"I WASN'T THERE!
I chose to keep my head below the parapet."
I chose to keep my head below the parapet."
Definitely it is those who raise their heads above the parapet that get shot at. That's in the nature of any exchange of missiles, stones, arrows, guns or verbal & legal broadsides.
In many circles, lawyers and leaders of thought ruminate over and swear by the exploits of the Prof Yemi Osinbajo led justice ministry of Bola Tinubu's government in Lagos State. How many would boldly follow in those footsteps to test the frontiers of even the limited democratic governance that we pretend to practice? Very few indeed. We are all witnesses. Oh yes, we can mention Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana, Mike Ozekhome, etc, but it still doesn't amount to much. Those are individual crusaders. Their intervention is most welcome. However what is needed is for a critical mass of our people, with both financial and intellectual capital, to identify issues that they are passionate about or against and put their money where their mouth is. The Fed Govt Ministry of Justice does not have more money or time than the rest of us. We should be able to brief our own lawyers, tie up contentious issues in the High Court system, and strive to bring up many for determination at the appellate levels all the way to the Supreme Court of Nigeria. As it is the Supreme Court is having an easy ride without a plethora of constitutional determinations being demanded of it. If we are averse to shooting at each other in Boko-Haramland or in the swamps of the Niger Delta, then the judicial system must be stretched to its limits.
Having said the above, I wonder how many lawyers and well endowed lay people alike, will apply as amicus in this suit. We owe it to our grandchildren to be seen to be doing something (positive) to improve their prospects of a better tomorrow. That debt will never go away. ## SUIT AGAINST THE ARABIC INSCRIPTION ON THE ARMY LOGO
RE: SUIT NO :FHC /CS/AWK/115/2017- Nwafili Okwuosa Esq vs. Nigerian Army Council & Attorney General of the Federation.
*The Nigerian Army has its logo which expresses her motto in Arabic.
* This has raised eyebrows in several quarters as to the propriety of that, taking into cognizance that Arabic is neither an indigenous language nor our lingua franca. It is simply the language of the Islamic Religion.
* Nigeria as a country has its grundnorm - the Constitution, written in English Language. It is the same language that is used to transact official businesses within the country by the three arms of government. Same language extends to businesses at International fora to wit- Economic Community of West African States, African Union, United Nations, etc.
Only in moments of expediency, are our three major languages - Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, deployed.
* The vistas of lingua franca and local languages further poignantly questions the rationale in using Arabic, which is peculiar to the Islamic Faith, on the logo, which logo appears in official documents emanating from the Nigerian Army.
* Viewed from strict legal lenses, this scenario raises the fundamental question as to the constitutionality of the modus operandi adopted by the Army in her use of Arabic; which is a language peculiar to the Islamic Faith.
Is this not in terrorem against Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which forbids the adoption of a state religion?
* Nwafili Mark Okwuosa Esq, a private legal practitioner in Onitsha, Anambra State and Human Rights, Constitutional cum Political Rights crusader, challenges the constitutional consistency of this act of the Nigerian Army.
* The Claimant has approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division, Anambra State, vide an Originating Summons, seeking, amongst others:
A declaration that Arabic is not an official language for the conduct of official businesses in Nigeria;
A declaration that the writing of the motto of the Nigerian Army on her logo in Arabic is illegal and unconstitutional, in the light of provision of Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended); and
An Order compelling the Army to rewrite, in English, the motto on her logo and effect same in all her official documents.
* The suit is billed for hearing on 6/12/2017.
Pix 1- Nwafili Okwuosa Esq.
Pix 2 - Chief of Army Staff - T. Y. Buratai.
Pix 3- The controversial Army Logo with Arabic language used in designating its motto.RE: SUIT NO :FHC /CS/AWK/115/2017- Nwafili Okwuosa Esq vs. Nigerian Army Council & Attorney General of the Federation.
*The Nigerian Army has its logo which expresses her motto in Arabic.
* This has raised eyebrows in several quarters as to the propriety of that, taking into cognizance that Arabic is neither an indigenous language nor our lingua franca. It is simply the language of the Islamic Religion.
* Nigeria as a country has its grundnorm - the Constitution, written in English Language. It is the same language that is used to transact official businesses within the country by the three arms of government. Same language extends to businesses at International fora to wit- Economic Community of West African States, African Union, United Nations, etc.
Only in moments of expediency, are our three major languages - Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, deployed.
* The vistas of lingua franca and local languages further poignantly questions the rationale in using Arabic, which is peculiar to the Islamic Faith, on the logo, which logo appears in official documents emanating from the Nigerian Army.
* Viewed from strict legal lenses, this scenario raises the fundamental question as to the constitutionality of the modus operandi adopted by the Army in her use of Arabic; which is a language peculiar to the Islamic Faith.
Is this not in terrorem against Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) which forbids the adoption of a state religion?
* Nwafili Mark Okwuosa Esq, a private legal practitioner in Onitsha, Anambra State and Human Rights, Constitutional cum Political Rights crusader, challenges the constitutional consistency of this act of the Nigerian Army.
* The Claimant has approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division, Anambra State, vide an Originating Summons, seeking, amongst others:
A declaration that Arabic is not an official language for the conduct of official businesses in Nigeria;
A declaration that the writing of the motto of the Nigerian Army on her logo in Arabic is illegal and unconstitutional, in the light of provision of Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended); and
An Order compelling the Army to rewrite, in English, the motto on her logo and effect same in all her official documents.
* The suit is billed for hearing on 6/12/2017.
Pix 1- Nwafili Okwuosa Esq.
Pix 2 - Chief of Army Staff - T. Y. Buratai.
Pix 3- The controversial Army Logo with Arabic language used in designating its motto.
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