NIGER DELTA PEOPLES SALVATION FRONT (NDPSF) NATIONAL SECRETARIAT

13,  Agudama street  D-Line, Port Harcourt

Website: www.akumafiete.org Email: ndpsf@akumafiete.org.

Mobile: 0803 931 0668, 0802 768 8711

 LEADER: Alh. Mujahid Dokubo-Asari

One More Step In The Dark Towards Midnight

When the judiciary starts to give judgments in favour of unquestionable powers for the government, when the rights of an individual can be judicially stopped because of the fear of the opposition by a regime, when disagreeing with the views of the head of state constitutes a threat to national security, wherein lies the ‘democracy’? The right of the people to challenge tyranny can never be limited by any constitution or law. It is even in recognition of this that all constitutions are assumed to have been made by the people so that good governance, law, and order can be guaranteed. Nevertheless, when a ruler assumes or arrogate to himself, the sovereignty of the people he ought to be rebelled against. In every society, there must be a certain amount of honour just as there must be certain amount of light. Whereas there are many men without honour, there are those who carry the honour of many men in them. They are the heroes of progressive change. The judiciary will be guilty of tyranny and suppression if they make judicial laws that empower a tyrant to crush or suppress the voice of the people represented in the voice of a few men of honour.

On Tuesday June 6, 2006; the court of Appeal of the Nigerian State sitting in Abuja crushed the effort of the counsels to Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari to secure bail for the our patriotic, heroic and indefatigable leader, by delivering a ruling that can be described as ‘one more step in the dark towards midnight’. The ruling implied that Asari has been pronounced guilty even when trial has not commenced. The Gestapo nature of the ruling places it in the class of the anti-people and anti-democratic rulings of the likes of Justice Egbo Egbo. It is a defeat on the effort of progressive force in seeking for a dependable ally in the judiciary against dictatorship, injustice, and tyranny. The implication is that any member of the opposition can because of this ruling, be arrested, detained, refused bail, and kept away from trial just by a mere wish of the maximum ruler of the Nigerian State.

Furthermore, the ruling failed to satisfy the fundamental principles of law and morality. With the Nigerian State failing, in eight month, to produce evidence and witnesses to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, it has been shown that the Obasanjo regime is only trying to victimize Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo–Asari for daring to speak out, un-behalf of the his people against subjugation and exploitation. To further buttress, this point, Dr. Peter Odili’s wife, Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, made sure she was in the courtroom on the day of this anti-people ruling to oversea the delivery of the wish of her husband and General Obasanjo, just like the Biblical story of Saul presiding over the persecution of Stephen. This makes the ruling to be like the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Do not forget that it was the disagreement between .

Dr. Peter Odili and himself over the rigging of 2003 general elections that led to the attempt on his life and consequently the 2004-armed campaign in Eastern Nigeria Delta, which is also informing his persecution today.        

We call on all the progressives to mobilize the masses to demand for freedom and justice for our people.

Thanks.

The struggle is unstoppable!

Mark Olise

Director of Administration