By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Okutepa, has called on Nigerians, particularly political leaders and public office holders, to develop the courage of conviction to pursue what is right and act in the overall interest of the country.
Okutepa, in a post on his X handle on Monday, attributed many of Nigeria’s problems, including corruption, impunity and injustice, to the failure of citizens and leaders to stand firmly for what is right.
According to him, Nigerians have over the years demonstrated greater courage in pursuing wrong actions and subsequently giving such actions the appearance and “baptismal name” of righteousness.
He lamented that many Nigerians and leaders had failed to build a better country because they were more interested in building personal empires, while citizens often remained silent for fear of the consequences of challenging wrongdoing.
“Over the years, many Nigerians and our leaders have not done what can make Nigeria great. They were busy building for themselves empires. They keep doing what is wrong and force them on our throats as right, and we all keep quiet for fear of repercussions,” he said.
The legal practitioner also expressed concern over the alleged infiltration of injustice into religious institutions, saying some people who profess to worship God engage in conduct that contradicts the principles of their faith.
He particularly condemned the manipulation or influence of the justice system for selfish ends, stressing that those who pervert justice, regardless of their religious affiliation, engage in wrongdoing.
“God hates injustice. Anyone who perverts and influences the cause of justice to attain evil and selfish end is an evil person,” Okutepa stated.
He argued that justice should not be understood solely in terms of court proceedings, maintaining that injustice had permeated several aspects of Nigeria’s national life.
According to him, denying a qualified person employment because he or she lacks a godfather, while giving the position to an unqualified individual, constitutes injustice.
He also condemned nepotism in government appointments, warning that the practice was creating a system in which public opportunities were increasingly reserved for the children and relatives of those already privileged.
“In Nigeria of today, the sons and daughters of nobody are finding it difficult to be employed because those who have been privileged to be in positions are now creating hereditary positions for their children in all sectors of the Nigerian society,” he said.
Okutepa warned that no nation could achieve sustainable development when its foundations were built on injustice, immorality and inequality.
He linked what he described as Nigeria’s stagnation, weak adherence to the rule of law and the increasingly competitive and “do-or-die” character of national life to the failure to establish a just and equitable society.
He therefore urged Nigerians to act with courage and insist on doing what is right, regardless of ethnic, religious or other affiliations.
“The survival of Nigeria depends on the leaders and the led to do what is right and good for the greatest good of the greatest numbers of Nigerians irrespective of our tribes and religion,” he said.
Okutepa stressed that Nigeria needed leaders rather than rulers—people willing to make difficult but morally right decisions in the national interest.
“Nigerians need leaders who have the courage to do good. Nigeria does not need leaders who have the courage to multiply evil in governance. No, we don’t need those types of leaders again,” he added.
