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State of Corruption in Nigeria

January 10, 2009

 Text of Address by the Chairman of the Movement Against Corruption, MAC, Imam Abdur Rahman Ahmad, on the State of Corruption in Nigeria delivered at  Hotel Sindaba, New GRA, Bauchi , Jan 8, 2009.Gentlemen of the Press Distinguished Colleagues

 Text of Address by the Chairman of the Movement Against Corruption, MAC, Imam Abdur Rahman Ahmad, on the State of Corruption in Nigeria delivered at  Hotel Sindaba, New GRA, Bauchi , Jan 8, 2009.
Gentlemen of the Press
Distinguished Colleagues



Most certainly, government propagandists will be quick to dismiss the Movement Against Corruption, MAC, for coming back to the public so soon to re-appraise  corruption in the land.  This is happening less than two weeks after the last public outcry immediately compelled by the removal of Nuhu Ribadu, the erstwhile Chair of EFCC.  Such is the fast pace of degeneracy in the conduct of public affairs in this country that the need for efforts such as MAC currently musters cannot be overemphasised.  There seems to be no end to questionable decisions.  Even as this trend is nationwide, it appears to be growing in leaps.

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MAC has watched, with dismay, the ludicrous fine of N3.5million imposed on Mr. Lucky Igbinedion, the ex-governor of Edo State by the Federal High Court. Having regard to the fact that the EFCC has overwhelming evidence to substantiate the  money laundering charges involving billions of naira, MAC rejects the fraudulent plea bargaining and settlement of the case. While warning judges to desist from giving judgments capable of undermining the judiciary and exposing anti-corruption crusade to ridicule, MAC welcomes the decision to appeal against the dangerous judgment and urges that the appeal be followed to a logical conclusion.


The attention of MAC has also been drawn to the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the interlocutory appeal filed by ex-governor James Ibori. Notwithstanding that the Federal High Court has only one jurisdiction throughout; the Court of Appeal ruled that the trial of Chief Ibori before the Federal High Court in Kaduna was illegal. On that ground the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has been directed to transfer the case to the Federal High Court in Benin.  Distinguished colleagues and gentlemen of the press, MAC has confirmed that other ex-governors have insisted that their cases be discontinued and taken to the Federal High Court in states where they once held sway. In view of the crowds that are usually rented to courts by the powerful accused persons, MAC is worried that the Court of Appeal may have unwittingly frustrated the prosecution of those cases. The implication of this is that  the cases of Ralph Uwazurike, Asari Dokubo, Henry Okah and others should be transferred to the Federal High Court located in the states of origin of the accused persons. Therefore the EFCC is advised to challenge the strange judgment of the Appeal Court at the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the situation in the north is hardly any better.  The ICPC only recently invited top officials of the Bauchi State Government to explain how some N65 billion naira belonging to the state government was spent.  This was sequel to a petition by a resident of the State alleging “reckless misappropriation of public funds” by the state governor and other top officials of the state government he accused of monumental fraud.  ICPC has since revealed that the petitioner accused the governor and public servants of the state of withdrawing over N30 billion from the state government’s coffers without any reason.  Other details of the petition have since been made public.  The state government has been struggling to controvert this but no word, till date, has come from the collaborating bank of which Isa Yuguda used to be part of the management.  No such business organisation deeply interested in its perception by the same public capable of determining its success will ignore such an indictment if it is not true.


MAC notes with disbelief the statement credited to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation purporting to direct the EFCC to stop further investigation and or prosecution of the notorious Vaswani Brothers. MAC submits that this is rather unpatriotic and a monumental disservice to the nation and a denigration of the office of the AGF particularly when the AGF is neither a judge nor a duly constituted court of law.  The rule of law properly so-called requires that only a duly constituted court of law can stop investigation and or prosecution of suspected criminals.

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Equally important is the conferment of national honours on unscrupulous individuals such as those indicted in the Siemens scandal.  MAC condemns this act as an unpardonable national embarrassment.


To sustain the mechanism of checks and balances in a democratic system, there is hardly any value as fundamental as the rule of law which the Yar’Adua government touts as its mantra.  However, how could a supposedly democratic government as Yar’ Adua’s with its manifest relish for arbitrariness convince and encourage the citizens to be obedient to the laws of the land with the kind of model it offers?


