USA Africa Dialogue Series - Sowore’s case as an opportunity to challenge and strengthen our institutions

Sowore's case as an opportunity to challenge and strengthen our institutions

—- Gbolahan Gbadamosi

The court granted Sowore bail. The DSS refused to release him. The judge gave a 24 hours ultimatum or she will put the DSS leadership in jail. They released him on Thursday 5th December. Sowore appeared in court before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu) on Friday 6th morning.

At the commencement of hearing it was the SSS lawyer Hassan Liman who asked for an adjournment to February 11, 12 and 13 to enable lawyers in the case respond to applications filed. Femi Falana confirmed in court that Sowore had been released the day before and also agreed to the adjournment. That should be end of matter.

Everyone should have gone home and come back on appointed date. But no, the DSS/SSS had another agenda. They planned to rearrest Sowore. They decided to rearrest him apparently on related fresh charges. As to be expected and which is perfectly reasonable, Sowore's people will have none of that. It is a disguise for court disobedience.

Nigeria spends a lot of money on the training of our military and paramilitary services like DSS. We often send them to the best locations money can buy including the UK and USA. What really do they learn when they go to these places because surely that is not how things operate in those places?

Yet, I always refuse to accept the narrative that it is a President in power who should instruct the DSS or be blamed for their professional flaws. When we refer to strong institutions being behind strong nations, this is a good example. Our secret service has to be strong and has to be professional. During civil rule they never have been. They always allow themselves to be used or at least so it appears to us, based on evidence before us.

My view is that when Nigerians expects the President to control the DSS it not good for strengthening our institutions. Because Nigerians don't trust their institutions, the expect the President to do everything. They arrogate all powers to the President. The President thus gets blamed if something that is the direct responsibility of any organ of government goes wrong.

A Donald Trump or Boris Johnson will not instruct the British Police, MI5, CIA or FBI on their job. Neither of these leaders will also stop or prevent these agencies from doing their job. They are professionals and have their independence. The Nigerian constitution gives this same independence to the DSS which is why the head is scrutinised and approved by Senate.

Most Nigerians believe that a President should control the DSS. This is why many blame Buhari for Sowore's woes. Such expectations is actually the reason we have all these problems. I completely disagree with this viewpoint. I blame DSS and it leadership for incompetence.

Why should a Jonathan or Buhari tell DSS what is right? They should be loyal to the Nigerian nation. They are trained so they can protect us. We do not train Presidents in any way and he/she should not order the DSS around. They are a secret police. They should not be seen everywhere. There is nothing secret about DSS in Nigeria. They're probably more visible than the Police.

As citizens we must call out institutions like DSS more. Right now I expect national anger to be directed at DSS and its leadership and a call for the resignation of that leadership. The immediate resignation of the Director of DSS is urgent. I am demanding that on behalf of Nigerians who share my view on this.

Why should we always rely on a President to do everything? We thus give Presidents more indirect powers, including those not ascribed to them by the constitution.

We do not want to create a monster President who can fire a DSS Director at will. Next time a DSS Director is doing the right thing a bad President can fire him/her, and then we blame the President again.

Finally, to all supporter of Sowore it is time they also reflect on what will happen in other parts of the world if a candidate at an election ask for a revolution - imagined or real - following an election in which they lost.

So whereas an average Danladi, Emeka or Adebayo can ask for a revolution (even if real), a Sowore has excluded himself for a short while by participating in the last election. In any case, a Sowore cannot speak for me personally because I do not support his type of hypocritical advocacy.


Gbolahan Gbadamosi (GG) - 7/12/2019.



GG's Handheld Device

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