OMOYELE SOWORE: WHO’LL STAND SURETY FOR ‘OUR’ REVOLUTIONARY?
“Considering the pedigree of the first defendant as observed in his application, it is rather unfortunate that no one is willing to stand as his surety on those terms…it creates an assumption that despite the pedigree of the first defendant, none of his best associates is willing to stand for him. This poses a cause for concern”
The above quote was made by the Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja in the case of Omoyele Sowore Vs the Federal Government of Nigeria. Weeks ago (precisely on 4th October, 2019), she granted Mr. Sowore bail but as i write this, none of his friends, associates or financial sponsors have come to stand as a surety for him so he’d be released on bail. Recall that to enable Sowore meet the bail conditions, the judge has reduced the bail amount from N100m to N50m, and which would later be returned to the owner (surety).
As a devout student and follower of the Honorable Malcolm X, i stand and push for the liberation of our country from the wicked stranglehold of men (and women) in government and politics who are destroying Nigeria and impoverishing Nigerians – but in doing so, calling for a #RevolutionNow in a civilian government such as Nigeria’s is a call for one’s head. And sadly, all those who shouted and chanted #RevolutionNow behind Mr. Omoyele Sowore have left him to alone dance to the beats of the song he wrote.
Now, beyond the sad reality that is Nigeria and the over-flogged narrative of the shallowness of 21st century friendships (where friends (and even family) abandon you in your times of need), a ‘revolutionary’ character like Omoyele Sowore; a man who also contested to become the president of the country, is the least qualified individual to ask for a Revolution. Today, he is paying dearly for his exuberance and his cheap attention seeking tactics.
If by tomorrow I make an excess of N200m, I would readily stand surety for Mr. Sowore – but only if he promises me (and signs an Affidavit (apologies to President Muhammadu Buhari) as a covenant) that he would, going forward, stick only to his online investigative journalism (as sponsored by the Ford Foundation) and desist from seeking to participate in Nigeria’s political process in one breath and in another, call for the overthrow of a government enthroned by that same system – because he is not a (direct) beneficiary of the spoils of the warped politics and government that is Nigeria.
© Chad Otsapa
WilliWash 