6 NEWS
THE NATION, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2012
JUSTICE KAYODE ESO (1925-2012)
Governors Uduaghan, Amaechi, Fayemi mourn late jurist
Osun declares three days of mourning O SUN State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday declared three days of mourning following the death of eminent jurist, Justice Kayode Eso. Aregbesola, who made the announcement at a special sitting in honour of the legal icon at the state House of Assembly, also said that the state government would fly the flag at half mast. The governor described Eso’s death as very painful and shocking, stressing that he was an incorruptible judge known for judicial activism in the legal profession. “The exit of the legal icon is sad and we pray against such unfortunate incident. His life was dedicated to both the rich and the poor and he was a patriot par excellence,” he said. Aregbesola said Eso served humanity and God and he was a great ambassador whose death would be a huge loss to the anti-corruption crusade and the legal profession. In his own address, Mr Najeem Salaam, Speaker of the House expressed pain at
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the demise of Eso, who he described as world-class jurist, eminent scholar and an honest judge. The Speaker said: “The ‘legal legend’ was not just any jurist or legal mind but a special breed who exhibited honesty, integrity and the virtues of ‘Omoluabi’ (the virtuous)”. The daughter of the deceased, Mrs Funmilayo EshoWilliams, Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs, said the death of her father really upset her. Esho-Williams, who spoke on phone from the UK, said that her father was a loving, kind and generous person whose death had created a vacuum that would be difficult to fill. Also commenting, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, former Minister of Transport during the military regime, said Eso’s death had thrown the whole country into a mourning session. Babatope, who said that the late jurist was his uncle in the family circle, described him as a forthright, brilliant and honest man as well as flaw-
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IMILARLY, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State has described the death of Justice Kayode Eso as a great loss to the country. In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Sunny Ogefere, on Friday in Asaba, the governor said Justice Eso's death, coming on the heels of that of Oloye Abubakar Saraki and former Governor Lam Adesina, was indeed saddening and a great loss to the country. ``Once again, we have lost a true Nigerian, a patriot, a statesman and a professional to the core. Here goes another great Nigerian, his type are few in this our time. ``Late Justice Eso was an eminent and respected jurist who fought and stood for credibility of the judiciary," the governor said.
•Aregbesola less in his judicial decisions. The Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, in her own condolence message said: “Eso was my first and foremost uncle in whom I was well pleased. “He was my father-figure whose immense contribution to my life has remained indelible. He was a distinguished jurist who served the nation meritoriously without any blemish. “Kayode Eso was a brilliant judge and a great patriot whose style of judgment will for long remain a reference point in the nation’s judicial system,” he said.
He prayed God Almighty to grant the family and the nation the fortitude to bear the loss. Also, in his condolence message, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, expressed shock at the demise of Justice Kayode Esho. In a statement by his Spokesman Mr. David Iyofor, Governor Amaechi described Justice Esho as an accomplished jurist, a rare breed of uncommon wisdom and sharp intellect who always stood on the side of the law and what was right. Amaechi hailed Justice Esho’s enormous contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s legal and justice system and the good work he did as a justice of the Supreme Court. “Justice Esho was a man of uncommon virtues. His work in the Apex Court would not be easily forgotten. Most important to us here in Rivers State was his commitment to the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) which he chaired, contributing to the return of peace and sanity in the state.” “We are particularly grateful for the thorough and comprehensive work he did at the TRC. Rivers people hold him dearly and will always remember him for that,” Amaechi said. The governor condoled with the Esho family, the judiciary and the entire country over this great loss, and prayed for the repose of his soul. Also, the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, expressed regret over the death of Justice Eso, describing his passage as a “big blow to the judiciary in particular and the nation at large.” Fayemi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, described Eso as “an incomparable legal giant whose contribution to jurisprudence will remain indelible in Nigeria and Africa.” The governor further described Eso as “an impartial, incorruptible and fearless judge who did justice to all cases before him, regardless of personalities involved.” Describing Eso as “the conscience of the nation’s judiciary”, Fayemi recalled that the late judge was fothright in arriving at his decisions as a judicial officer and never allowed anybody to initimidate him. Fayemi noted that Oso was a role model to upcoming lawyers and judges in commitment, dedication, industry and discipline which helped him to maintain a scandal-free career both at the Bar and on the Bench. He stated that Oso’s death has created a big void in the league of eminent Nigerian jurists whose counsel and contribution will be crucial as thenation embarks on another round of constitution amendment process.
