By Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan
I’ve watched with dismay the way and manner lawyers for the EFCC have carried themselves as if they’re above the law in the ongoing tussle between the EFCC and ex governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
When a court of law has made an order, whether good or bad , whether justly or unjustly and whatever we might think of it , the rule is that the order subsists. That’s elementary law. There’s need for the disciplinary Committee to set an example by making sure every legal practitioner involved in the various court filings after the order made by the judge of the Kogi State high court should be disbarred
Every order of court is valid and subsisting until set aside either by the judge who made it or overturned on appeal to the Court of Appeal.
The unorthodox practice of filing various processes in courts of coordinate jurisdiction rather than following due process is in my view infamous conduct in a professional respect
These callous acts of those who suppose to know better , just to impress their EFCC paymasters should be nipped in the bud
I hold no brief for Yahaya Bello or anyone else who has held the office of Governor in any of the 36 States since 1999 because of the way and manner they stole their states blind but this ats of disobedience to Court orders , no matter what person opinion one might hold of the order is of no moment
The acts of thuggery and brigandage by the EFCC should be punished by sacking the EFCC Chairman, who in my view is not not qualified to head the anti-graft Agency because apart from admitting on national TV that he had secretly invited the ex governor through the backdoor without any official invitation extended to him is a gross abuse of the oath office by the EFCC Chairman
Let me add as an obiter that Yahaya Bello himself and his team of lawyers are part of the problem and the perceived injuries are self inflicted as far as concerned. If he had presented himself for arraignment several weeks ago, by not he would be home enjoying his wealth and going about his business . A few years ago the EFCC went smashing doors and jumping through the fence and reroofing houses to arrest senator Rochas Okorocha and after all the media blitz and all the noises can anyone tell me which prison cell is Rochas Okotocha now? There the rest of the Governors who the EFCC is supposed to be prosecuting or has had prosecuted , convicted or jailed , is anyone in the prison ?
Our Justice delivery system is already on life support, these additional drama is unnecessary
Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan Constitutional Lawyer Human Rights Activist writes from Abuja
