The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemns the despicable altercation which took place today at the premises of the Federal High Court, Lagos, between operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) While it is difficult not to hold the leadership of the two federal government agencies directly responsible for the shameful and disgraceful conduct of its personnel, one cannot discount the possible overzealousness or excesses of the officers involved, as being responsible for what we witnessed today. This incident regrettably is further evidence of the lack of discipline and absence of professionalism that continues to plague key security institutions in Nigeria, which, without doubt, is largely responsible for the limited progress in achieving acoordinated response to security concerns across the country.

A situation where officers of Federal Government agencies engage in a fight as witnessed by the public, for whatever reason, is antithetical to our security as a nation and creates a recipe for anarchy and chaos. Both the DSS and the NCoS are important institutions dealing with national security and administration of justice respectively, and the need for them to work in concert towards attaining justice in a secured Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.

The NBA further condemns the brazen disrespect for the sanctity of the court premises. The courts and judicial processes remain the barometer by which the conduct of persons or agencies of government are gauged in assessing the rule of law.

The NBA calls on the two agencies to take immediate disciplinary measures against the officers involved in this disgraceful conduct. In addition, there is an urgent need for a complete overhaul of the institutions and a total reorientation of the personnel, to achieve professionalism and ensure synergy in the discharge of their respective constitutional responsibilities,

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) remains committed to the promotion and protection of the principles of the rule of law and due process, within a safe and secured Nigeria.

Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, OON, SAN

PRESIDENT

The former governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the clash between the operatives of the Department of State Service and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).

Naija News recalls that a fight broke out between the secret police and prison officials on Tuesday after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele bail in the sum of N20m.

DSS operatives and prison officials fought over the custody of the suspended CBN governor.

Fayose in his reaction to the development in a post on his Twitter account assured that President Bola Tinubu would take decisive actions over the actions of the operatives of the DSS.

The former governor revealed that it was necessary so that the secret police wouldn’t begin to give his government a bad name.

Fayose wrote, “The DSS act of lawlessness at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos today, should be condemned by all lovers of democracy and rule of law in the country. It is painful that the DSS is yet to come to terms with the fact that the President of Nigeria today, is a product of struggles for democracy and won’t superintend over any act of lawlessness.

“The actions of the DSS today are no doubt bringing a negative image to the Govt and I’m sure that President Tinubu will act swiftly to curb their excesses so that they don’t give his govt bad name just as they did to the immediate past government. This is a function of failed or power-drunk leadership in the DSS. It’s time for the President to act.

“No doubt, I am not a fan of Emefiele’s actions as CBN Governor which threw Nigerians into untold hardships with the politically motivated change of Naira notes. However, it behooves on leaders of this country to speak out against acts capable of undermining democracy and the rule of law.

“Nigeria is under civil authority and security agencies, especially the DSS should be properly guided to purge themselves of this display of overzealousness.

“The DSS men that participated in today’s show of shame should be promptly brought to book. More so that it happened within the sacred premises of the court.

“Most importantly, restructuring of the Organization is imperative for today Nigeria that is desirous of deepening democratic governance.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ministerial list will be delivered to the Senate on Thursday, it has been learnt.

The Senate Majority Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this while giving a response at his 60th Anniversary Lecture and Book Presentation titled: “Leadership through communication” in Abuja.

Bamidele, who appreciated his guests for supporting and honouring him, however, said Tinubu who was billed to be the father of the day called to say he could not make it to the event because of ongoing work to ensure that the ministerial list is delivered to the Senate in the next 48 hours.

Bamidele said: “At 10.03 am this morning, Mr President, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was on the phone. He said to me Opeyemi, … I need to make myself unavailable in the next 48 hours because a correspondence must come to the Senate, a very crucial correspondence.

“Mr President prayed for me. He asked me to give the phone to my wife and he prayed for my wife.

