Sir: The recent statement issued by the office of the Honourable Attorney -General and Minister of Justice with the title: 'The Prosecution of Corrupt Crimes' as reported in The Guardian, Wednesday, April 15, 2009 is wrong in several respects. The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation should be an office that embodies much dignity in its activities and signifies all that is good in Nigeria. If every other aspects of our national life have taken a descent to the worse, it should not be said, at least so soon, that the office of the Attorney-General cannot issue a statement that is clear in thought and plain in language. The title of the Statement is so confusing that it betrays a half-hearted approach to cases of corruption, one of the many accusations against the present occupant of that high office.
Looking at the statement, its title does not reveal anything except 'prosecution', which in all sense does not call for any statement as was issued. Without prosecution, in view of the 1999 Constitution, nothing much is in the office of the AGF. Now, the words 'Corrupt Crimes' tend to personify 'crime' thereby attributing the act of 'corruption' on the concept of 'crime'. The statement issued might have been a well conceived statement by a duty conscious Special Assistant. And if so, Nigeria is in a deep mess. To put ' crimes' where there should be 'persons' is an act of corruption in its highest form. Was it not Ralph Waldo Emerson that said that the corruption of man starts with the corruption of language?
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That, 'Nigerians are assured that as the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, I have no reason whatsoever to cover up anybody and will remain focused and committed to achieving zero-tolerance for corruption, which is the focus of Musa Yar'Adua's administration', greatly reveals the effort that was made to put the hackneyed title together. Are those that question the AGF's sincerity in the fight against corruption not Nigerians? Who then is the AGF giving assurance? Could not the office of the AGF have just written, if at all it was necessary to issue any statement, THE PROSECUTION OF CORRUPT NIGERIANS instead of 'The Prosecution of Corrupt Crimes'?
If most Nigerians expect the prosecution of corrupt officials under this government, they might well wait in vain. For us we should be spared any reason to compare those days when the office of the Attorney-General evoked much respect and awe with what we have presently. That the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is no more professional in its duties and dignified in its carriage is a billboard large enough for the eyes. May we humbly ask for one thing: there should be a resemblance between those good days and the present time at least in matters of press statements.
Opunim Nwagbegbe,
Calabar,
Cross-River.
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