Innocence lost
OR the last couple of months a scandal has been brewing in the United Kingdom. A scandal of titanic proportions which reduces a British national treasure from the highs where only heroes dare to roam to the lowest depths of a villainess terrain. The late Sir Jimmy Savile was not only one of the most loved and respected men in Britain; he was quintessentially an omnipresent and eccentric adornment to British public life. As a disc jockey, television presenter, media personality and charity fundraiser, Jimmy Saville single handedly raised an astounding £40 million for charities and transformed the lives of thousands through his television show Jim’ll Fix It. He was a personal friend to Margaret Thatcher, Prince Charles, Lady Diana, Knighted by the Queen, given a Papal Knighthood by the Pope John Paul II amongst so many other honors. However, it was not until after his 2011 death that hundreds of allegations of child abuse and rape became public, leading the police to believe that Savile may have been one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders. With these allegations, it came to light that Jimmy Saville may have sexually abused over 300 young boys and girls, including mental patients and critically sick children. The crashing end to a legacy that was Jimmy Saville could not have been worse. Child abuse is not only one of the most horrific crimes imaginable; it is also one of the most damaging on the victim. One can only fathom the disastrous effect such a crime would have on the poor children that have fallen victim to it. It is really sad to know that in this day, we live in a world where such monstrosities can take place against such innocent beings. In some of the cases I have personally come across in the past, children as young as 16 months have been raped and abused. One of the most profound and heart-breaking cases was one that I have written
about before about a four year old girl that was raped consistently by her neighbour and carer. When I came across the case, the little girl was already physically and psychologically damaged and had tragically contracted HIV from her abuser and she was only four years old. I tried everything to pursue the case and assist the family but unfortunately, I was unable to keep in contact with them as they were displaced during one of the past Kaduna riots. Up until now, I am unable to get the devastating image of that little girls face out of my mind and I know it will remain with me for the rest of my life. Paedophilia or sexual acts towards children and adolescents who are far beyond a prepubescent level of physical and psychological development is one of those concepts that any normal person would find impossible to get their head around. However, it is a vice that we must accept happens in the society, a crime that we must be able to identify and prevent. Unfortunately, paedophiles or child molesters are not easy to classify as they come from all socioeconomic classes. Most modern cultures in general strongly condemn underage intercourse and regard it as a very serious crime, based on the idea that children are not sufficiently mature to be able to consent to intercourse and that intercourse with children is therefore rape. One cannot imagine why any adult would descend to such a low that they would feel the need to molest children. But I think the truth is that there is no simple explanation as to why some adults sexually abuse children. Although some make excuses for it by saying that paedophiles are mad people, but to be honest I think that explanation gives these abusers an easy way out. Unfortunately it may just come down to the basic fact that some people have an unhealthy interest in children and they do not care that sexual contact between adults and children is harmful to the child. Infact certain
molesters create the belief that they are merely showing affection by molesting a child. However, for the vast majority who are aware that their actions are wrong, they go to great lengths to keep their offences secret in order to continue to abuse children. I think what tends to also happen is that the majority of sex offenders were themselves sexually abused as children or exposed to it by witnessing the abuse of a loved one. Regardless, being an abused child does not give you any right to do the same thing to someone else. I must also stress that being abused does not necessarily cause an adult to molest a child. Like all people, abused persons make choices; to continue the circle of abuse or not. Sex offenders and pedophiles have got to be accountable for their actions no matter the darkness in their past. Unfortunately, there are so many myths and assumptions drummed into our consciousness and built into our society that help to create a safe haven for child molesters. For example, some believe that it is almost always the fault of parents because they neglect their children or that certain classes of people do not molest children. In order to hinder child molesters, these theories must stop so that we can concentrate on the conduct of adults and an atmosphere that empowers perverse adults to molest children. I think that the most frightening aspect of child abuse is that about 75-85% of molested children are molested by relatives or other familiar adults and not strangers, just like in the case with the family I met. As a parent, I would think that the most important strategy to protect children is to have good communication with our children. It is important to explain to children the difference about good and bad physical contact and to talk to them regularly, listen and observe their behaviour. One must know about their child’s activities and feelings. If in the unfortunate situation, a child
has been abused, they most likely may be too afraid and embarrassed to talk about it. In that situation, it is up to the parent to detect the physical and behavioural signals. An abused child may loose appetite, regress to infantile behaviour such as bed wetting or excessive crying, fear the dark, have recurrent nightmares or disturbed sleep patterns, unusual interest in or knowledge of sexual matters, expressing affection in ways inappropriate for a child of that age. A parent should notice whether a child has vaginal or rectal bleeding, infections or venereal disease, torn or stained underclothing and other signals such as aggressive or disruptive behaviour, withdrawal, running away or delinquent behaviour, or even unusually failing in school. In a situation where children show adult-like sexual behaviour, it is usually because they have been exposed to it by another child or adult because children tend to copy and repeat adult behaviours. Most experts agree that boys and girls have an equal chance of being sexually abused, although some children are more likely to become victims than others; children who are easily controlled by adults make easier targets. The abuse of children in my opinion is the worst action against any society. It is a problem of international proportion, especially when children are being trafficked from continent to continent in order to fuel this grotesque, illicit trade. The solution must also be international, enjoining the resources and forces of the whole world. There are no
excuses for sexually abusing children at any time, in any place and under any circumstances. Every child has the right to innocence; every child should be protected. Every time I am confronted with the harrowing facts that many of the children trafficked for sex slavery in Africa end up victims of AIDS or that a proportionally high number of the victims are tempted to commit suicide, my heart breaks. I have never been an advocate for capital punishment, but in the case of child abusers, I would vigorously campaign for the worst kind. I met Jimmy Saville as a young girl in 1984 on a TV programme called Saturday Starship when members of my class were invited to appear on a programme he was holding. It was the highlight of my life back then to meet this larger than character who was so giving and kind. Jimmy lived up to every expectation we had as he joked, teased and smiled at all of us who participated. Little did we know then that behind the quirky, cheeky smile that Jimmy had lay a dark and sinister secret. Jimmy’s story is a lesson to everyone to be more vigilant when it comes to their children. I hope it will serve as a deterrent to stop other children being abused. As a mother, I know that in order to stop the paedophile from educating our children about abuse, we must educate and protect them ourselves. Children are born innocent, devoid of sleaze, when a paedophile strikes, they render that innocence… lost.