“And said the two of us should join the rest of Nigerians and pray for him to be able to make the right decision on the list in 24 hours so that when Nigerians hear the list of his ministers they will say yes, this is uncommon.

“So join us in praying for Mr. President. He needed to be away from any kind of influence. I tell you that prayer means a lot to my family and pray God will grant him all the wisdom in taking his decision…”

Senate President Goodwill Akpabio lauded Bamidele for his loyalty to Tinubu for over 30 years when he served as an aide to him in the National Assembly in 1992.

On the heels of subsidy removal, the Federal Government has said that there is no plan to reduce working days for employees of the Federal Civil Service.

Speaking on the issue with journalists in Abuja on the sidelines of a media parley to commemorate the 2023 Civil Service Week, the Head of the Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, said there was no need for that because the Tinubu-led administration is assiduously working on palliatives that would sustain civil servants, hence no cause for alarm.

According to Yemi-Esan, part of the measures by the Federal Government is to purchase mass transit buses that would run on gas and not diesel, which already the buses being converted from diesel to gas-powered vehicles.

She further stated that salary of workers are being reviewed and there will be an increase in it to also cushion the impact of subsidy removal.

She said: “We don’t have any plans to reduce working days for civil servants in view of the hike in PMS and cost of transportation. However, a committee has been set up to look into this.

“The committee is currently working on getting gas-powered buses to convey civil servants to and fro. We are also working on the conversion of some vehicles from PMS into gas

“Also, the minimum wage is also being reviewed.”

Some constitutional lawyers have requested that President Bola Tinubu summon the Department of State Services (DSS).

The lawyers led by Barr. Tijani Ahmed issued a statement condemning the clash between the secret police and the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) over the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Recall that Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20m.

The judge had ordered that the bank president be remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of his bail condition.

Abiodun meets Obasanjo, appeals for calm over hardship of subsidy removal
However, the DSS insisted on taking him away against the judge’s orders.

In response to the development, the lawyers said the DSS action was unprofessional and shameful, questioning how such a thing could happen in a democracy.

It’s a big shame and insult, that the judiciary arm of government was disrespected by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) who fought officials of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) over who would take custody of suspended Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin.”

Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos admitted Emefiele to bail in the sum of the N20 million. The Judge ordered that Emefiele be remanded at the correctional center pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions. Shortly after the ruling, DSS operatives strategically positioned their Hilux Pick Up van used in bring Emefiele to court, in a manner suggesting that they wanted to abduct him to their detention centre.

According to reports, this prompted Emefiele’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and other lawyers to raise an alarm about their client’s planned re-arrest by the secret police. After the court ruling, the suspended CBN governor holed up inside the courtroom with his lawyers. However, when the prison officials moved to take Emefiele into custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions, the secret police challenged them and it led to a fight.

Over the months the DSS has been on rampage, first they disregarded court rulings barring them from arresting Emefiele. Again they disregarded court ruling ordering them to release him. Now they are disregarding court ruling ordering his release. At this point the secret police had proven to be a rogue agency with no regard for the rule of law. How can an agency of the government violate bail order? Not once , not twice!!! We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save democracy and image of the judiciary by immediately ordering the arrest of DSS DG for the rogue behaviour of his operatives. This cannot be allowed to continue. Also the DSS can’t rearrest Emefiele until he perfects his bail and released.

The current presidential system of government in Nigeria, with its large executive arm, cost of government, which skews the national budget more to the recurrent expenditure with less for capital expenditure, and requirement for each state to produce a Minister, has become increasingly expensive. This situation does not augur well for the welfare of the citizens and stalls development.

Additionally, the bicameral system in the legislative branch has resulted in an excessive number of members and staff. Given the country's adverse financial situation, it is necessary to consider a return to the parliamentary system of government that was in place during the first republic. While both systems have their merits, the cost perspective and the need for financial discipline make a return to the parliamentary system more expedient.

