LAGOS – A Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Voice of Reason (VOR) has attributed the seeming dysfunctional nature of democracy in Nigeria to weak access to justice by a majority of the citizens.
This was disclosed yesterday by speakers at a Webinar organised by the group.
The panelists at the event consisted of Professor Toyin Falola, an international scholar, Mr. Kehinde Aina, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Mr. Soji Awogbade, also a lawyer and a public affairs analyst.
They spoke on ‘The Rule of Law and Nigeria’s Democracy’ which was the theme of the Webinar.
Setting the tone for the talkshop, Chairman, Voice of Reason, Dr. Ebun Sonaiya, said, “The Webinar is part of our ongoing efforts to inspire thought leadership and civic awakening among Nigerians”.
He added, “Without an adherence to the rule of law, democracy remains hollow”.
Dr. Leke Osunniyi, the moderator, in his opening remarks, noted that the webinar was meant to be a platform for a robust discussion on how Nigeria can reclaim and reinforce the primacy of the rule of law as the bedrock of democratic stability, especially in the face of institutional decay, impunity and erosion of public trust.
Opening the discourse, Professor Toyin Falola took a historical route in analyzing Nigeria’s predicament.
He was unapologetic about the damage that corruption and non-adherence to the rule of law have wrecked (and still wrecking) on Nigeria.
“The figure of over 200 million being bandied about as Nigeria’s population is over bloated.”
Falola stated that Nigeria is dysfunctional, stressing that corruption not only prevents development, can also destroy the nation.
He however maintained that although the challenges Nigeria is facing are enormous, the country is still redeemable “If we set our minds to it”.
Mr. Kehinde Aina, SAN, asserted that under normal circumstances, law doesn’t distinguish between the goose and the gander.
‘In other words, law should apply to everyone the same way without regard to the position or status of such a person.
He noted that in Nigeria, there seems to be laws for those in positions of authority and another set of laws for the rest of the people.
He was quick to add that where the rule of law ends, tyranny begins.
The legal luminary advocated for integrity, decency and decorum to be brought back into how things are done, pointing out that the rule of law shouldn’t be a luxury in the hands of the powerful.
Aina called for the return of traditional values which encourage justice and following the rules.
Another speaker, Mr. Soji Awogbade declared that trust in government is usually weak where there’s no access to justice.
Awogbade, who is also a lawyer, added that the rule of law is undermined where the judiciary is not independent.
The group asserted that ensuring that the rule of law prevails is not for the government alone “as anyone violating the law is also guilty of contributing to the rot. Ensuring that integrity, decency and decorum as well as valuing merit are vital if our nation is to be redeemed.