We at MAC, with no fewer than 300 member organizations nationwide, reckon that the Faridah Waziri-led EFCC announced and repeatedly echoed the fact that it intended to refocus the campaign against corruption.  We were anxious for the promised creativity.  It later stated that rather than being combative, as if that never yielded any dividends, it would be more interested in entrenching preventive measures. Distinguished colleagues and gentlemen of the press, what has become of the promised creativity?  Today, the reality is that rather than being combative and probably productive, the EFCC has been distastefully revisionist.  Will there be any conclusion to what is being initiated? What about all the cases instituted by the Ribadu regime?  The Nigerian public is convinced that the Waziri-led EFCC is friendly to the corrupt former governors.  It, for instance, had the effrontery to declare that  files relevant to their cases had been lost in the well fortified office of the EFCC. Even as the ICPC immediately ‘countered’ that the files of those crooks were still in its custody nothing has been done and may never be done.  The reality is that the Yar’Adua’s new team may feature names of those characters whose files had been declared missing.  Already, the public is getting the impression that this government has assured the crooked former governors who were President Yar’Adua’s colleagues in the Governors Forum between 1999 and 2007 of all support to shield them from the law.  The manifestations are rather too conspicuous for us to recount here.


Following public pressure and condemnation, the Waziri-led EFFC has since announced the rediscovery of the mysteriously missing files.  MAC looks forward to the immediate arraignment of these accused former governors in the appropriate courts.


As for the intention to refocus on preventive measures, anti-corruption enthusiasts like us still wonder if the plan, almost a year now, is still merely on the drawing board.  But we have noted some strides though.  The Fix Nigeria Initiative, FNI, conceptualized by the Ribadu regime at EFCC has been anything but functional again.  It is on record that that arm of the Commission had clearly articulated plan-which it even commenced- to take anti-corruption campaign to  students at all levels.  Not only that, it initiated and subscribed to collaborative projects with relevant non-governmental organizations to further grassroots entrenchment of the anti-corruption campaign.  MAC does not insist that Mrs. Waziri must not undertake any reform, but in whose interest?


It is sad to note that even at the level of the EFCC, history is being allowed to repeat itself. The immediate past government of President Obasanjo insisted that certain government corporations must be sold off even as they were doing well.  In like manner, notwithstanding the commendable performance of FNI, that initiative appears to be headed for disbandment.  Not for any other reason perhaps but because it derived from Ribadu’s passion.  The phobia for Ribadu has finally climaxed in its dismissal from the police.  Is the nation not the loser?
 
MAC wishes to assert that Ribadu’s dismissal from the police force sends a very strong and wrong signal to the entire workforce of the Nigerian public service on dedication to official responsibilities particularly when such border on the integrity of highly placed but ‘dirty’ persons in the society. 


As if to reconfirm its lack of independence and bankruptcy in logic, this same government that sacked two ministers from a key  sector(health) and even went ahead to prosecute them, rudely shocked the nation afterwards.  It announced its withdrawal from the case leaving Nigerians to begin to hazard wild guesses.  These ministers, it could be recalled had, together with some Senators including Iyabo Obasanjo stolen part of the remaining money for the year 2007 meant for the Health Ministry.  Of course this same government was most reluctant in tackling the daughter of President Yar’Adua’s benefactor even while the affected Ministers Grange and Adukwu were being dragged around in handcuffs.  Not only that, government was completely indifferent to the strident calls  from different quarters, that while it was good that Grange and Adukwu had been apprehended, it should undertake a thorough investigations of the other ministries to ascertain their well being. 

Today, Grange and Adukwu are proud members of PDP who are probably being made to handle some other public assignments.  What other evidence does the nation need than that of the NIPSS?  The story is already in the public domain.  This government is far from ashamed of the drama of absurd even as NIPSS supposedly symbolizes honour of some sort.  It is equally worth noting that none of those indicted by the power probe in the House of Representatives has been picked up by any of the law enforcement agencies.  What therefore, we may well ask, could such probes be promised to achieve in future?

Our Demands:
On behalf of our 300 member organizations spread across Nigeria we hereby demand that:
•    This government should desist forthwith from hoodwinking Nigerians with its deceitful rule of law mantra

•    Government should publish the full report of all probe panels funded with taxpayer’s money since the inception of this administration.

•    EFCC and ICPC should, without further delay, publish all the cases they are prosecuting and their stages

•     National Assembly committees on corruption and allied matters should exercise their oversight functions on the anti-corruption agencies and their policies and their activities.

•    Mrs. Farida Waziri should respond by way of explanation, denial or confirmation, the numerous allegation flying around with regards to the Mercedes Benz Jeep gift, the allocation, revocation and reallocation of plots of land in Abuja in her daughter’s name.

•    Mallam Nuhu Ribadu be reinstated immediately

•    FOI be given accelerated enactment to enable the public have correct information on public officers and their responsibilities in good time
•    Well meaning Nigerians, especially the media, NGOs, professionals, the academia and the international community should be more vigilant, proactive and protective of genuine anti-corruption initiatives in Nigeria
 
We thank you all for your patience

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