The current presidential system in Nigeria is financially unsustainable due to the large size of the executive arm and generally bloated bureaucracy. The bicameral system in the legislative branch also contributes to excessive costs, with a surplus of members and staff. To address the country's financial situation, a return to the parliamentary system is necessary. My main concern is from the cost perspective and the need for financial discipline in government affairs.

Cost of the Executive Arm:
The present constitutional requirement that each of the 36 states to produce a Minister, results in a bloated executive arm. This increases the financial burden on the country, as the salaries, allowances, and benefits for these Ministers and their retinue of staff are significant. With the prevailing adverse financial situation, it is untenable to sustain such a large executive arm. Returning to the parliamentary system would reduce the number of Ministers and alleviate the financial strain, thereby releasing funds to be channeled to other human development projects and infrastructure.

In a parliamentary system, the executive arm consists of the Prime Minister and a smaller cabinet, chosen from amongst the parliamentarians. This reduces the cost of salaries, allowances, and benefits, as there are fewer positions to be filled. Countries like the United Kingdom and Canada have successfully implemented this system, demonstrating its financial viability.

Size of the Legislative Branch:
The bicameral system in Nigeria's legislative branch has resulted in an excessive number of members and staff. The Senate President, House Speaker, and their respective members have a large retinue of staff, further increasing the financial burden. This pattern is replicated in the 36 State Assemblies, exacerbating the financial strain on the country, that is facing serious financial difficulties, which may remain in the foreseeable future. A return to the parliamentary system would streamline the legislative branch, reducing costs and promoting efficiency.

In a parliamentary system, the legislative branch consists of a single chamber, which reduces the number of members and staff required. This results in significant cost savings, as seen in countries like Australia and New Zealand. The streamlined structure allows for more effective decision-making and resource allocation.

In summary, due to the adverse financial situation in Nigeria, the current presidential system of government has become unsustainable. The large size of the executive arm, with the requirement for each state to produce a Minister, and the excessive number of members and staff in the bicameral legislative branch contribute to the financial strain. Returning to the parliamentary system, as seen in the first republic, would alleviate these issues by reducing costs and promoting financial discipline. While both systems have their merits, the cost perspective and the need for financial restraint make a return to the parliamentary system more expedient in the current circumstances.
This is perhaps, the right time to consider a review of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended)

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has asked the Federal Government to ensure that the Department of State Services (DSS) abides by court orders.

Falana made this plea in light of a dispute on Tuesday between the DSS and the Nigerian Correctional Service regarding the custody of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is currently facing charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Recalls that the disagreement arose after Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted Emefiele bail for a sum of N20m, leading to a clash between the two governmental services.

In a statement addressing this incident, Falana said, “The Federal Government should also ensure that the orders of the Federal High Court are obeyed forthwith.

“Notwithstanding the avowed commitment of the Bola Tinubu administration to operate under the rule of law, a team of State Security Service officials brazenly disobeyed the orders of the Federal High Court, which admitted Mr Godwin Emefiele to bail in respect of the offence of illegal possession of firearms.

“For daring to comply with the orders of the Federal High Court, officials of the Correctional Centre were attacked by gun-totting officers of the SSS.”

He emphasized the need for adherence to the rule of law.

Falana further stated that the security officers involved in the attack on the Correctional Centre officials should be identified and penalized.

He warned all public officers to learn from Emefiele’s predicament, highlighting Emefiele’s previous disregard for court orders.

Emefiele under the administration of ex-president, Muhammadu Buhari had disobeyed the ruling of the Supreme Court on the cash policy.

Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian and Napoli striker, is expected to earn €50 million (N43 billion) if he joins French giants Paris Saint-Germain during this transfer window.

Aurelio De Laurentiis, the owner of Napoli, expects a million-dollar offer for the player and believes PSG is the only club that can afford the Nigeria international.

Due to De Laurentiis’ high asking price, other top clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich have withdrawn from negotiations for Osimhen.

Last week, it was reported that PSG had offered €120 million for Osimhen, which the Serie A champions had already rejected.

