In all the sovereign countries of the world, the constitution of the land is supreme, and no matter how highly placed an individual or organisation is, they must submit to the supremacy of the constitution.
In Nigeria, sectional and regional laws override the constitution. If a man from Southern Nigeria disobeys the law, the constitution will be cited, and appropriate punishment as stipulated by that section of the constitution will be meted out to him. On the other hand, If a Northerner (especially core Northern Muslim) commits any offence just like the Southerner, lady justice must have to remove her blindfold to look very well, and her sword will become so heavy that she can’t lift, let alone swing it. Then her scale tilts to a side.
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Sometime last year, the “presidency” ordered that every arm (both the licensed) should be mopped up. Security agencies carried out the order to the last detail in Southern Nigeria, but Fulani herders were exempted and allowed to wield assault rifles. The reason is that they use it to protect themselves and their sources of livelihood which are their cows. One Nigeria, two different laws.
When Buhari became the president, he jettisoned federal character principle which was put in place to accommodate the diversity of Nigeria. He only appointed Core Northern Muslims into very strategic positions. Again their reason was that he was appointing people he was comfortable working with. Still same One Nigeria and two laws.
The Hisbah police has destroyed thousands of crates of beer because it’s against their faith, but they have never rejected the value added tax that accrues from the sale of the same beer in other places within the country. Freedom of worship as entrenched in the constitution, allows people to serve God in the best way they deem fit, and Religious tolerance ought to teach some people to accommodate others. You won’t reject the money from Christians, Atheists and pagans that accrued from the beer they bought but will destroy their beer because you don’t like it. One Nigeria, two laws.
Someone was accused of blasphemy and was condemned to death by a sharia court in a secular state like Nigeria, and Governors, ministers and even former Presidents from the North all kept mum. The Kano state Governor that was caught on video pocketing bundles of dollar has vowed to sign the young man’s death warrant. It means that Islamic law supersedes the Nigeria constitution. One Nigeria, two different laws.
I have read the amended CAMA (company and allied matters act) which empowers the president to appoint whoever he wants into the board of Churches, but nothing was said about the same appointment into board of mosques. One Nation, two distinct laws.
Southern students must have to get up to 250 points as cut off mark into unity schools, but Northern students must be admitted even if he scored 5 points. One Nigeria, two laws.
Northern lawyers have just pulled out of Nigeria Bar Association and formed a new association because the NBA barred El rufai from speaking at their congress because he has refused to put an end to the carnage and genocide going on in Southern Kaduna. To them, it’s not about justice and humanity, but about “kafirs” disrespecting one of their own.
All these and more are happening in a sovereign country with supreme constitution.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are yet to see and understand the handwriting on the wall.
By
Odumodu Gbulagu
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
