Ex governor Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State must be kicking himself these days for not jumping from the Atiku camp into Obasanjo’s when he had the chance. He must look on with envy and mixed feelings at how ex governors Kalu, Ibori, Odili, Dariye, Igbinedion, Turaki, Nnamani, Nyame, Yerima and Akume are faring today. Heck, those people can even go into London still dressed in men’s clothes.
Ex governor Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State must be kicking himself these days for not jumping from the Atiku camp into Obasanjo’s when he had the chance. He must look on with envy and mixed feelings at how ex governors Kalu, Ibori, Odili, Dariye, Igbinedion, Turaki, Nnamani, Nyame, Yerima and Akume are faring today. Heck, those people can even go into London still dressed in men’s clothes. Yar’Adua fresh from a diabolic election funded mostly by the same men above, quickly coined a phrase: “rule of law.” Everybody understood that to mean “get out clause.” Andoakaa whose résumé had only one item: stubborn defence of a corrupt governor was brought in to lead the interment of budding prosecution cases against outrageously thieving people. But the government still needed someone to evoke the Nunc Dimittis. Enter one Mrs Farida Waziri. Yar’Adua, when he eventually found the strength and courage, kicked Nuhu Ribadu sideways, then downward. Waziri was appointed May 15 2008 as chair of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and since then, there hadn’t been even a whisper about the corruption charges levelled against those ex governors.
The former chairman of the EFCC, Ribadu rightly had his critics, but no one could deny that at least, some of our thieving governors were been pursued legally. Not so now. It would appear that we would now have to take as gospel some of those serious allegations in some media – especially Saharareporters - that trailed and continues to dog the appointment of Waziri to the EFCC. First it was alleged that it was the same gaggle of corrupt ex governors (and the trio of Governor Saraki of Kwara State, James Ibori, and Michael Aondoakaa, particularly) that nominated Waziri as far back as February 2008 and eventually prevailed on Yar’Adua to appoint her. It was also alleged that former Inspector General of Police, MD Yusuf who is also Yar'Adua's cousin pushed for Waziri’s nomination. Yusuf had faced a series of interrogation from former EFCC operatives over his involvement in the Halliburton scandal. Then, it came to light that Waziri had on November 8 2007 stood surety for ex governor Akume of Benue State in his corruption case with the EFCC. Akume’s defence lawyer was Andoakaa, current Attorney General. It was reported soon after that Akume’s file at the EFCC had simply disappeared. Another file that went missing as soon as Waziri came on board was that of Mrs Patience Jonathan. Back in 2006, N104 million and some $13.5 million were seized from the Vice President’s wife. Just a few days after assuming the headship of the EFCC, Waziri was alleged to have given go ahead for Henry Imasekha, one of Ibori’s money laundering collaborators, to return to Nigeria. Imasekha had been a fugitive in Ghana where he had fled as EFCC officials closed in on him late last year. Imasekha it was who fronted for Ibori’s 2006 acquisition of Wilbros Nigeria Limited, a multinational oil-servicing firm in Port Harcourt.
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Imasekha bought it for $155 million, using his new company, Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited. Also not long after Waziri’s resumption of office, she secretly redeployed Yahaya Bello, a Superintendent of Police back to the Nigerian Police headquarters. This move even surprised EFCC regular staffs as Bello was the key EFCC officer who investigated and continued to investigate Ibori for massive corruption and graft. Bello who had trained with the London Metropolitan Police was the designated officer handling cases involving the London Metropolitan Police in Nigeria. Bello is yet to be given a new designation by the Police authorities in Abuja. He just turns up at the building and hangs about. With his removal, Ibori’s case gathers dust in a filing cabinet. No peep has been heard about the 103 counts of theft and corruption levelled against Ibori. It was also recently alleged that Waziri received a N1 billion kickback to suppress the prosecution of ex governor Tinubu who had been accused by the EFCC to helping himself to about N50 billion from Lagos State’s treasury.