According to multiple reports, Napoli values Osimhen at €150 million, and no club is willing to meet that asking price at the moment.

“The only club in the world that could afford Victor Osimhen is Paris Saint-Germain,” De Laurentiis told Mediaset.

“If (PSG president) Nasser Al Khelaifi submits a bid of around €200 million, we’ll see what happens.” Victor, in my opinion, will remain here.”

According to Sky Sports, PSG and Al-Hilal have agreed to a €300 million deal for Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, though the player has not yet agreed to play in Saudi Arabia.

If the World Cup winner leaves, Osimhen would be an excellent replacement.

According to elfutbolero.us, if Napoli signs the 24-year-old, he could earn €50 million as the team’s star, but Osimhen is not interested in moving to Ligue 1.

Osimhen scored 26 goals and assisted five times in 32 league appearances last season, helping the Partenopei win Serie A for the first time in over three decades.

He was also the first African to win the prestigious Capocannoniere award given to Serie A’s top scorer.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss will gaze back at you” – Friedrich Nietzsche.

Comrade Yinka Odumakin wrote a book with the above title in which he lambasted former President Oluseegun Obasanjo as the hunter who became the hunted. Ironically, Obasanjo, whose administration (1999 – 2007) birthed both the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) on 29 September, 2000 and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 12 December, 2002, later became the butt of cruel jokes as far as corruption malfeasance, including the corrupting influence of absolute power, were concerned. He has, however, neither been tried nor found guilty of corruption charges. Such sundry allegations remain, therefore, in the realm of conjectures, on social media tirades, and what is referred to here as “pepper-soup joint” gossip. This includes the allegation that the former president worked at subverting the country’s Constitution to have a third term in office (the Constitution allows only a maximum of two terms of four years each in office), an allegation he has roundly denied, despite the “physical cash evidence” reportedly brought forward by some, thus making the peddlers of the allegations to refer to the former president as “the father of corruption” in Nigeria, an unbefitting title that Obasanjo has vigorously rejected.

It is trite in law that an accused person is deemed innocent until he has been proved otherwise by a court of competent jurisdiction. You must have had your day in court and be pronounced guilty as charged before allegations of corruption can stick on you. Thus, even if the allegations are “known” to everyone and they are so humongous that the ocean would be incapable of washing them away, as my Grandma would say, or as the scripture records in Isaiah 1: 18 - “though your sins be as scarlet (or) be red like crimson” - you will remain “as white as snow” and be made to look as inviolate “as wool” until you have had your day in court, as they say. That is the position of the law; public opinion, however, is a different kettle of fish!

There are many very big and powerful Nigerians who walk the street free today who, ordinarily, should be in prison if public opinion is anything to go by or, better still, if the cases of corruption hanging around their neck are diligently prosecuted. Not only do they walk around free as air, an uncountable number of them occupy positions of power and, just imagine, bear rule over the people and continue in that position not only to suppress their Day Of Judgment but to also continue in their act of depravity, feeding fatter still on the common till and shoving their impunity down our throat! The EFCC, since inception, has particularly been notorious with its helmsman – and woman – going down on charges/allegations of corruption and or abuse of power/office. So, here, corruption-cum-abuse of power/office is not gender free! As we speak, the immediate past substantive head of the EFCC has been removed from office and is undergoing investigation. We await the outcome!

It is bad when the hunter becomes the hunted but what of when the hunter gets captured by the “game” which, in this case, is corruption itself! “The hunter gets captured by the game” is a 1966 song written by Smokey Robinson and which became a hit single in 1967 for the American girl group, The Marvelettes, for the Motown label, from their self-styled album of the same year; it is the story of a lady who talks about how she had been stalking her lover, having to learn his “ways and habits” so she could catch him. However, “certain things re-arranged” and she found herself falling head-in-love with the supposed game! I am sure you know that “certain things re-arrange” here once people get into power! Even those you could place your neck on the chopping block for when they are not yet in power transform radically once they taste power and you begin to wonder whether you ever knew them!

