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| >>> T H E S E N T E N C E |
The trial judge, Justice George Sowemimo speaks:
“….Whatever others may say, this is my personal view. I am not speaking as a judge but as a Nigerian. Here we have one of the first Premiers of the autonomous region standing trial. If you were the only one before me, I would have felt that it was enough for you to have undergone the strain of the trial. I would have asked you to go. But I am sorry, I cannot do so now because my hands are tied. Having sentenced those young chaps whatever happens I have to pass some sort of sentence. If I made up my mind to sentence the other accused persons who I find were tools in the hands of others, and if my conclusion is right, it is for me to see that a punishment by me in my court is such that others would see that there is no preferential treatment. I do not see what useful purpose a sentence of imprisonment will do to you, but I have come to the conclusion that these things emanate from you. To get yourself involved in this thing is enough shame. But this is a political crime. There are things which one may never know. All I know is what is before me and I am bound by the evidence. You mentioned about the delay in giving judgement, but I wish you were in my position and had to read some of these things – the evidence which was about 800 pages and the notes of submissions also about 600 pages. I was never hoping or thinking that I would be called upon to try a former Head of Government and Leader of Opposition. I am only happy that this is a court of first instance. “ |
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I have also fought against anything which savours of injustice. It is thus an irony of history that, as one of the architects of Nigeria’s independence, I have spent almost half of Nigeria’s three years of independence under one form of confinement or another. |
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Second, there might be a heightening of the present tension which haslasted 15 months, and has done incalculable injuries to the economyof the country. Thirdly, for some time to come, the present twilight of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law, will change or might change into utter darkness. But after darkness – and this is a commonplace –comes a glorious dawn. It is, therefore, with a brave heart, with confident hope, and withfaith in my unalterable destiny, that I go from this twilight intothe darkness, unshaken in my trust in the Providence of God that aglorious dawn will come on the morrow. My adversaries might say who am I to think that if I am imprisonedthe country might suffer? What if I died? The point, of course, is that I am still alive and will not die inprison. Furthermore, the spirit of man knows no barrier, never dies,and can be projected to any part of the world. This being so I am confident that the ideals of social justice andindividual liberty which I hold dear will continue to be projectedbeyond the prison walls and bars until they are realized in our lifetime. In this connection, I must stress that in this very court room, indeed in this dock and in the entire Federation of Nigeria, the spirit of a new Nigeria is already active and at work.
This spirit, working through constitutional means which I have spent the whole of my lifetime to advocate, is sure to prevail, before very long, to the delight, freedom and prosperity of all and sundry. Before I close, I must say that in spite of the delay of the past fewweeks on the part of your Lordship in giving judgement in this case,and in spite of my disagreement with your verdict which I have justgiven expression to, I must acknowledge your Lordship’s patiencethroughout the trial of this case. Particularly,
I want to thank your Lordship for the due and specialconsideration which you have always accorded me and the other accusedpersons. I thank your Lordship; and I am prepared to abide by your sentence.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In “Adventures in Power Book One: My March
through Prison” by Obafemi Awolowo [Macmillan
Nigeria Publishers, 1985]; pp. 198 ff. |
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