The Colours of Justice

 

Justice like Love is supposed to be blind but in practice, we know they are hardly so.

The courts they often say is a refuge

and last hope of the common man but often Justice is beyond the reach of the common man.

Starting with Law making, those who make the Law are neither common nor friends of the commoners. So how can the common man gain from such Laws?

This explains why most live by the unwritten 11th Commandment: thou shall not be caught!

This is the kernel of this piece: the colours of justice. The Bible says, 'all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God'.

He who has no sin let him be the first to cast a stone! This is the crux of the matter.

Those with the levers of Justice use it to their advantage and for whatever purpose they purpose.

When there are outcries especially when it is glaring that Justice is being selectively applied, those who neither care nor are concerned are wont to ask, ' is the person not guilty, why complain?'

People are building by the perimeter fence of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. Did they start building when like Baal, the authorities were asleep? 

Others will ask,' why did they build there?'

Now, two things have gone wrong here:

Someone gets paid to ensure there is no encroachment.

Those who should not encroach are hoodwinked to part with their money. Who will willingly build on an illegal property?

In our kind of Justice, the builder loses his property and the seller goes scot-free. The man who gets paid to prevent encroachment goes scot-free even without any enquiry in respect of dereliction of duty which in most cases would have been induced?

Properties are collapsing in Banana Island. No inquiry.

Just demolish and let the owners cry.

Someone gets paid to ensure the right things are done but who cares?

Why did they not follow extant Laws? That is the usual question.

Our progress as humans cannot but be slow with these kinds of selective Justice that we see everyday.