Justice administration needs a major overhaul
Although the federal government panel found no evidence that popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky slept outside the prison walls while serving his term, it nonetheless confirmed that he enjoyed several privileges. The government intends to do further investigation to ascertain whether the privileges “were financially motivated and based on corrupt practices by correctional officers.” Whatever may be the outcome of such investigation, the treatment of Bobrisky only followed a pattern that has long been established. In the administration of justice in Nigeria, there are two standards: one for the rich, another for the poor.
Just recently, the Federal High Court in Abuja set bail at N10 million each for 67 detainees who had been arrested during the last ‘EndBadGovernance’ protests. But in a separate ruling, a member of the House of Representatives, Alex Ikwechegh, was granted bail for N500,000 after he allegedly assaulted a car-hailing driver, even threatening to make him “disappear.” These contrasting judgments made many to express outrage about the class dimension to justice administration in the country.
In March 2017, Justice Nathan Musa of the Adamawa State High Court sentenced former Governor James Ngilari to “any jail in this country of his choice,” after he had been found guilty and convicted. Ngilari had been found guilty on all five counts of conspiracy to award contract amounting to the tune of N167.8 million for the purchase of official operational vehicles without compliance with due process. In his ruling, the judge based his conviction of the former governor on section 58 (5) of the Public Procurement Act. But in handing down the sentence, the judge asked that he should also pick the prison where he would serve his term. And despite all the public drama between him and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), former Governor Yahaya Bello is yet to answer to the law.
Unfortunately, this is the new normal in Nigeria. When a former bank chief was convicted and ordered to forfeit almost N200 billion to the federal government after a slap-on-the-wrist sentence of six-month jail term, the trial judge went on to order that she be allowed to spend the term at a high brow hospital in Lagos. Ordinarily, it is the exclusive duty of the prison management to ensure that prison inmates are given medical treatment or referred to appropriate medical centres. But the judge took it upon himself to usurp the powers to direct where the convict would serve.
Apart from sending rich and powerful criminal suspects to prison for a few days upon arraignment to await the ruling of trial judges on bail applications, most of the people in prison cells are poor inmates. Indeed, if rich people are briefly held in custody, they are not kept in the general cell but in the ‘White House’, a special cell equipped with beds and bedding, and other facilities. Alternatively, arrangements are often made to allow the rich to serve their terms in hospitals outside the precincts of prisons. There is also the practice called “prison exchange” whereby young people are paid to serve prison terms in lieu of convicts with the connivance of prison management. All that is required to stop the illegal practice is to capture the fingerprints of every convict but the authorities do not seem to be interested.
From court clerks who make case files to appear and disappear, to lawyers who facilitate some of these unwholesome practices to prison officials who treat prisoners according to the size of their bank balances, the administration of justice system in Nigeria needs a serious reform.
Letter
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE NIGERIAN YOUTH
The effects of climate change are now at everyone’s doorstep, whether they are aware of it or not.
Many reports have shown that climate change is significantly impacting Nigeria’s environment, economy, and public health. These impacts are generally driven by increased temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, desertification, rising sea levels, and more frequent extreme weather events like floods and droughts.
Environmental and human phenomena resulting from climate change affect all spheres of Nigerian society, but youth are the most impacted because they rely on affected environments more than any other group. While Nigerian youth are the most vulnerable to climate change, they are also the group that can most effectively tackle it because of their huge numbers and their future needs.
But how can the youths be engaged to tackle climate change? Climate change advocates and researchers, including government and non-governmental agencies, can engage youth to raise awareness in society about the need to address climate change and tackle its impacts. Youth are the most active members of society and the majority, whether educated or uneducated.
Most Nigerian youths can now easily transmit or receive information through social media and other means of modern communications. So, empowering youth and mobilising them to use social media and other modern communications tools can have a huge impact on awareness and campaigns on the effects of climate change.
Another way to effectively involve youth in the fight against climate change is through agriculture. Youth can be trained and equipped to engage in sustainable farming practices that protect the environment while providing productive employment. In this way, young people can play a vital role in environmentally friendly farming while earning an income. If the government and climate organisations train youth in eco-friendly farming and provide the necessary inputs and funding, many young people will turn to sustainable practices, recognising them as both a source of income and a means of helping the environment. This approach could engage young people in both urban and rural areas, contributing to climate change mitigation, environmental protection, job creation, and food security in Nigeria.
Another approach is to protect the environment while generating wealth by involving youth in a well-designed economic tree-planting scheme. A designated area in a community could be set aside for planting economic trees. For instance, a plot of 20–30 trees could be allotted to one or two young people to nurse until maturity. When the trees are ready for harvesting, ownership would be transferred to the youth. Equally, Nigerian cities and towns can be turned green with this approach. This program would generally protect the environment, create jobs, and promote sustainability. Nigeria has fertile soil for the cultivation of many economic and other trees; most Nigerian youths, whether educated or not, are enthusiastic about generating wealth via farming; thus, such a scheme will be successful and sustainable.
Many young Nigerians are tech enthusiasts, and technology can be a powerful way to engage them in climate change efforts. For example, youth can be trained in climate change advocacy through clean energy simple tools, where some young people are now active in the area. Additionally, young people can be trained to fabricate tools for renewable energy, creating jobs in the process. This could include making simple windmills or engaging in manufacturing, retailing, and installing solar stoves and wind-powered electricity systems. Though according to a report in the Global Innovation Index 2024, the renewable energy sector is facing a challenge of the reduction of prices of fossil fuels from their 2022 peak and the escalating demand for natural resources and manufactured materials, nevertheless, there is a growing awareness and acceptance of solar and wind energy in Nigeria, especially with the removal of the fuel subsidies and the epileptic electricity supply.
If these aforementioned approaches are applied by governments and non-governmental organisations, it will assist in fighting climate change using the youth as the focal point.
By implementing these approaches, governments and non-governmental organisations can significantly enhance efforts to combat climate change, positioning youth as the central drivers of this movement. Engaging young people not only amplifies innovative solutions but also ensures a sustainable, long-term commitment to environmental protection. This strategy leverages the passion, energy, and unique perspectives of the younger generation to create impactful change for future generations.
Zayyad I. Muhammad, Abuja
