Tag: rule of law

Posted on

Diezani, Nigerian Courts and the Curious Case of Litigating Without Appearing by Lawson Akhigbe

“...The issue is not whether Diezani Alison-Madueke’s lawyers are competent to file applications from across the Atlantic. The more fundamental question is whether a defendant who has consistently declined to present herself before a Nigerian court should enjoy unrestricted access to its procedural remedies. Can you ignore the coercive aspects of judicial authority while selectively enjoying its protections? The Supreme Court’s reasoning in *Nwaoboshi v. FRN* reminds us that respect for the law is a two-way street. If a high-profile defendant can stay abroad indefinitely, block forfeitures, and tender evidence via proxy without ever standing in the dock, we face a uncomfortable reality: submission to the authority of Nigerian courts is fast ceasing to be a requirement, and becoming merely an option. It turns the justice system into an *à la carte* menu—and it threatens the very credibility of our criminal justice system.”

Posted on

Review: If We Tolerate This: How the British Establishment Made the Far Right Respectable

Daniel Trilling’s book argues that the British far right became “respectable” not through fringe activism but because mainstream institutions gradually absorbed its language and fears. Far‑right ideas about immigration, multiculturalism, and national decline seeped into politics and media until they appeared like common sense rather than extremism. The press amplified moral panic, helping harsh policies seem moderate. The book stresses that Britain is not uniquely immune to authoritarianism; its extremism often arrives in polite, establishment-friendly forms. Trilling’s analysis also resonates globally, showing how cultural anxiety and intolerance are normalised in many democracies. He is criticised for underplaying real social and economic grievances that made people receptive to these narratives. Still, the book warns that democracies erode slowly—through euphemisms, fear, and institutional cowardice.

Posted on

Prince, Pauper, or Paymaster-General: The Curious Case of Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew By Lawson Akhigbe

Schrödinger’s Bureaucracy A deep dive into a uniquely Nigerian political paradox: the high-stakes scandal of a government agency that the Presidency insists "does not exist," yet somehow possesses a ₦1.3 billion official budget line, 34 bank accounts, and prime real estate at the Federal Secretariat. The Institutional Ghost: Exploring the hilarious and terrifying reality where a con artist's fiction perfectly aligns with state incompetence, allowing a fake agency to draw very real public funds. The Audacity of the Upgrade: Tracking the comedic escalation of Prince Adeyemi from a fake UN youth leader to a self-appointed, budget-wielding Director-General. Weaponized Receipts: A look at the ultimate bureaucratic showdown, where the government’s defense ("he's a fraud") is entirely compatible with the fraudster's defense ("but you paid me"). The Takeaway Nigeria didn't just inherit the concept of "ghost workers" it naturally evolved it into a ghost agency, complete with an office on the second floor and a foreign currency account.

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com