The Nation Newspaper

Category: Letters

  • Still on suspension of degree certificates from Benin, others

    Still on suspension of degree certificates from Benin, others

    By Ganiu Bamgbose

    SIR: Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, was recently quoted to have declared that more countries, including Uganda, Kenya and Niger Republic will be sanctioned following the suspension of accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from Benin Republic and Togo.

    While this is a good move as one would assume, the next big question is: how do we get it right beyond the suspension of certificates from other schools?

    First off, the quest or search for institutions outside the country by many Nigerians points at the over-glorification of certification in Nigeria. Knowledge is a product and certificate is supposed to be the receipt for it. Unfortunately in Nigeria, people are satisfied with possessing a receipt that they do not have any product to show for. One will assume that a product without a receipt to show for it can at least be used; what should anyone need a receipt for when no product is owned? This is the big question calling for answers and the answer is in overhauling the Nigerian education. 

    There is a need for the government and all stakeholders in education to foreground the fact that education is the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitude and values which make one a useful member of a society. While knowledge and skills can be called the hard skills of education, attitude and values are the soft skills and both kinds of skills are the determining qualities of an educated person, not just a certificate. This real essence of education can be achieved if we underplay the role of examination in our education and pay attention to practical and measurable improvement in students by ensuring that leaning takes place.

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    Learning is a set of experiences which are expected to bring about a permanent change in a person’s behavioural pattern. Learning is most effective when students or learners understand that they are not under any pressure to do so, and when they connect the essence of such knowledge to their well-being and the betterment of their lives.

    Finland is one of the countries with the best educational system in the world. It is reported that not until the sixth grade will children have the option to sit for a district-wide exam in Finland, and that is only if the classroom teacher consents to it. When teachers agree to participate, they mainly do so out of curiosity, and results are not publicised. A Finnish educationist, Louhivuori, remarked in an interview: “We know much more about the children than these tests can tell us.” Exams, at best, should help monitor students’ progression and how to ensure continuous progress. Consequently, it should not be used to determine who should be celebrated or not celebrated at the end of a term/session.

    A schooling system where children sit for exams from age two will expectedly be one where adults will pay for certificates. 

    Beyond the overhaul, there is a need for the government to invest hugely in education. One may also want to say that there would be no basis for seeking education outside the country if there were sufficient higher institutions of learning in the country. The Punch newspaper of June 9, 2023 reports thus: “The National Universities Commission revealed Friday that Nigeria now has 264 universities. The number includes universities owned by federal and state governments as well as private individuals and corporations”. Surprisingly, Germany, whose population is about half of the population of only the youth in Nigeria, boasts of over 400 universities. Will a citizen of such country not have to explain why they have to seek education elsewhere?

    Sadly in Nigeria, even the insufficient universities are not adequately funded– absence of or ill-equipped laboratories, in-conducive classrooms among several other shortcomings. 

    While it is in place to condemn and sanction universities for issuing degree certificates unjustly, it is important to appraise the situation more holistically so as to achieve the desired change. 

    • Ganiu Bamgbose, Lagos State University, Ojo..

  • PBAT’s cost-cutting paradigm shift

    PBAT’s cost-cutting paradigm shift

    By Akinola Ayobami Steven

    SIR: In a ground breaking move towards fiscal prudence and conscientious spending, President Bola Tinubu took an unprecedented step to rein in excessive government expenditure when he directed a significant reduction in travel delegations for federal government officials on trips both domestically and internationally.

    The directive which cuts across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) also extends to the high offices of the president, vice president and the first lady.

    Addressing a press briefing at the State House in Abuja, the president’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale stated: “This directive will lead to a substantial 60% reduction in travel delegations across all government entities, including the offices of the President, Vice President, and First Lady”.

    The directive lays down clear guidelines for official trips, imposing stringent limitations on the number of accompanying personnel for both international and domestic travel. For instance, ministers will now be permitted a maximum entourage of four individuals on official international trips, while heads of agencies are limited to two accompanying staff members.

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    In a noteworthy restriction, President Tinubu also capped the number of individuals allowed to travel with him on official international trips to a maximum of 20, whereas this number is significantly reduced to five for the First Lady. Similarly, the entourage accompanying the vice president on international trips is restricted to five individuals, extending to the same limit for the vice president’s spouse.

