By Larry Carlson and Sheila Brooks
Distinguished Professor Tunji Olaopa’s article captioned “Babalola and Farotimi: Justice, Just Society and the Nigerian state”, as published by The Punch Newspaper on Monday, 23rd December 2024, at Page 30, has sparked widespread public debates and reactions.
It is a notorious fact that Olaopa is a Professor of Public Administration and the current Chair of the Federal Civil Service Commission in Abuja, Capital of Nigeria.
Olaopa’s views on the libelous scandal designed to dent the global image of respected elder statesman, legal icon educationist and Healthcare provider, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, Con, SAN, LL. D (London), Fellow, King’s College, London, to say the least economizes the truth. The bare truth is that the Civil Rights Activist, Dele Farotimi, probably out of frustration posted by the Nigerian-state or by indolence (since no Government can do everything) needed to make ends meet and therefore had to break ethics by employing gold-digging approach to fertilize his survival strategies, in a system that, though has plenty in every sense, is currently debased by a grinding and multi-dimensional poverty, hunger and social despondency.
Olaopa in his discourse tried to dissuade a man fondly eulogized as “Baba Law”, a version of what Mr. Williams Akintola, FCA, is in the Accountancy profession in Nigeria, from pursuing redress in the law court. What does he (Olaopa) mean by “…. I see Chief Babalola as being at the forefront of gatekeeping the legal establishment in terms of what is and is not permissible or possible under the law and its conservative tenets.”
The question that naturally arises is: What is not permissible under the law that Aare Afe Babalola is seeking?”
Indeed, what are the contentious issues foisted by the incautious Farotimi to distort public peace and soil the hard-earned reputation of a society-friendly figure, Aare Afe Babalola, that fits the description of Olaopa’s “…. leveraged around the David and Goliath motif – that are attending the matter?
It is a sad experience that a top-class public servant like Prof. Tunji Olaopa could think in such a way that suggests justice in Nigeria ought to be secured through sentiments or the rhetorical milieu, and no longer based on the facts of law and evidence. Hear his patently weak reasoning: “Unfortunate for him, Barrister Farotimi’s book, “Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System”, impugned the entire legal and judicial establishment up to its apex institution, the Nigerian Supreme Court.”
Olaopa continued to add salt to injury in dissecting the matter. Haba, what a careless assertion by Olaopa to declare that: “If Barrister Farotimi cannot prove his allegations in court, it would not mean that his charges are false. It would only imply that the system which is supposed to guarantee justice has become too corruptly dense to achieve its mandate.”
How can Farotimi make a sweeping and baseless allegation against a patriotic elder statesman of the stature of Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, and the entire judiciary while the likes of Olaopa wants it taken with levity? Is it because Olaopa is not personally hurt? Is it because the notable icon of global peace and detribalized figure, Babalola is involved?
It is time to nail such excesses of Farotimi on the wall to serve as a deterrent to other careless future writers that may want to satisfy the urge of their itchy fingers or promote the assumption that things are better hidden from an African, if buried in a book.
It would be impossible for minions like Dele Farotimi to perish or wipe away the enduring and sacrificial elements of legacies built, for over six decades, by Nigeria’s double-barrel Honouree, savvy tech-preneur and top-flyer wealth creator, Aare Afe Babalola. The truth is that the generation of Farotimi and his posterity lineage CANNOT produce anyone close to the stature and popular achievements of Babalola, even by 5% till the end of their sojourn on earth.
It is evil to witch-hunt or whip hatred for a giant, honest, hardworking, creative and dynamic icon like Babalola, in the belief that, by so doing, one could climb the ladder up to the sky. The Law of Karma does not permit this act of treachery and immoral approach to selfish growth.
The time is ripe for Farotimi to admit that he goofed and seek means to abate the anger of this noble icon and that of the witty entrepreneur and seasoned technocrat known as Chief Tony Elumelu, and others who were allegedly also attacked in his infamous book.
Farotimi and members of his ilk should know that it is late, given the level of devotion of Babalola and Elumelu towards public good and national unity, for his charade to distract them from helping to make Nigeria better than they met it. These are committed and patriotic change and development agents whose image and reputation Farotimi’s book targeted for denigration but failed.
