Justice is not a slogan; it is the soul of sustainable leadership. In Igala politics, where ancestral thrones once bore the weight of divine justice and wise judgment, today’s political theatre reeks of compromise, betrayal, and recycled mediocrity. If politics is the compass of a people, then judgment is the needle that must point true north. But when judgment is sold for tribal loyalty and justice traded for political gratification, the people wander in a wilderness of disillusionment. A society that sabotages its justice system breeds chaos in golden garments. This is the paradox of Igala land: a people rich in history but impoverished in political clarity.
Injustice is not always loud; sometimes, it tiptoes through electoral courts, sits beside Governor, stakeholders or kings, and signs documents in shadowy offices. A corrupt judgment is a silent coup against destiny. How did a land that once raised leaders with ancestral reverence descend into a theatre where loyalty is measured by sycophancy and justice wears the mask of politics? The elders no longer sit under the moon to weigh matters with spiritual eyes. Our traditional stools, once sacred, are now bargaining chips in political chess games. The Igala proverb warns, “The masquerade that dances without rhythm has lost respect in the market square.” This is the dance we now perform on the political stage.
Professor Omale once said, “Where justice is feared, truth becomes a fugitive.” His words pierce the conscience of our generation, exposing a landscape where justice is compromised not by enemies but by familiar hands in agbada. Professor B.C. Nwankwo, in his seminal analysis of Nigerian politics, declared, “Judgment devoid of equity is tyranny dressed in protocol.” These are not mere words—they are mirrors reflecting the decay we have come to normalize. If we continue to reward betrayal with titles and elevate incompetence with applause, we become architects of our own erasure. Justice must roar louder than political drums. Judgment must become the conscience of leadership, not the echo of its deception.
The politics of Kogi East has drifted far from its moral roots. Once, the Attah’s throne stood as a symbol of sacred order, a balance of power and principle. Today, it is surrounded by political merchants who sing songs of loyalty in daylight and sign deals of betrayal at night. The people have watched too long in silence as truth became an endangered species. Now, the silence has become a prison. A generation raised on proverbs has forgotten the weight of wisdom. The Igala saying goes, “When the hunter forgets the path, the bush becomes a stranger.” Indeed, our political bush is overgrown with weeds of confusion.
To reclaim Igala’s dignity, there must be a renaissance of values. Justice must be divorced from sentiment. Judgment must be cleansed of tribal grease. The law must wear no party colours, and leadership must bow to the altar of truth. The Bible says in Amos 5:24, “Let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” That stream must flood through Kogi East. We must revisit the ancient altar of Ojochamachala – God Almighty, where truth was weightier than gold and the word of elders carried more might than manifestos. We must teach the next generation that political power without justice is a curse dressed in agbada.
Let there be an awakening in Igala land—a return to moral conscience. Let our villages and town young and old be taught not just literacy but legacy. Let our churches, shrines and mosques cease to be sanctuaries of silence and become thrones of truth. If justice is the heartbeat of governance, then judgment is its breath. A land without judgment is a body without breath. We cannot build a future on the ruins of silence. We must speak—loudly, boldly, and wisely.
This healing will not come through slogans or seasonal prayers but through structural reforms, civic enlightenment, and cultural rebirth. It is time to question the very foundation of leadership in Igala land. How are leaders chosen? What is their moral compass? What price do they pay to climb, and who pays the price when they fall?
The political arena must no longer be a marketplace of compromise but a sanctuary of service. Leaders must stand as judges in their conscience before they sit as rulers in public. It is not enough to hold power; one must deserve it. Power obtained without justice is a stolen crown; judgment silenced is a buried truth. Igala must rise—not on the shoulders of ambition, but on the wings of integrity.
Let justice return. Let judgment speak. Let Igala breathe again. Let the thunder of moral rebirth strike our hearts and illuminate our path. For only when justice walks in Igala land will peace find a home and posterity a future worth inheriting.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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