    The directive further mandates stringent protocol for domestic travel, stipulating that the president can be accompanied by a maximum of 25 staff members within the country. Likewise, the first lady and the vice president are restricted to 10 and 15 staff members, respectively, for official trips within Nigeria.

    The president’s resolute action to enforce stringent travel limitations across federal MDAs, including the highest echelons of government, marks a paradigm shift towards transparent governance and responsible stewardship of public resources. The directive heralds a new era of financial accountability, ethos of prudent resource management and cost-effective governance across all tiers of government. Its significance lies in the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance landscape towards financial responsibility and prudent utilization of public funds.

    • Akinola Ayobami Steven, akinolaa61@gmail.com

  • Turning the humanitarian affairs ministry around

    Turning the humanitarian affairs ministry around

    SIR: President Tinubu’s administration hit the ground running soon as he was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The subsidy removal regime has been putting more money in the account of government to be used for various developmental projects. Since coming into power, electricity supply has tremendously improved with Nigerians now boasting of about 80% daily electricity usage.

    Signals emerging from the various ministers appointed by President Tinubu are highly encouraging. The Minister of Works is on top of his job awarding road contracts across the federation.

    The Minister of Interior has revolutionised international passport issuance with passport issued within two weeks of biometrics capture.

    The sports ministry is agog with N12 billion released to it for offsetting the various allowances owed sports men and women.

    The FCT minister has woken up the hitherto sleeping Federal Capital Territory with various face-lifting projects.

    The achievements of this administration in just seven months diminish what was achieved in the last eight years.

    However, in every administration there is always a Judas. And that is what the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry stands for today. Within five years of its establishment, the CEOs of the ministry are alleged to have looted N84.1billion. This is a ministry established to take care of vulnerable Nigerians and also see to it that ordinary Nigerians enjoy the dividend of democracy.

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    People have been suggesting the scrapping of the ministry because of the humongous corruption going on there. Such a suggestion amounts to throwing away the baby and the bathtub. The aim of establishing the ministry is laudable and still very relevant.

    My appeal to Mr. President is to appoint a man of transparent honesty and pedigree to run the affairs of the ministry.

    Such a personality is found in Ahmed Isah, of Brekete Radio, a human rights radio. He is already known for his humanitarian work and has lifted several poor Nigerians from poverty.

    Mr. President, if you ever listen to the radio station, it will not be hard to convince you that he is the right man for the job.

    His work in the ministry will project your administration in good light and further win the confidence of Nigerians. He is a detribalised Nigerian and devoid of religious sentiments.

    I thank you and wish you God’s wisdom throughout your tenure.

    • Chief Ogwuche Matthias, New Nyanya, Abuja.
  • New media’s impact and government

    New media’s impact and government

    • By Osomo Oluwagbohunmi Abisola

    Sir: In recent years, the Nigerian government has undergone a profound transformation, owing much to the far-reaching influence of new media platforms. The advent of social media, online news outlets and various digital communication channels has revolutionized the dynamics of citizen engagement and political discourse within the nation.

    The emergence of new media has been instrumental in shaping government policies and decisions, notably exemplified during the #EndSARS movement. Through hashtags and online campaigns, citizens mobilized, initiating robust dialogues on critical issues like corruption, human rights violations, and governance. Online petitions and virtual protests wielded substantial pressure on the government, compelling it to address these pertinent concerns.

    Furthermore, new media platforms have fostered an environment where Nigerian citizens can freely express their opinions, holding the government accountable for its actions. Social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok have evolved into powerful instruments for galvanizing public opinion, orchestrating protests, and spotlighting socio-political issues.

    Simultaneously, online news outlets have played a pivotal role by diversifying sources of information and challenging the traditional media landscape. These platforms have provided a voice to marginalized communities, amplifying diverse perspectives that were previously overlooked.

    However, the transformative influence of new media has not been devoid of challenges. The proliferation of misinformation and fake news poses a substantial threat to the credibility of online information. Striking a delicate balance between combating misinformation and upholding the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression has posed a considerable challenge for the Nigerian government.

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    In response to this paradigm shift in media dynamics, the Nigerian government has adapted its communication strategies. Initiatives like the deployment of public relations officers at every tier of government signify a concerted effort to engage citizens actively. Government officials now utilize social media platforms to disseminate updates, address concerns, and foster transparency and accountability within the administration.