All factors considered, Farotimi’s road to suffocation in the shame of his life is obvious. He is bound to languish in jail if he loses the case and would surely romance with criminals at the Nigeria Correctional Facility should he be unable to pay the damages that may be associated with his self-ignited scandal. It is impossible to use the ladder of a polished elder statesman to win fame and cheap wealth while leaving the icon in pains. We do not think that the Nigerian judicial system is too weak to allow this level of decay where Babalola would be denied justice.
Impliedly, the so-called activist, Dele Farotimi, has told the world that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is leading a decadent system – where nothing works and where hate reigns supreme. He should face the consequences of his lethal publication that impedes the peace and happiness of the society.
Farotimi cannot whip public sentiments in order to curry public favour and to win sympathy in this case, because by his uncouth tongue and savage attitude, he has desecrated the altar of law and insulted the entire Nigerian-state. There is no form of deceit or super strategy that can force the Nigerian legal system or members of the Bench to allow Farotimi, in his own case, to be all at the same time – the defendant, complainant, Court Registrar, Court Bailiff, Prosecutor, representatives of the CSOs, proxies of Human Rights Bodies and the Judge.
Prof. Tunji Olaopa’s piece seeks to provoke public sympathy for Farotimi, with a view to winning soft-landing for him, but no one can drink water for a thirsty cow.
His article ought to have summoned the courage to speak against blackmail and literal crime. Crime should be declared by its original name despite our relationship with the committer or offender in order to save the society and promote fairness. Aare Afe Babalola should not be made to suffer in his innocence and to be perpetually ridiculed with reckless abandon.
As Farotimi has the right to publish untrue matters in reckless fashion, so does Babalola has the right to seek redress and damages for injuries. The calmness of the erudite legal mentor and genius should not be mistaken for weakness or stupidity. Unarguably, he is and he remains the ‘lion’ in the field of law. He literally breathes law, sings law and dances law.
We admire Aare Afe Babalola for representing a tall icon of conscience in Africa. He is a peculiar breed as age has not diminished his intellectual ingredients, his integrity and the social contract he swore to improve Nigeria in facets or strata of her life. Instead of suffering declining decimal, age hones his skills and widens the horizon of his certified knowledge. When it comes to issues of volunteerism, development and charity, he is on top of the ladder in the African continent while all of us in the CSO space in Europe, Asia as well as in the Arctatic and South and North American continents wish Babalola had been born in ANY of our territory. We are proud of Africa because of the likes of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, OFR, CON; Chief Tony Elumelu, OFR; Jelani Aliyu, MFR; Philip Emeagwali, top-performing Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR; AfDB’s miracle-worker, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; U.S. Hero, Ledum Dennis Ndaanee; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, automobile genius, lnnocent Chukwuma; seasoned technocrat, Dr. Bosun Tijjani; and the tech giant, Dr. Leon Stan Ekeh.
How we wish Aare Afe Babalola had been part of our origin and development story because he would have helped our entity to propel growth in any of our continents on a fast pace of growth and advancement. Why does Africa want to rubbish the reputation of its liberal investor in Nigeria? Who sent the ‘pupil lawyer’, Farotimi, on this self-destructive mission?
The state must rise against the category of iconoclasts to which the ignoble activist belongs, if it seeks a better future for itself and as a guarantee for preserving what is left of its battered image in the global arena.
How can you allege that someone is corrupting or has corrupted the judicial system in Nigeria when the person is not and has never been a jurist or an employee of the judiciary? Is it an issue of rocket science?
Farotimi must back his wild claims with verifiable facts that comply with all aspects of the Evidence Act. It is not about embarking on media war to sustain the tempo of embarrassment to the Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). He must surrender all such claims to the authority saddled with the duties and responsibility of public prosecution.
Whipping sentiments using the social media and other gossip platforms to induce solidarity, instead of showing remorse and openly seeking forgiveness, cannot hold water.
It still beats our imagination why Africa envies its best and selfless? If the witch-hunting charade of the likes of Farotimi is not tamed and selfless patriots encouraged in their deeds of salvation and transformation, how would the continent grow, and foreign investors be attracted to its soil to help create massive wealth and spread collective prosperity?
Well, it is said that “African ‘prophets’ are not cherished on their soil”, and that “Teachers’ rewards are in heaven”, our doors are wide open for Babalola, Elumelu, et al, to help fly our economies – stimulation growth for the Nano industry and maximize profits (RoI).
Professors Larry Carlson and Sheila Brooks are Civil Rights Activists and members of the International Volunteers for Development, London.