism, religious bigotry, sentiment, extra judicial killing and disrespect for the rule of law among others.

I don't know the nature of demons in other countries but here in Nigeria, the demons are really crazy

Happy Democracy Day!




Busy Brain is an opinion writer, journalist, poet and Public Relations Practitioner

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