    When focusing on initiatives targeting youth employment, several strategic implementations have been undertaken. Governments have established programs geared towards equipping young individuals with requisite skills and experiences to navigate the job market. These initiatives encompass vocational training, apprenticeships, internships, and mentorship opportunities, effectively bridging the gap between education and employability.

    Moreover, governments have encouraged youth entrepreneurship by offering support programs and resources. These initiatives provide access to funding, business development training, mentorship, and networking opportunities, aiming to spur innovation and embolden young individuals to venture into entrepreneurship.

    The evolving landscape of new media continues to reshape the Nigerian government’s relationship with its citizens. As we stride forward, the synergy between new media, government responsiveness, and initiatives targeting youth empowerment will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s socio-political trajectory.

    •Osomo Oluwagbohunmi Abisola,

    osomigbohunmi.2004@gmail.com

  • Sanwo-Olu and unruly soldiers

    Sanwo-Olu and unruly soldiers

    • By Samuel Omojoye

    Sir: Can there also be any enlightenment as to why soldiers should be very quick at calling their fellow citizens banza, bastards, bloody civilians, and other vulgar names? Or why for a little infraction, it is okay for soldiers to order fellow citizens to start rolling inside a dirty gutter?

    Could the young people of our beloved country be advised on how a governor of a state should have responded to the man in a mufti driving a motorcycle against traffic by merely saying, “I am a soldier, Oga sir”?

    The order by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the arrest of a man who identified himself as a soldier for driving against the traffic and the kind of words some purported soldiers use in a viral video to respond to the governor in video clips has raised so many questions. 

    The governor was on his way to the Ojo campus of the Lagos State University (LASU), for the inauguration of the Femi Gbajabiamila Conference Centre, when the incident occurred. While passing through the Lagos-Badagry expressway in a convoy, Sanwo-Olu encountered the motorcyclists, from which one of the arrested identified himself as a soldier, and immediately ordered their arrest. 

    The video showed many of the riders and passengers abandoning their motorcycles and fleeing as the governor’s security operatives gave them a chase. A few escaped while a handful were apprehended. While being arrested and taken away by security operatives, one of the offenders said, “I am a soldier Oga sir”.

    Everywhere, the military is a bastion of discipline and leadership training. In developed countries, having a military background is an advantage when contesting a political office. Here in Nigeria, we equally have several military men, serving and retired, that we are proud of.

    But it is an error of judgment for many of our soldiers to believe that they are superior to the law and constituted authority in the state they reside.

    Reacting to the arrest, another soldier, who believed that his colleague had done nothing to deserve an arrest, said the governor had no right to arrest a soldier, especially in front of his barracks. He claimed that soldiers are not under the control of any governor, but their senior officers.

    Indeed, the logic of the soldier in the viral video and his fans is not only weird, it explains the extent of reorientation needed to restore or reset thinking of a lot in the country.

    It is not really a surprise that some commentators on social media are calling attention to how in the United States of America and Britain, uniform men and women are more respected. Some are also questioning if the governor and his cabinet members are not also breaking traffic laws. This is how illogical we have become as a people, and we all complain that the country is not moving forward.

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    The question is how many times has anyone seen the governor (Sanwo-Olu) flout traffic regulations? Must we always justify the wrongdoings of citizens just because we think our leaders are bad?

    These are the same citizens that want Nigeria to become US, UK, UAE, etc overnight, even when they are not ready and willing to play their part as responsible citizens. Why can’t individuals have personal resolutions to contribute meaningfully to the progress of the nation by standing out and being outstanding in all they do?  

    The point being made here is that, while acknowledging the important roles and sacrifices of our military men and women, it will be out of place to grant them immunity from obeying the law.

    A former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, in July 2012, once arrested an army colonel and a staff sergeant for committing traffic offense. Not only were they publicly shamed, but they were also handed over to the authorities for sanctions.

    No serious society will tolerate the nuisance being displayed by many of our officers on the grounds of recognizing only their superiors in the military.

    Globally, the military thrives on discipline. Ours must not be an exception. Hence, those who fall short of expectations should be shown the way out. There should not be any attempt to protect those that bring their image into disrepute as this will send wrong signals among the ranks and file.

