A Nation Losing Its Moral Compass
When justice bends to the powerful, a nation loses its moral compass.
Nigeria’s recent presidential pardon that was hailed by some as mercy, has reopened deep wounds for families of victims, struggling citizens, and honest men languishing in prison for far lesser crimes.
It is on record that the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following a meeting of the National Council of State, granted state pardon to certain persons convicted of various offences.
The announcement drew mixed reactions across the country whereby some expressed joy, others outrage. But beyond emotion lies a troubling truth.
Law for the Poor, Mercy for the Powerful
My firm conviction is that this exercise proves once again that Nigerian laws are not meant for all Nigerians.
They are designed for the poor, the weak, the voiceless, and the unconnected while the powerful glide through loopholes carved in their favor.
Every name on that list of pardoned individuals carries political, economic, or social weight. It seems
not a single ordinary Nigerian whose mistakes may have been driven by poverty, desperation, or systemic neglect was deemed worthy of mercy.
This is the same government that turned a blind eye to massive corruption scandals in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and condoned a serving minister’s decade-long evasion of the National Youth Service Corps.
Mocking the Rule of Law
These actions mock the very Rule of Law, a cardinal pillar of democracy and a foundation of good governance.
Globally, equality before the law is non-negotiable. But here, the law is a ladder for the privileged and a cage for the poor.
I recall with deep sadness the haunting images of underage protesters jailed for decrying hunger and food insecurity.
They cried for bread yet months later, those who stole whole bakeries are forgiven.
As the saying goes, “While politicians think of the next election, statesmen think of the next generation.”
Sadly, our leaders seem to think of neither.
A Pardon Shrouded in Secrecy
A closer scrutiny of the pardon exercise will likely confirm what Nigerians already suspect that political loyalty, not justice, was the key criterion.
Whispers abound that some names made it onto the list through influence, not merit.
Transparency was absent; the public was neither consulted nor informed about the selection process.
Had the list contained truly deserving citizens, the nation would have celebrated and not condemned the gesture.
Instead, the message to young Nigerians is grim: break the law, find a big name, and you’ll be set free.
The Other Side of Government Action
While government busies itself forgiving wrongdoers with connections, millions of honest, patriotic, and productive citizens are overtaxed, underpaid, and ignored.
Judicial, medical, academic, and civil servants face harsh working conditions and delayed salaries.
Retired public servants wait endlessly for gratuities and pensions.
Local contractors are ruined by unpaid government debts.
Meanwhile, the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and hikes in energy tariffs have deepened national hardship.
Is this not the kind of governance that awakens the spirit of “the right to rebel” against injustice?
Mercy Without Fairness Is Injustice
When the law ceases to protect the weak, it ceases to be law at all it becomes a weapon of the powerful.
Nigeria must rediscover its moral balance before the erosion of justice becomes irreversible.
For mercy to be meaningful, it must be fair.
For leadership to command respect, it must embody equity.
And for democracy to endure, it must never be built on selective mercy.
Sanusi A. S. Maikudi, FNIM
Entrepreneur/Active Citizen
📩 sanusihmaikudi@yahoo.com
