FINGERPRINTS By UGO ONUOHA

‘Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins,…’   Captured hereunder are some thoughts of the British philosopher and political theorist John Locke in his enduring treatises in the 17th century. He wrote about the form of his world and power relations going back to almost 1000 years ago. Though he was a genius, he would still have been shocked, if he was to be alive today, to observe how his analysis about 800 years ago appears to still apply to many African countries including Nigeria. He was not a prophet in the classical understanding of that word. He was certainly not another Nostradamus who was said to have correctly predicted events that would happen centuries after his death. But Locke’s demonstration of future – thinking, for lack of any better description, was legendary.   The Online Library of Liberty (OLL) in an entry about two years ago said of Locke: “Where-ever law ends, tyranny begins”. The thoughts continue by explaining that ‘The equality of all citizens under the law is a linch-pin of the modern notion of the rule of law in a democratic state. A revolutionary implication of this idea, well appreciated by Locke in the tumultuous 1680s, is that even rulers and their magistrates were also under the “sovereignty of the law”. Locke concludes that when any member of the state exceeds his legal authority or in any way violates the law, he ceases” to be a magistrate; and, acting without authority, may be opposed, as any other man, who by force invades the right of another’. Has Nigeria under the All Progressives Congress (APC) since 2015 not been ticking the boxes of descent to tyranny? “Not quite! Here’s a glimpse into the set up for 2027. Those who may dare to contest for the presidency will start with almost insurmountable handicaps. As we said the police chief will be Yoruba. The chief of army staff, Yoruba. Head of the secret police, Yoruba. The director – general of the national intelligence agency, Yoruba. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Yoruba; customs comptroller-general, Yoruba; immigration, Yoruba; central bank governor, Yoruba, just to mention a few.”   There was a viral post on WhatsApp recently which appeared to warn readers to worry about any society or country where any citizen who exposes crime is himself treated as a criminal. The post said that any country where that is the case, then the country can conveniently be said to be fully under State Capture. Yet, another recent viral WhatsApp message said something to the effect that nobody captures power and uses it for public good. Does that ring a bell? Does it not represent our unfolding reality?   The process towards the capture of the Nigerian state by rogue rulers and their accomplices may have started since the beginning of this republic 25 years ago. But as it has become obvious today, the people who were at the helm of affairs earlier were benign rulers. In 2006, the eve of his term limit, the then president, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, was alleged to be plotting to rig the Nigerian constitution so as to remain in office beyond 2007. He has repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegation. But his henchman who was deputy senate president, the late Ibrahim Mantu, confirmed the existence of the plot while he was alive. He should know because he was the chairman of the constitution amendment committee in 2006. He told Premium Times newspaper in 2016, years before he died in 2021, that he would have laid down his life for Obasanjo to continue as president if he knew that the country would be so badly governed. At the time Mantu was interviewed, the All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Muhammadu Buhari was in power. And at that time Nigeria was not half as bad as it is today. We will leave it to the imagination what Mantu would have said were he to still be alive.   Buhari was an affliction on Nigeria. He was the person who led those who have turned out to be barbarians to seize power in 2015 through a democratic insurgency. But the preceding statement gives too much credit to Buhari. It has since been doubly confirmed that the man from Daura is incapable of doing anything well except for nepotism and sectarianism. He is a rabid Islamist. In 2014/2015, Buhari could be likened to an Igbo saying of imanye aka nwata na-oku (jar) ka ndi ozo nwe efe busasia ihe di n’ime oku. It will be a struggle to find an English language equivalent for the foregoing. So let me try an explanation. A group of adults convinces a child to take cookies from the jar at home. Then they would subsequently capitalise on that to empty the jar. When the woman of the house or head of the household returns, the adults would claim that it was the child that took and ate the cookies. You probably have conspired with others to do something like this in your past life.   “In the wake of what Nigerians are now experiencing in terms of impunity, Buhari, despite being a former general in the army, could be classified as an apprentice or wannabe tyrant. Under Tinubu the gloves are off. He is the head of the executive arm of government, and the de facto head of the national legislature. There’s no evidence that he has purloined the judiciary, suspicions notwithstanding.”   Buhari was a failed military ruler between December 1983 – August 1985 when he was ousted by his colleagues in a palace coup. He failed again under the regime of the former head of state, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, who appointed him to head the defunct petroleum trust fund (PTF). That agency under Buhari was turned into a cesspit of fraud and corruption. Projects funded by the agency, which was created to equitably use proceeds from the removal of petrol subsidy for infrastructural development in all parts of the country, was disproportionately cited in

Kane completes 4-year transfer to Bayern Munich

In a significant move, England’s national team captain, Harry Kane, has officially made his transition from Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur to Bundesliga titleholders Bayern Munich. The announcement came from the German champions on Saturday, confirming Kane’s commitment to a four-year contract. This transfer culminated after prolonged negotiations between the two prominent clubs. Bayern Munich has secured the services of the 30-year-old striker until the year 2027, solidifying their frontline with this high-profile acquisition. Notably, this transfer has set a new record for the Bundesliga, as it represents the highest transfer fee ever paid by a German club. This milestone surpasses the previous record set in 2019 when Bayern paid 80 million euros to enlist Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid. Kane’s arrival at Bayern Munich is anticipated to bring an exciting dynamic to the team’s offensive strategies, and his tenure until 2027 reflects the club’s confidence in his abilities. As the football community awaits the unfolding impact of this transfer, the fans of both Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich are undoubtedly eager to witness how this new chapter in Harry Kane’s career will unfold.