Barr. Ugwuanyi Felix writes from the FCT, Abuja

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

This write-up has become necessary as it now seems every day belongs to the thief. You are aware of the popular saying that "Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner of the house." When will the owner of the house step in to save our democracy from the hands of insatiable looters?

It is ironic how some judges make witnesses swear in court with either a Bible or a Qur'an to tell the truth, while they themselves go behind closed doors to take bribes and sell their judgments to the highest bidder. The popular saying that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man should be rephrased to: Some High Courts and the Supreme Court are the last hopes of the common man.

Ever since Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem became the President of the Court of Appeal, it has become a commercial court where the bigger bribe gets the favorable judgment. It is so bad that most lawyers are advocating for the law to be amended to allow appeals to go straight to the Supreme Court from the High Courts.

It is on record that the Supreme Court has overturned more judgments from the Court of Appeal under Monica's administration than it had ever overturned in previous administrations combined. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem is so compromised that she took money to sell out her own state (Plateau) to the highest bidder. The legitimate governor was lucky that the Supreme Court had the final say in his case. Others whose final stop is the Court of Appeal are still nursing their wounds to this day. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem sold out the people of Kano too before a divine intervention saved the state. How do you explain judges sitting in open court to read a judgment that is the complete opposite of the Certified True Copy (CTC) they gave to the parties? Kano State and Plateau State owe their legitimate victories to God and the Supreme Court.

Information I gathered from one of the close aides of Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, who wishes to remain anonymous for job security reasons, is that for every high-profile case that comes before the Court of Appeal, the President directs the panel handling the case to write two judgments: one in favor of the appellants and another in favor of the respondents. The party who brings the biggest bribe will have their judgment read out.

Another very disturbing report is the allegation that Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem has taken over 20 billion Naira from the Governorship candidate of the APC in Kogi State to sell the people of Kogi out. There are credible reports alleging that she is currently working towards receiving another 20 billion Naira+ from the Kogi State purse to try and penetrate the Supreme Court justices so that the flawed judgment from the Court of Appeal will be affirmed by the Supreme Court. A plan which has already failed because the Supreme Court has shown lately that they will not compromise, just as they did in Kano, Plateau, and the recent judgment on Local Government Autonomy.

At this point, I am calling on Mr. President and all relevant agencies and stakeholders to investigate these serious allegations. If she is allowed to have her way at the Supreme Court, her greed might lead to violent demonstrations all over the country (because whatever precedent that is set by the Supreme Court in Kogi State's Governorship tussle will be applied to all states in the country) which is a big threat to our fragile democracy.

Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem cannot be allowed to set the country on fire. I am calling on the relevant security agencies to investigate her, monitor her every move, and keep tabs on her financial transactions.

Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, enough is enough! I am also calling on you to do the honorable thing and resign your position immediately pending the outcome of the investigations against you.

Every day is for the thief, but one glorious day is all the owner needs to forget the pains of the past. Peace.

What a Con3