Injustice Escalating Nigeria’s Problems, Says Author

An author and legal practitioner Matthew Okeke has lamented that injustice is being institutionalised in every facet of Nigeria.

He said the pervasiveness of injustice in institutions was the major cause of problems being faced by Nigerians and the country.

Okeke made the assertion when he interacted with journalists durin. the public presentation of his book in Abuja.

The book is titled, “When Justice Sleeps, Burning Issues and Crises in Administration of Justice in Nigeria”.

The lawyer said he was motivated to write the book to educate Nigerians on the dangers of promoting injustice and how to reduce the menace to the barest minimum in the country.

He said although Nigerians think that it is only in the judiciary that injustice is common, he declared that the vice was common in other institutions in the country.

Okeke said, “We have observed that in the practice of injustice, we discriminate on the basis of tribe,  religion, region, position, standing, occupation, profession, among others. We sacrifice merit and push away those that are qualified and competent, thereby promoting mediocrity.

“We disregard laws, rules and regulations, sometimes, even the valid judgements of courts of competent jurisdiction, and even the highest court of the land, thereby promoting impunity. This impunity has landed us where we are today and there is no doubt that we are an unjust society; where people are discriminated against on the basis of their tribe, religion, region and sundry stratifications that have done more harm than good to us,” he lamented.

At the event, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, charged the stakeholders in the judiciary to ensure speedy dispensation of justice, stressing that it would help to redeem the image of the umpire.

Similarly, the member representing Ihiala Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the House of Representatives, Abuja, Hon. Chidi Ifeanyi Momah, said the legislature has been performing its duty of law-making, leaving its implementation and interpretation to the executive and judiciary arms of the government respectively.

The president-general of the Abuja chapter of the Anambra State Towns People Association, Chief Arinze Anadu, said the book would help to address certain anomalies within and outside the country.