The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) today stormed Nigeria’s Federal Capital City, Abuja, demanding the immediate removal from office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa. The Abuja action is sequel to an earlier demonstration in Lagos where a protest letter was delivered to Governor Babatunde Fashola for onward delivery to Umaru Yar’Adua.
The anti-corruption crusaders listed the sins of Aondoakaa, who doubles as Minister of Justice. He was alleged to have whittled down the prosecutorial powers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct tribunal (CCT). They accuse him of constantly meddling in the affairs of these agencies, most time abruptly ending cases they started, transforming them into toothless bulldogs. The group accused Aondoakaa of being a cog in the wheel of progress of the administration’s fight against corruption.
The Minister’s refusal to approve the release of Nigerian investigators who investigated the massive looting of Delta State’s treasury by former Governor James Ibori during his tenure in office to give evidence at a London court where his associates are standing trial over money laundering charges also angered the protesters. The group alleged that that singular unpopular action of the Minister was aimed at thwarting the trial of the former governor whom he daily celebrates at every opportunity.
Aondoakaa also got knocks for his role in the Vaswani saga. The protesters accused him of being behind the re-opening of the Indians’ closed company, Honda Place, and their re-admission into the country even though the Vaswanis were deported for withheld billions of Naira due to the Federal Government on import duties and for other crimes bordering on economic sabotage.
The protesters took their campaign to the National Assembly complex where they were scheduled to meet with the leadership of the upper legislative arm.
Meanwhile Saharareporters has learnt that the AGF traveled out secretly to Ethiopia yesterday in view of plans by the Federal High Court in Asaba to "quash" charges against indicted James Ibori. Aondoakaa often skips town to avoid being seen as being the hand behind such criminal manipulation of the judiciary. During a secretive trip recently Andoakaa’s luck ran out as Nigerians in England used a telephone hotel call-in technique to smoke him out of London.
Our sources said that Judge Awokulehin, the Asaba “kangaroo” judge, has come under immense pressure over revelations that he has already received a $5 million bribe to do Ibori's bidding tomorrow.
Another source at the Ministry of Justice disclosed that the quashing of the deportation order imposed on the Vaswanis was made possible by Aondoakaa and that his trip was also timed to coincide with the nebulous court judgment that came as a rude shock to Nigerians.
The Vaswani brothers were cited for scamming the Nigerian treasury of N2.5 billion in duties to the Customs. They were summarily arrested and deported, much against the wishes of Aondoakaa. The Vaswanis went ahead to sue the EFCC and the AGF for violating their rights before Justice Dan Abutu of the Federal High Court. Unable to get reprieve, Andoakaa urged them to sue his office before another judge. He then tactically avoided defending the case, thereby leading the judge yesterday to quash the deportation order on the Vaswanis.
The Vaswani's were deported by the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu but were subsequently pardoned. They returned to Nigeria as soon as YarAdua assumed power. During their deportation, they tried setting up shops in Ghana but the Ghanaian government barred them from entering the country, citing the point that their parents had equally been deported from Ghana in the 1970s for economic sabotage. The Vaswani's, before their first deportation, also scammed Nigeria for up to N4.7 billion in duties fees.
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