     In a democratic society, no one is above the law. The sight of so-called soldiers raining abuses on the governor of a state is, to say the least, appalling. It should be strongly condemned by every well-meaning citizen.

    •Samuel Omojoye,

     Palmgroove, Lagos.

  • On the Cotonou degree certificate

    On the Cotonou degree certificate

    • By Zayyad I. Muhammad

    Sir: The excellent investigative report by the Daily Nigerian and the subsequent suspension of accreditation of degree certificates from Beninois and Togolese universities by the federal government of Nigeria have put a dent on every certificate obtained from institutions in these West African countries as indeed other African countries..

    The urge for these certificates among young Nigerians is simply the price we pay for our inclination towards easy solutions and allowing personal interests to override the national image.

    One interesting aspect of the Cotonou ‘easy’ certificates is that they predominantly attract young people from Nigeria’s ‘semi-middle’ class and lazy individuals from wealthy families. For them, obtaining a bachelor’s degree often involves pursuing studies at Benin or Togo universities, which admit anyone able to pay for the desired degree.

    Another unfortunate aspect is that someone who obtains a bachelor’s degree in less than two months can easily secure a job in a sector involving life and death, make critical decisions in vital areas of Nigerian public life, or lead a group of competent individuals who have diligently earned their certificates. We hope there are no doctors, pharmacists, engineers, etc., practicing in Nigeria who obtained their certificates through ‘crooked ways’ from Benin, Togo, etc. It is a challenge for Nigeria’s professional and regulatory bodies.

    Fake certificates pose a serious threat to the nation. In more developed countries, this issue would be treated as a ‘war’ against the country.

    However, Nigeria shouldn’t throw away the baby with the bathwater; there are individuals who have genuinely obtained certificates from reputable institutions in these African countries. Nigeria should address the issue from both ends—domestically and with these countries. Domestically, authorities need to address why our young people are opting for universities abroad. The answer lies in our universities being plagued with incessant strikes, some lecturers being unnecessarily sadistic, and at times, foreign certificates being undeservedly celebrated.

    Secondly, serene learning environments are attractive; however, some of Nigeria’s university lecture classrooms and theatres are overcrowded and in poor condition. In contrast, foreign universities provide beautiful and appealing learning spaces. Additionally, it raises questions about why graduating from a private university in Nigeria is often easier than from a public university, especially when many lecturers at private universities are the same individuals teaching at public universities.

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    To address the issue at source, Nigeria should leverage its diplomatic influence in West Africa, compelling these nations to mandate that private universities adhere to established standards and penalize offenders. Those implicated should face legal consequences, as certifying unqualified individuals is akin to waging a war on Nigeria’s human resources development and socio-economic sectors.

    Fake degrees certificates from Benin and Togo involve two actors: the institutions in those countries and their collaborators in Nigeria. Moreover, fake degrees are not confined to Benin and Togo; they are a global issue. According to a report by the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI Global), based in Los Angeles, CA, USA, on December 2, 2023, Israeli police arrested 40 Israeli doctors, medical interns, and pharmacists who had presented false credentials to Israel’s Health Ministry. These individuals were suspected to have purchased medical and pharmacy degrees from three universities in Armenia, despite never completing studies at those institutions—St. Tereza Medical University, Haybusak University, and Mkhtiar Gosh Armenian-Russian International University. The report also highlights controversies surrounding Punjab Technical University (PTU), India, including the issuance of fake degrees, leading to the arrest of four administrators for aiding failed students in passing.

    If someone has genuinely obtained their degree from Benin or Togo, the current controversy has cast a shadow over it, and it may take some time to restore its credibility.

    •Zayyad I. Muhammad,

    Abuja.

  • In search of the dividends of the red biro

    In search of the dividends of the red biro

    By Bukola Ajisola

    SIR: Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminilaye Fubara recently introduced a dramatic connotation to the red biro as an imprimatur of power and authority wielded by holders of executive mandates across the states of the federation.

    Using his red biro as a metaphor, he opined that as long as he is still signing documents with his red biro, he is the winner.

    Looking at the economy and levels of development at various states of the federation, would wonder at what is the probative value of the red biro that are so swift in signing off the resources in consumption-calibrated expenditures whilst paying little attention to revenue generating quadrants.

