The Holy Bible in the book of Proverbs clearly warned Christian faithfuls that “In the multitude of words (too much talk), there is folly.” If only the Attorney General and the minister of justice of the federation, Micheal Aondoakaa, knew the consequences of blaming all his woes and those of Yar’adua’s trumpeted anti graft war on everybody but himself, he would have been wiser in his comments.
The AGF failed to be conscious of the traditional way Nigerians think, analyse issues and pass their judgments. Whether Aondoakaa agrees or not, the truth is that his actions and pronouncements had made the erstwhile chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu a national hero.
Nigerians tend to switch their sympathy and support to someone perceived to be persecuted for his stand on issues against government or top government officials and this is just the truth.
Frankly speaking, Aondoakaa’s major problem is that he talks too much and this has become a national embarrassment.
Last week, the embattled AGF issued an unusual press statement in which he claimed that some people in the corridors of power are after him, and are creating disaffection between him and Yar'Adua. According the report, the chief law officer of the federation fingered the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Tanimu Kufi as being responsible for his woes.
As reported in the media, Aondoakaa allegedly said “Tanimu has made more money for himself in the Yar'adua regime than anyone alive. The economic adviser has made up $500 million from deals that he helped broker for him as the Attorney General. Aondoakaa allegedly listed such deals as the reversal of Obasanjo era projects using his office as the AGF to give guided legal advice to Yar'adua. Others include the General Electric turbines and the Railway projects, which were earlier cancelled by the Yar'Adua regime but eventually taken over by the economic adviser.”
He also allegedly blamed Tanimu for the press release by the EFCC Chairman Mrs. Farida Waziri which denounced his action on Ibori and the other former governors. This was in response to an earlier media report that the AGF confronted Yar'Adua to say that he would be forced to reveal everything he did to help Yar'Adua retain his presidency in the Court of Appeal.
Aondoakaa (SAN) on Thursady, 25 September, 2009 lashed out harsh words for his colleagues in the Bar. As widely reported in the media, he accused them of spreading falsehood against his person and office in the battle against corruption. This was at a seminar organized by the National Strategic Working Group in Abuja.
Aondoakaa challenged any of his colleagues to come out with facts and figures and prove that his office has been trying to scuttle corruption cases against some former governors and prominent Nigerians.
His words: “Lawyers in the country play to the gallery with their utterances. At no time did my office and the EFCC go to court to withdraw any case.
“They always accuse me of doctoring some reports. I want lawyers to challenge me on some of these allegations against my person and office. We must stop playing to the gallery.”
This time, the AGF was replying a statement by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Rotimi Akeredolu accusing the minister of hindering anti-graft agencies from doing their work the way it should be done.
According to Akeredolu, “It is unfortunate that governance in Nigeria has been reduced to such a level that government leaders, who should know better, do not seem to realise that conflicting statements between one department of government and the other do not present Nigeria in a good light before the international community. It diminishes the country and embarrasses our friends. The gesture and pronouncement from the office of the AGF seems to stand at variance with the much-vaunted campaign by the government for probity and the rule of law.
“Nothing has exemplified further the suspicion that government has lost the fight against corruption as the conflicting statement between the Attorney-General of the Federation and the EFCC.
Akeredolu, while speaking at the valedictory session in honour of Justice Pius Olayiwola Aderemi who retired from the Supreme Court, had said “We strongly advise the AGF to allow the anti-corruption agencies to function unfettered with technicalities which appear to scuttle any serious attempt to bring some individuals to justice. The gesture and pronouncements emanating from the office of the AGF seem to stand at variance with the much-vaunted campaign by the government for probity and rule of law.
“The Bar considers the current controversies surrounding the prosecution of certain former public office holders under this present government and the roles ascribed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, as embarrassing.
When the Federal Executive Council mandated Aondoakaa to review the Uwais Electoral Reform Committee Report, he not only bastardised and mutilated the report but rejected the core ingredients which can guarantee a truly independent Election Commission or violence- free and fair elections – participation of the judiciary, executive and senate in the appointment of chairman and key officers of the Electoral Commission.
He equally removed the Uwais recommendation that post electoral disputes be resolved before swearing-in of winners. He refused to include the clause in Uwais report which canvassed that the burden of proof in election result should solely rest on the Electoral Commission.
Everything he recommended ran contrary to earlier recommendations by committee of the same Federal Executive Council led by Dr Shettima Mustapha which agreed with the Uwais Report.
On the issue of 25 witnesses needed by the Met Police,hear what Aondoakaa initially said: “Nobody has brought that information to my notice and immediately I saw the publication in the papers today, I contacted the Secretary of the EFCC, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye, who said they will be bringing whatever they have got from the Metropolitan Police on the next working day as regards the witnesses to testify in Ibori’s case. I have no request on my desk in relation to these witnesses. As soon as my office receives the request, it will be treated with dispatch and as the law requires.” Meanwhile, few days from that pronouncement following mounted pressure from all sections of the Nigerian society, the AGF said he has approved the release of the witnesses to go anywhere they want to. Haba!
How correct was the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Waziri Farida, when on Monday September 28 she called for a psychiatric test for politicians jostling for public office in order to determine their level of mental and psychological suitability, ahead of the 2011 elections.
The test as she summed up has become “necessary given the primitive accumulation of wealth to the point of madness by officials duly elected or appointed to serve the public.
Some of those officials might be suffering from obsessive- compulsive psychiatric disorder.
“Having dealt with many corruption cases, I am inclined to suggest that public officers should be subjected to some form of psychiatric evaluation to determine their suitability for public office.”
Since Yar’adua cannot drop Aondoakaa because of ‘what he did’ at the tribunals to keep him in office, at least the AGF should be properly schooled on how to talk, what to talk and when to talk, if for nothing, at least for the corporate image of this country.
SENIOR FYNEFACE, 11 ELELEWON STREET, GRA II PORT AHRCOURT ([email protected])
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