The reasons for this must be many, some of which are to be found outside of the “game”. Societal expectations and pressure contribute a lot. Have you bothered to find out the actual salaries and emoluments of those in positions of authority? They are usually nothing to write home about. Yet, once a man gets into office, even if it is the unenviable and daunting office of catching thieves or drug addicts, everyone starts to congratulate and mill around them. They begin to drum it into his or her ears that “this is your turn” as well as the “turn” of those of them privileged to be close to him! Their “turn” to do what, if I may ask!

“Everyone we know is touched by corruption”, says actress Jennifer Lawrence. Until everyone, including the corrupt, knows this, the fight against corruption will be a wild goose chase. Nobel Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchu, says: “Without strong watchdog institutions, impunity becomes the very foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And if impunity is not demolished, all efforts to bring an end to corruption are in vain” Do we not enthrone impunity when the corrupt are those in power and calling the shots everywhere? Who, then, will bell the cat? In my view, Delia Ferreira spoke pointedly to Nigerians when she said: “People’s indifference is the best breeding ground for corruption to grow”

We are more than indifferent to corruption here; we, in fact, wait patiently and pray fervently for our own turn to come! It must not tarry; but even if it does, let it surely come! (Habakkuk 2:3). I like Pope Francis’s take on corruption: “Corruption is paid for by the poor!” And the same poor are the ones who fight-to-the-death for, and defend, their oppressors. Above all, I love the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari’s quotation on corruption: ”If we (Nigerians) do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria” Perhaps, then, that is one good service corruption will do Nigeria; the final solution, if we must quote Adolf Hitler, to the Nigerian nightmare!

Nigeria already suffers what is called “state capture” by corruption. Corrupt men and women hold the levers of power and, to perpetuate themselves, they breed their own kind and bar good men and women from gaining access. No arm of government is spared. No tier of government is spared. No Ministry, Agency or Parastatal of the government is spared. The private sector is not spared. Religious leaders are not spared, their vainglorious pontification notwithstanding. And everyone appears overwhelmed. We are resigned to our fate! Otherwise, why are we not moved by the humongous cases of corruption that ooze out of the nooks and crannies of government offices on a daily basis? It would appear as if our lethargy is second to none!

Yesterday, I saw on social media the spectacle of a limousine slowly screeching to a halt with security aides running alongside it on both sides. I told myself, “Oh! that must be a visiting head of state” but my heart sank when it was Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, that emerged from the car! Common Number Three man! What, then, should we expect from the president and vice-president and the 36 governors in their respective “fiefdoms” all over the country? Why do we allow persons who are supposed to serve us this level of opulence when we ourselves wallow in abject penury and lack? Is that not why they think N8000 is all we need as palliatives?

Cassius, then, is right: “Men at some time are masters of their fate: The fault, O Caesar, is not in our stars but in ourselves, that we are underlings”! Those wasting their time crying unto God or expecting Him to intervene should hold their peace! God has done His bit; it is now left unto us to do ours! As my people will say, mother Chameleon has done her bit by giving birth to her child; if the child does not know how to dance, it is its fault, not mother Chameleon's! Has it not been said that a people deserve the government they get? Says Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US president: “The government you elect is the government you deserve” Joseph de Maistre concurs by saying: “Every nation gets the government it deserves”

Videos of the rot in three critical agencies of the Federal Government that have trended in recent times without any (known) action taken by the new administration beggars belief. The watchdog organisations are the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT). The cans of worms opened by insiders in the three organisations must not be swept under the carpets. A surgical operation is needed. Competent men and women of integrity should be drafted on rescue missions to these very critical institutions without delay.

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Tuesday said people are wrongfully dissipating their energy on the music video posted by singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, on his social media page.

Soyinka said those castigating and vilifying Davido over the video are making a mountain out of a molehill as they are other important issues they need to address.