    There is hardly any state in the federation that is not endowed with the extractive resources yet state governors would rather use their red biro to appropriate the receipt of their monthly FAAC allocations.

    The convenient argument is that those resources are within the exclusive constitutional preserve of the federal government.

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    I beg to disagree. Whatever makes these governors to lobby for permission to fix federal roads even without any assurance of a refund should also compel their interests in developing their mineral resources.

    Though both expenditure profiles are for social infrastructures, road construction gratifies more incentives to the red biro in the short run than the mineral resources exploration which requires more investment input but delivers more durable economic sustainability for the states.

    Recently President Bola Tinubu approved that the Federal Capital Territory be excluded from the Treasury Single Accounts systems. This was aimed at making more funds available for FCT’s administration. This was at the instance of the Federal Capital Territory minister who could as well have done the minimal and engaged his red biro in other mundane administrative denouncements like his predecessors.

    The economy of Nigeria has been on a perpetual decline and seems to defy the most ingenious initiatives because the governors, rather than being creative with their red biro have become the weakest links in getting the economy out of the woods.

    The public is also complicit by not demanding from the state governments, accountable stewardship like they would of every administration at the federal levels especially the National Assembly. The question is what about the state houses of assembly?

    Power generation was unbundled at the twilight of the exit of former President Muhammadu Buhari and brought under the concurrent list yet no governor has considered these as investments worthy of super-scribing his red biro. Rather, unbridled importation of generating sets to power government assets have continued unabated.

    So much for the overrated utility of the red biro.

    • Bukola Ajisola, bukymany@yahoo.com

  • Changing Nigeria’s academic narrative

    Changing Nigeria’s academic narrative

    By Olutayo Irantiola

    SIR: The unfolding university degree saga has brought to the fore the need for our country to look inward and strengthen our academic heritage. It is pretty unfortunate where we have found ourselves as a country. 

    It is getting to a point where the federal government needs to evaluate its students across the globe so that we can effectively understand our situation. What do people want from the Nigerian educational system to ascertain where we are getting it wrong? This brings to mind the number of students who are “exiled” so that they can get globally competitive certificates. In 2022 and 2023 respectively, Nigerian students have suffered the consequences of the wars in Sudan Russia and Ukraine.

    One of the most disheartening things about our tertiary institution is that passing the West African Examination Council Nigeria (WASC), Joint Admission Matriculation Board Examinations, and Post-JAMB of the various institutions do not even guarantee admission into one’s course of choice and even the university of choice. You have to scramble for admission; seek a lecturer to help follow up on your admission. All these gave rise to people seeking admission in neighbouring countries.

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     With a burgeoning youthful population, there is a need for the government to enlarge the capacity of the various institutions, but we keep tightening the admission measures as typified above. We cannot continue to allot admission quotas to institutions every session and expect parents who do not know anyone to keep their children at home for years while waiting for admission.

     Aside from Nigerians who can afford to send their children to Ivy League universities in Europe and America, people are looking for ways in which their wards will save years in the university due to the incessant strikes that last many months. Meanwhile, the government and the academic workforce have little or nothing to lose at the expense of the students’ lives. How long will Nigerian students have no timeline for completing a bachelor’s degree programme?

     Another issue we have as a country is the conversion of all tertiary levels of education to universities. No institution trains teachers again; it is now a university; no institution trains technicians again, and everyone wants to become an engineer. People without a university education cannot go beyond certain levels in Civil Service, amongst other limitations we place on our nationals. Then, people troop into another country to get a university degree of any type. This unrealistic demand of society has pushed students out of the country.

     It might be a bitter pill to swallow, but people will want to go for any type of education, and the recent increase in fees paid in Nigerian tertiary institutions is not encouraging. Truly, the government is doing everything to reduce subsidy across the board, but Nigerians cannot see the additional value to the students. People will only go for a shortcut to beat the system as well.

     There is a growing phenomenon now; Nigerians gunning for honorary doctorate degrees and all of these degrees are coming from the same institutions that the Ministry of Education is suspending their accreditation and evaluation of degree certificates from in Benin Republic, Togo, Uganda, Kenya and Niger Republic. 

    I am not justifying wrongs, but it is a charge for the government and academic leaders to wake up from their age-long slumber; they need to find ways of redeeming the educational image of the country and overhauling the educational sector.

