In his reaction following the demolition of the Aspamda Market in Lagos, Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State, asked, “Does it truly serve justice to destroy billions of naira worth of investments and livelihoods?”
Obi’s reaction is coming “a week” after he alongside Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and other “concerned leaders” visited the demolished Market.
The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) said, there is the need to critically look into the “relationship between law, justice, and compassion in governance”.
Obi posted on X: “A week ago, a team of concerned leaders visited the demolished Aspamda Market in Lagos. Since then I have carefully followed the reactions trailing the demolitions, our visit, and feel that other extraneous variables are affecting our compassion for each other as Nigerians. The situation calls for deep reflection on the relationship between law, justice, and compassion in governance.”
He said, if a law is used to strike “underserved pain”, then, it “ceases to serve justice”.
Obi said: “Those seeking to justify the current demolitions in Aspamda Market Lagos, and similar situations across Nigeria must be reminded that the law is not an end in itself; it is a means to ensure order, peace, and the protection of human dignity.
“When the law becomes an instrument to inflict undeserved pain – enforced without compassion or regard for human welfare – it ceases to serve justice.
“Does it truly serve justice to destroy billions of naira worth of investments and livelihoods when less destructive remedies could have sufficed?”
Obi pleased with the government to “balance law with compassion”, and said, “power” must always be wielded with “empathy”.
Obi posted: “My appeal is simple: governance must always balance law with compassion. These demolitions are a test of our collective humanity, justice, and compassion. Power must always be exercised with empathy – for it is in how we treat the vulnerable that the true character of leadership is revealed.”
