I have been observing comments and differing accounts of Nigerians as the trial of three women associated with the former governor of Delta State James Ibori started at the Southwark Crown Court in London last week.
Let me begin by saying that some Nigerians have an absolute culture of shamelessness!!! from what I observed in court last week - and statements/comments by Nigerians - we do most certainly have some shameless people.
People who believe it is alright to steal and flaunt it and why not? when you have Ovation, Bisi Olatilo, Entertainer, City People etc. glorifying them regularly in their publications and some Nigerians rolling over to kiss their feet for a few crumbs from the table - why should they feel any shame? Have we made them to feel what they do is wrong? In the UK here they are wined and dined (with the hard earned money they make from their various 9-5 jobs) by the same people they have sent into involuntary exile, all for a photo opportunity or to boast "oh, I was with so-so-so and so yesterday" and if they are lucky they get given some small change and numbers in Naija to call so they can come and see them at the government house. Societal misfits have turned some Nigerians into slaves, international area boys and babi-ala's overnight!!! They come up with the most ludicrous statements/comments in support of these people, even right here now, someone is going to leap to his keyboard and provide us some worn out nonsense. The ones I can't stand are the Nigerians or non-Nigerians who claim that we need to be "objective" in cases as clear-cut as those of the Ibori's playing out in the UK. Or the category I refer to as the "About to Chop Chop (ACC)", the ones who start every comment with, " i have never met him/her before or benefitted" from blah, blah, blah, but...let me say that- say what exactly? So why should they feel shame?
I was in court on last Friday, September 25. I arrived in court late morning and sat outside because the courtroom was full. Outside court was a young guy, I will say mid to late twenties dressed like a Michael Jackson wannabe - you could tell this guy either refused to attend school or school refused him. Anyway, there I was sitting jejely when this guy made a call to someone (I don't know who) he started by saying the court is full of Yoruba people and the press, he doesn't know which one concern press for the matter or Yoruba people, he just wishes the judge will throw the case out and let them all go home (by this time I was seething). He continued his nonsense - this is just political, Obj is behind it, Obj has it in for Ibori because Ibori stopped him from being life president. Was Ibori the only gov, why didn't they concentrate on the Yoruba thieves in our midst and leave Delta people alone? He expected they would win the case because they had 3 barristers and 5 solicitors all being paid £1million each (now I wonder how Ibori's mistress, sister and Pogoson can afford to pay defence counsel £1m?) They were planning a protest, they will come and show people here...
Anyway, he got off the phone eventually and I began MY OWN conversation. I stated that they are all going down! These people who have deprived thousands of people basic facilities and caused so many deaths, God in heaven will make them pay, first here in court and in the after life. Their children, accomplices, supporters etc will pay, for depriving children of life, children they have condemned even from the womb! How can a common crook, convicted twice already in the UK turn out to be gov in Nigeria? Well, there must be an end to this and this case is just the beginning. We will chase them till they know the UK is no longer a safe haven to hide their loot. We are also waiting for their protest, we will meet them there, their disgrace will be complete. I said it is sad that even someone who doesn't look like a $ has passed through his life is here defending such gross violation of his people's trust (well, he should know I was referring to him).
I can state that the guy had disappeared from court by the time we returned for the afternoon session. I was later informed he is Ibori's brother.
By the time we entered the court room, Ibori's people had taken up most of the seats so most of us had to wait outside court. They had called people during the lunch break to come and support them because they were clearly outnumbered. They now thought they owned the court holding on to seats and stopping people from seating saying someone was sitting there. Anyway, we reminded them that they do not own the courts in the UK as they believe they own Nigeria. Then this guy who is their taxi driver (now this is a sad case, this guy cannot be less than 55 yrs old with torn shirt, looked like life has been extremely hard on him) decided to assault a lady over a seat, he was well and truly dealt with by the lady. The irony is this man doesn't know that the people he is seating in court with daily to support and fight for are the reason why he is here driving a cab and have probably condemned his family to eternal servitude (maybe he thinks he is living the Ibori dream sha).
They came with their bodyguards and thugs but we stood up to them - we will not be intimidated!! Even the guy who assaulted the NLF chap on Monday scuttled away when he saw they were outnumbered.
Nigerians!! Be in court, even if it for only one of the sessions, go there to register your interest. It is unlikely we will get justice in Nigeria so let us use this opportunity. An opening is being made for us here, this opportunity should not be lost. Today it is Ibori, tomorrow it can be your gov and his accomplices. Enough of the complaining from the comfort of your home, it cant achieve much. I mean one of the Ibori people accused us of being jobless, well, do you blame them, when they see so few of us there daily? Even if we are jobless, do they not contribute to the joblessness of Nigerians home and abroad?
That Udoamaka can come out and pose for the cameras, in a way she is telling us we cannot do nada to her, is she right? Have we given her the courage to believe so with our laid back-someone-else-will-do-it-wetin-concern-me attitude? When they carry out their threatened protest, will they be able to mobilise more people by giving them some 'small change' than us? If they do then we as Nigerians ought to be ashamed of ourselves!
Please make time to attend court if you live in the UK, it is an obligation you owe your country and all oppressed, raped and dehumanized people whose resources are daily looted as they wallow in poverty, living on less than 1 dollar per day!
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