    • Olutayo Irantiola, Lagos.

  • Of good journalism, democracy and politicians

    Of good journalism, democracy and politicians

    By Dr Goodlick F.T. Uguoji

    SIR: Sometimes in November 2023, a viral, contentious dialogic confrontation arose between a journalist and a gentleman identified as a lawyer. The journalist asked a legitimate question, but the lawyer tried to prevaricate, threatened to walk out of the studio and even tried to  belittle the journalist as a “boy”; a badly brought up little boy with no professional journalistic credentials.

    It was an interesting scenario that generated a healthy debate. The consensus was that journalists are the same everywhere, except possibly those in the communist enclaves where the authoritarian theory of the press reigns supreme. In the free world, from Washington to London, Cairo, Nairobi, Accra and Lagos, they are all what Gay Talase says they are: “restless voyeurs who see the warts on the world, the imperfections in people and places.”

    Even non-journalists who are keen observers of the profession have come to accept the notion that, for journalists, normality is anathema; if not an outright abomination. There is nothing like normal life for these purveyors of news; life that is full to the brim with routine, life that is a monumental bore.

    Such life is not the stuff of which news is made. News that makes the front pages, news that makes this fragile earth shake to its foundation, news that informs those with open minds and angers those with closed minds, news that makes the saints smell like roses and makes the sinners stink to hell, news that makes the world go round. 

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    Those who are in this business of reporting are more at home with news of riots and raids. Call it sensationalism, if you like. They are lured by disaster and gloom, disagreements and controversies, deaths and destruction; the more bizarre the piece of action, the better.

    If there is anything you don’t want anyone else to know, for goodness sake, conceal it. But for those who occupy public offices, it could be a herculean task, because the cardinal role of any reporter is to reveal that which a public office holder wants to conceal.  

    This is where the interest of an iconoclastic reporter collides with that of those in authority. In the pursuit of his career, the journalist must have taken Thomas Hardy’s advice to heart: “If a way to the better there be, it exacts a full look at the worst”. Because there will come a time when self-evident truth will stand naked in public. 

    The Nigerian journalists, unlike many other powerful interest groups, are the most patriotic lot. They wield power, no doubt, because they are well informed. But they do not, as Stanley Baldwin once said, “exercise power without responsibility – the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages”. 

    As far as I am concerned, the journalist that can compel a politician to reveal hidden information is a gem of journalism; a paragon of excellence and a journalist’s journalist. Frank Seimonds admonition to his fellow journalists is therefore even more unedifying. He cautions: “There is but one way for a newspaper man to look at a politician, and that is down.”

    • Dr Goodlick F.T. Uguoji, Akute, Ogun State.

  • Let the judiciary breathe 

    Let the judiciary breathe 

    By Binzak Azeez

    SIR: Late last year, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, put the totality of the judgments and rulings delivered by the Supreme Court in the 2022/2023 legal year at 1, 271.  During the same legal year, the 20 Divisions of the Court of Appeal handed down 7, 295 judgements and rulings, according to Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, president of the court.

    In the same vein, Chief Judge (CJ) of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, put the decided cases of the court divisions to 12, 870. At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the High Court Divisions adjudicated 4, 293 cases while the magistrate courts determined 7328 according to Hon. Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, the FCT Chief Judge.

    Across the 36 states of the federation, the divisions of each state High Court must have recorded a great number of judgements though no unified breakdown of these decided cases are available.

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    The growing tradition of handpicking one or two sensational political cases within a plethora of decided cases as credibility test for Nigeria’s judicial institution amongst legal practitioners, revered columnists and veteran public-affairs analysts has continued to violate the basic principles of making a fair judgement. No democratic institution judiciary inclusive has immunity against criticism. There are no extant laws that criminalize the public expression of contrary viewpoints to court verdicts. And there could never be any reasonable justifications for considering the enactment of such laws.

    However, the casting of aspersions on the entire judicial institution by singling out a court verdict has no basis in advancing any good cause. The tradition of one-sided reviews has the tendency to hamper a fair and just legal process in the country. Judicial institution thrives on public confidence. The fear of public backlash from the strong voices within the society must not determine or sway the judicial decision-making process though judges are encouraged to listen to the voice of legal reason. 

    • Binzak Azeez, Onikan, Lagos.