By Vincent Omegba
In my constitutional law class in 1982 at the University of Jos, I made a strong case for the rule of law and not for strong men even in the feared military regime of the then General Muhammadu Buhari. That attempt won me the Galley-Brown Peterside Best Constitutional Law Student award.
As a workplace psychologist, I believe law is the most important instrument of behavior modification.
As a Christian preacher, I know that the 10 commandments and Mosaic laws are as difficult as they were for God’s people to obey. They were institutionalized by God in the Old Testament to make sure they lived peaceably with God and their neighbors.
However, I also realized that laws can be twisted and used to coerce, intimidate, and annihilate opponents and adversaries. When used in the latter way, the law becomes lawlessness. This is why the Supreme Court is given the most sacred duty to interpret the law in an apolitical way to ensure that the blindfolded lady symbol of law we see etched on marbles in courts discharges its duty without fear or favor.
Read also: My conversion experience and love for Country- Vincent Omegba, Nigerian US-based RCCG Pastor: https://churchtimesnigeria.net/my-conversion-omegba-us/
Supreme court
The Supreme Court is therefore the last hope of justice seekers and indeed the populace.
I laid out this foundation to state that the fragile democracy of many African states can only be maintained and developed into the proverbial “more perfect Union” if we obey the laws and our leaders do not twist the law to aggrandize personal or class wealth, power, or status.
The political class and the power institutions like the church, mosques, political parties, tribal associations, etc. must be careful to not give the angry and impoverished populace the impetus to take the law into their hands.
Populism is on the rise globally (in India, South America, Africa, Germany, and much of Europe and even in America the bastion of Democracy) for many reasons, one of which is that our leaders are self-centered, self-engaged, and arrogant with the power that belongs to the people.
Another reason why populism is on the rise globally is because these selfish leaders take advantage of the anger of the people and oftentimes their ignorance of how the system works to stoke the embers of violence that can lead to a conflagration that will end up destroying everyone.
Our Political, religious, and tribal leaders (especially religious leaders) must be extremely careful not to be lured into the foray of the political bloodbath arena that selfish politicians are adept in creating because the power we have is so great and the people that listen to us are so many – and some very gullible (unfortunately I would say, because they are supposed to be dependent on the Word of God – which unfortunately and sadly can also be twisted to justify evil) that we can be agents of destruction instead of agents of redemption.
God will judge each of them more severely than the politicians and those who don’t know the mind of God.
“I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance” – Jesus.
Vincent Omegba is a constitutional lawyer, a provincial pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God The Americas and a social psychologist specializing in organizational development and people building. He leads a multigenerational and multiethnic church and resides in Aurora Colorado USA.
He can be reached at vincebtomegba@icloud.com