Across the river, Liyel Imoke who was on the verge of being arrested for his role in the $16 billion power project was let off under instructions from Yar’Adua and Waziri. Instead, his re-election was hurriedly concluded. Back in early January 2007, the EFCC released an interim report charging ex governor Peter Odili with direct diversion of well over N100 billion of Rivers State’s money using Mr. Arumemi-Ikhide and his relation. Nothing further has been heard of that report. Odili has through his wife – a Judge, the PDP and the EFCC closed that chapter of his life it would seem. In fact, he recently unfurled an obscene and very over the top 60th birthday celebration in Abuja. Lucky Igbinedion on his part had 142 counts of corruption and stealing slapped on him by the EFCC on January 8 2008. He was accused of pilfering more than $24 million. During Igbinedion’s eight year reign, Edo State got very unlucky and actually regressed. Yet this man has some of the best properties in the world today! To God be the glory; Chimaroke Nnamani was charged with 124 counts of money laundering and illegal diversion of N39.6 billion and $8.2m belonging to Enugu State.
He also temporarily forfeited 32 properties he owned to the EFCC. Madness redefined! He is now a “distinguished” Senator of the Republic. Saminu Turaki of Jigawa is also now a Senator. Jigawa State was reported to be slightly below the status of a hamlet developmentally by the current governor on account of how Turaki left the place. In fact, he left the people of the State with a tidy $1 billion debt. Turaki was formally charged with stealing N36 billion from the coffers of his State as well as diverting State funds through several front companies run by his associates and his brother, Bashir Turaki. The alleged associates as well as Bashir are currently on the run. He also took a $100 million personal loan from Guaranty Trust Bank. The $100 million loan was secured with Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) against Jigawa’s monthly allocation from the Federation Account. The money was used to finance the development of three oil fields given to him by ex president Obasanjo.
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In the EFCC cells before he was let out on bail, he had a daily routine of copious sobbing. This man found his weepy voice again just a few months ago to shamefacedly nominate Yar’Adua for a third term! Ex governor Kalu had faced a 107 corruption count charge. Specifically, Kalu was charged with stealing, money laundering, and diversion of funds using his mother, daughter, wife and brother to divert some N35 billion to build his business empire including Slok Airlines, Slok Pharmaceuticals, and a newspaper house. But he is today an active part of Yar’Adua’s ‘government of national unity.’ Even his mother who had to leg it across the border in an inelegant chase had since returned to run things with Kalu in Abia State. Also participating in the ‘government of national unity’ is one Sani Yerima of Zamfara State. He was the apostle-in-chief of made-in-Nigeria Sharia. Yerima was charged with 36 counts of money laundering and directly stealing billions of Naira of State funds. His limbs are intact and he is also now a “distinguished” Senator of the Republic. The thieving ex governors that had their travel documents seized by Ribadu had since had same returned to them. They were all returned under the guises of undertaking medical trips abroad. The first beneficiaries were Kalu and Igbinedion.
Lucky Igbinedion still spotting his lush moustache can be found these days in the U.S., especially in Atlanta, and Boston where he held an elaborate graduation party for his daughter this summer. James Ibori travelled to the last Olympics in Beijing with the Nigeria official delegates. In fact, Ibori’s visibility and largeness these days is particularly vexing and immoral. When he is not in Oghara his hometown (which is becoming as uncomfortable for him as the rest of Delta State), Ibori can be found in Aso Rock. It is said that he has a semi permanent suite in the place. His erstwhile Finance Commissioner David Edevbie who was an arrowhead in the mind boggling looting of Delta has been appointed Yar’Adua’s Principal Secretary. Edevbie effectively functions as the Chief of Staff in this administration. The Metropolitan Police in London had named him as an accomplice in the extensive money laundering charges against Ibori. What is up with that? Is Yar’Adua plotting his own looting expedition too? Ibori and Turaki routinely went on the campaign trail (during re-ordered States elections) with Yar’Adua.
Things have degenerated to the extent that the US State Department has signalled an end to America’s collaboration with the EFCC. Waziri who recently had a sit-down with some newspaper Editors at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel to work out a plan to shore up her perfidious image was pronounced by some of the same Editors as unserious and not having a grasp of the EFCC job. Those who packaged this image laundering meeting for her included Newswatch Magazine Editors Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed. Just a few days ago, as she exited a Senate Committee Room, a Reporter asked her about the prosecution of around 31 governors that were alleged to have cases pending against them. Waziri responded that the EFCC is not just about prosecuting people but about prevention. When I watch TV these days, I see info-commercials programmes by the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Customs, and the Civil Defence Corps. At least these openly corrupt agencies have given up all pretences and have restricted themselves to fighting their battles against crime solely on television in thirty minute time slots. Perhaps it is time for the EFCC and the Yar’Adua federal cabinet to buy their own time slots and roll camera.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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