You were such a place of awe and candor. Gracefull and feline in gait. Honored and respected. You exuded decency and glory, called the temple of justice, fairness and equity, the lee that provides shade for the oppressed and victimised.
They come to you with tears and pains but leave your presence in joy and fulfillment. Not anymore, your price is way above them.
What Happened to you? Oh court? Why have you gone this low and debased? The value and honour that were your signatures are all gone like vapour into tin air.
Where is that majestic appearance that makes the guilty shakes and trembles? Where is that robe of incorruptibility that built confidence around people about you? The fear and jittery that overwhelmed the guilty at the mention of your name where are they? Gone and messed up?
What happened to you oh court? The justice! The law! The equity, the fairness and the confidence that almost were your insignia?
Within a twinkle, the butt of public joke and the caricature of the drunk you have become. Your eyes used to be blindfolded, with a sword of justice, truth and honesty in your hand, dangling to hit and cut the illegal, the guilty and the unjust. Not anymore! Your eyes are now open and your hands freed from the sword of just judgement.
What manner of a sword do you hold unto now? The sword we knew you with that made the evil and the unlawful dread you, is gone. Oh court! What manner of a sword do you hold? Sword of money?
Your eyes were folded then, so difficult for you to see through and judge with emotions and sentiments.
Where is the fold? Wide open are your eyes, getting distracted by the bribe and ingratiation that overwhelmed you daily.
Where is your impartiality? The very reason you are called the last hope of the oppressed. Where is your incorruptibility? The garment that stood you out as fair and just.
Oh court! The hope we see in you is becoming hopeless. The fairness in you is turning into an abysmal unfairness; the just judgement that made you the tonic of all is now for the highest bidder.
You have gone too low , below your moral status and integrity. Too obvious , not even the criminals, the urchins, the corrupt and lawless fear either to approach you or ask others to go to you. You hobnob with them as they have your palm greased, giving them the boldness and pride to tell the good guys to seek your counsel.
They have seen you finish. Your gullibility is no more hiden and the very awe that made you a terror to the wicked, long dented.
The wicked no more fear you. What money can’t get you do to their favour more money will.
Go to court! Is no more a statement of honour now. It is more of a jeer, suggesting the worthlessness of the court. Go to court isn’t a statement of faith and hope for fairness, it is more of a derision, a confirmation of the mess the judiciary has found itself in.
Before, only the upright, those at the good side of the law will not fear to go to court. The just fear, the innocent fear to approach you for your fairness can’t be guaranteed anymore.
Never has it happened but it is happening now. Sadly criminals, cheats and fraudsters in boldness tell someone to go to court. In their pockets they all have you, Oh Court!!
How far has the mighty fallen for cheap kobo! Like a humpty dumpty our judiciary has fallen from a good height of honor, prestige and awe to the denizen of ingloriousness where its price and worth are determined by bribe and ingratiation from the higher giver.
You used to be the last hope of the masses, not anymore. You used to be decent and glorious, not anymore. Your prestige and honor were up there, not anymore. Down there to the stains of ashes , to the dent of Inglorious behaviour you have flattened.
Go to court isn’t a suggestion for hope and justice anymore, but a subtle way of saying, you are not only finished but completely finished in your quest for justice which will eventually go to the highest bidder.
Oh court! Your glorious years of impeccable outing and landmark ruling is gradually fading.
Any hope! Can your lost years of honor and integrity be restored? Can the confidence lost and the bad impression created among the masses about you be polished?
You may have failed the masses woefully . You can regain the confidence lost by helping them reclaim their stolen mandates.
If only you can do this, your strive for a better image would have begun, if not, your decending into a bottomless pit of shame and ignominy very imminent. The choice is yours.
Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
