'Third World Justice' By Adesina Ogunlana

THE LEARNED SQUIB

I am a visitor from Mars and I didn't know my way about the cities of this truly wonderful planet, earth. I was told before coming that it was a planet with three worlds.

There is the first world, where everything or almost everything works. Light, water, telecommunications, transportation, technology, sports, economy, politics all work. The only thing I was told that does not work in the first world is religion and that is because the human beings of the first world are not interested in that spiritual enterprise, finding no particular need for it. Do you blame them? Who needs a marathon fast and 100 day prayer - induced medical healing when effective specialist hospitals abound?

And why would you heed Malachi 3:8 when your country takes good care of, you from cradle to grave? I was told that there is also a second world. Also a good world, I was told though, it is not so excellently organised like the wonder-world of the first type. The third world I was told is not a very pleasant place because things do not work and the society is backward, very backward indeed.

In the third world, the economy is wonky, meaning that poverty, insecurity and hardship are well known 'faces' in the society. The government is even wonkier, meaning that the more the government, the less the real governance. And what sustains the people is a special type of diet consisting in the main of, hope, prayers and self-help. However I was assured that a third world country is not all sorrow blood and tears. There are Oases of Pleasure, Islands of Enjoyment and Corners of Goodness, but they are far and few between and are not open to the wretched masses of this world due to their prohibitive cost.

My space ship's first port of call was a place called Lagos on the continent of Africa.

I immediately asked to be taken to the courts of Justice of the people of Lagos State. You see, when you want to know the character of a society, study the character of their justice and how they administer it.
Approaching the Lagos High Court Igbosere, I smiled broadly. I saw the gigantic edifice, the green lawns, the palms and the 'macadamised' streets. Everything looked solid and fresh.

Then I entered one of the court-rooms and I became instantly afraid. I thought I had mis-laid my steps into a tomb, so dark and eerie was the place. I noticed that some earthlings were in there, but I could barely make out their features for the dimness.

Of course no session was on. You can't do justice in darkness. I went out and entered into another round of darkness. I went into other courts, the darkness persisted. The second day I came to the court the darkness was still there. Sincerely the third, fourth, fifth and sixth day. Even up till today the darkness is still there in the beautiful looking Lagos State High Court and justice remains under arrest.

I now realised that Lagos, cannot be an example of a first world civilisation. Though Lagos has a BRF Governor running a BRT transport scheme, two universities, several polytechnics, etc, it is a third world country nonetheless. It is not even a second world existence. Yet I hear that the city, Lagos is touted the most sophisticated in Nigeria, which is touted the giant of Africa, which is touted the origin of human civilisation in the universe.

Do you know why I a Martian smile and laugh at the same time?