The video, captioned ‘Jaiye Lo,’ which was released by Logos Olori, an artiste under Davido, showed some people dressed in white jalabiyas like Muslims, praying the way Muslims do before launching into dancing as they recited some Quranic verses and prayed.

Mats were spread for those praying behind an ‘Imam’ who used the popular single-prayer rug (sajadah). Those who were praying also read out what looked like Muslim recitations in Arabic language and prostrated the way Muslims do in prayer.

In the video, Logos Olori was seen sitting on the roof of a mosque-like building mounted with a horn public address system, thus, creating the complete impression of a mosque scenario.

Muslims faithful have attacked Davido for displaying such video on his Twitter handle and threatened action.

But Soyinka, in a statement on Tuesday said he had not seen the Davido clip and would greatly appreciate if someone would make it available so they all could debate, objectively, the merits and demerits of positions taken over this recent product of the musician.

There are, however, certain principles, histories, rights and responsibilities of artistic creativity that should not be smothered under emotional manipulation.

The Nobel laureate stated: “The following should not be needed, but we appear to inhabit a nation space where memory deficiency has become an accreditation badge of competence in national affairs. I recall my intervention, several years ago, in an attempt to pillory former Governor of Kaduna State, El Rufai over some comment he had made that was considered derogatory to followers of Christianity.

“I forget the reference now but I do distinctly recall another of a bank manager who, at Easter tide, referred to the risen Christ as a metaphor for the risen dough in the bakeries of Oshodi. Something along those lines. Under obvious pressure, he apologized, and I rebuked him for the gesture.

“There was nothing to apologize about, and that applied equally to El Rufai’s comments at the time. It should come as no surprise that I equally absolutely disagree with Shehu Sani if indeed, as reported, he has demanded an apology from Davido on behalf of the Moslem community.

“No apology is required, None should be offered. Let us stop battening down our heads in the mush of contrived contrition – we know where contrition, apology and restitution remain clamorous in the cause of closure and above all – justice. Such apologies have not been forthcoming. In their place, we have the ascendancy of petulant censorship in the dance and music department. Just where will it end?”

Soyinka added that most forms of worship – from the Hare Krishna to Hinduism and lesser-known religions – sought transcendental experience through the medium of dance.

“It goes beyond mere elation or euphoria and involves surrender of the ego to the mystical and sublime – through dance. The secularization of that medium stretches across religions, and offers the artistes’ a means of invoking a sense of spiritual community, through a common act of self-surrender.

“As already admitted, I have not seen the clip, but I insist on the right of the artiste to deploy dance in a religious setting as a fundamental given. Such deployment is universal heritage, most especially applicable in the case of Islam where a plot of land, even without the physical structure, can be turned, in the twinkling of an eye, into a sacral space for believers to gather and worship in between mundane pursuits,” he said.

According to Soyinka, dancing in front of a mosque could not therefore, on its own, be read as an act of provocation or offence but as affirmation of the unified sensibility of the spiritual in human.

“Let us learn to read it that way. Those who persist in taking offence to bed and serving it up as breakfast should exercise their right of boycotting Davido’s products – no one quarrels with that right. However, it is not a cause for negative and incitive excitation.

“The greater responsibility is to face squarely the root issues of religion in the nation. That root issue is starkly stated thus: the sectarian appropriation of the power of life and death across a community of believers, other believers, and even non-believers alike, be it for real, imagined, or deliberately contrived offence.

“It was not Davido’s music that lynched Deborah Yakubu, and continues to frustrate the cause of justice. Nor has it contributed to the arbitrary detention of religious dissenters – call them atheists or whatever – such as Mubarak Bala, now languishing in prison for his 38th month. These are the provocations where every citizen should exercise the capacity for revulsion.

“They are the issues deserving of, indeed exercise primary claim on a nation’s capacity for righteous indignation. All else is secondary. Distractive piffle,” he stated