Covid-19: The Law Is Made for The Poor -By Olokooba Abdulwasiu

At no time we should regard anything as a law —to be followed—unless it honors cardinal principles of rule of law. In an acclaimed democratic society like Nigeria, everybody should be subjected to the decree of law. And, be you so high, rich or poor, the law stands high above you. You must follow a policy, strictly, once it’s been enacted as a law.

I asserted, time and again, that the presence of a constitution without constitutionalism is the same thing as its absence. Our laws should not be seen as a cobweb that catches small fishes, but let wasps and hornets break through. It won’t work because it won’t serve its purpose as provided by ‘The Utilitarians’ who see law as a rule to serve the majority of the people in a country. Nonetheless in Nigeria, the case is a reverse. Our laws are made to suffer the plurality: the poor and voiceless masses.

As a Muslim, I know some fringe members of my faith will get the wrong idea. So, I need to make my stance clearer. I’m not saying giving Kyari his last funeral rites, as a Muslim,  was wrong. Or I felt anything nasty towards that. No. Like Muslims who demised before Abba, and those who will die after him, he was entitled to Jannasah prayer before his corpse would rest recumbently inside the-six-feets-dug-ditch. That is what Islam says and it must be done.

But we need to separate grains from sands. Any forms of assemblage and gathering of more than 10 people at a time, if I’m not wrong, was proscribed by government, federal and state. And in deeds, the law has been taking its due course in enforceability. We all heard or read of a motorist dwelling in Abuja, who was convicted and sentenced to six months jail term for infringing the stay-home order. Or that of Madam Funke Akindele’s for overstepping on social distance regulation. So why would we exempt the congregation of Kyari’s funeral as violators of this order? Is there any immunity conferred upon them by law? Definitely, they are due for charges if we want to seek justice.

Also interestingly, the minister of information, Alh. Lai Mohammed, was reported by The Nation Newspaper some days back to have announced that the government has a resolve not to release the body of anyone killed by COVID-19 for whatever reasons and this had been the situation until the death of Abba Kyari. They neglected the law and released his lifeless body to his people for burial. This is a huge discourtesy to the law. What was the situation of those killed by COVID-19 before his death: were they also laid to rest in inclination to the dictates? Did Muslims among them were giving Jannasah prayer like Kyari?

Anyway, may Almighty Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Janatual Fridaus.

Oomobolajiabdulwasiu@gmail.com
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