Catholic lawyer writes Oyegun on Kanu; reminds FG on pledge to end impunity

Catholic lawyer, Barrister Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi has reminded the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on the party’s electioneering promise to end impunity and lawlessness, in an open letter addressed to the party chieftain and made available, Monday.
The letter also faulted the continued detention of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu by security operatives despited two separate court injunctions ordering his release.
The lawyer, in his writing, also warned Chief Oyegun and the APC of looming anarchy, citing neglect of standing Federal High Court order for the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu by the Department of state Security (DSS) as a case study.
The letter, titled; Nnamdi Kanu, the Rule of Law and the Imperative of Ending the Impunity of a Government Agency under the Firm Control and Leadership of the APC-Led Federal Government, further challenged the APC to end the evident impunity or be willing to accept the consequences.
“In a constitutional democracy such as ours where the Constitution reigns supreme, the solemn pronouncement of the Court on any issue submitted for its adjudication is final and must command the unquestionable obedience of all parties to the suit who are bound by such pronouncement. Anything contrariwise represents invitation to anarchy, negates the Rule of Law, challenges entrenched democratic traditions and encyclopaedically captures impunity.
“Sir, I wish to sadly bring to your notice that the Order of Court made against the DSS since the 17th day of December, 2015 has not been obeyed. The statement I am struggling to make is that despite the unequivocal Order of unconditional release made by My Lord Justice Ademola J. on the 17th day of December, 2015, the DSS has continued to detain Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in their custody.
“Nothing could better define impunity in excelsis than this brazen defiance of a positive solemn Order of a Court of competent jurisdiction; an attitude that has been roundly condemned severally by the Nigerian Supreme Court in tones of decided cases including but not limited to the well-known and often cited case of OJUKWU V. MILITARY GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE.
The letter which copied both the Metropolitan Archbishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onayekan, as well as the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah, reminded Chief Odigie-Oyegun that: “(a) You are the National Chairman of the Ruling party, the APC, which promised Nigerians, during the electioneering campaigns, to end impunity if given the opportunity. God being so gracious, Nigerians have given your great party that rare opportunity and they are watching to see what your great party will make out of it.
“(b) I am one of the millions of the Nigerian youths who were totally fed up with the Nigerian system under the past administration and who took it upon themselves to spread the message of change during the electioneering campaign in the hope that the prevailing old order of impunity would be buried once our message of change is accepted and the much awaited new order of Constitutionalism and Rule of Law would be speedily enthroned by the APC-led Federal Government. Our voluntary commitment and involvement to the Project of Change at the time was indeed at a grave personal cost and sacrifice which does not call for itemization in this letter. To this extent therefore, I consider myself a stakeholder, in my own wise, in this Change Project.
“(c) I am proud to say that I share the same Catholic faith with you which enjoins us to always make a positive difference in our environment, even in politics, by being Christ-like.
“Finally, over and above party interests, it is my humble but considered view that the responsibility of deepening our democracy and ending impunity in the land is a shared one among all lovers of democracy and indeed all patriotic Nigerians. By so doing, we will be discharging the Constitutional duty imposed on us to act responsibly and live out the ideals of the Constitution. While it seems to be the turn of Mazi Nnamdi “Kanu today, who knows whose turn it would be tomorrow. At this trying moment of our nation’s history, we all must be guided by wisdom and never shall emotion and sentiment, no matter how intense, be allowed a casting vote in our decisions. Our democracy can only keep us if we keep our democracy. Our laws can only keep us if we keep our laws. History and experience have shown that anybody, no matter how highly placed, might be in need of the Court’s protection tomorrow. We must therefore guard the sacred institution of the Judiciary very jealously.
“We must learn to ‘let justice flow like a stream and righteousness like a river that never goes dry’ as enjoined on us by the Sacred Scripture (Amos 5: 24). As you find time to reflect on all this, Sir, I ask Our Blessed Lord to continue to bless you, enlarge your borders, make your tenure even more glorious, grant you soundness of mind and body so that aided by His special grace, we all can work for a more egalitarian and equitable society by courageously bending the arc of justice in favour of the weak, the poor, the oppressed and the less-privileged. Compliments of the Season!, the letter concluded.