That problematic ‘war’ on corruption

I remember with nostalgia how simple and minor cases were treated with fanfare just because the people involved were in the bad books of the president or his henchmen. This manner of doing things was not abated even when President Yar’adua came with his rule of law mantra. We saw how very powerful men in […]

I remember with nostalgia how simple and minor cases were treated with fanfare just because the people involved were in the bad books of the president or his henchmen. This manner of doing things was not abated even when President Yar’adua came with his rule of law mantra. We saw how very powerful men in that government used the EFCC to deal with those perceived as political enemies using the routine economic crime argument as the basis for attack.

With the demise of Yar’adua, Goodluck Jonathan took over and sponsored the now-infamous PDP reform group which led to the persecution and subsequent removal from office of the party Chairman, Vincent Ogbulafor on charges of fraud when he served as a minister about a decade earlier.

This is not an elaborate discourse on what Obasanjo or Yar’adua have done while they lasted but a brief analysis of what President Goodluck Jonathan and his gang are doing and are likely to continue to do in Nigeria in the next four years.

The first victims of this wrong power-show are the former Speaker of the House of Reps, Dimeji Bankole and his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada. They were both arrested and charged to court for what the government though the EFCC claimed is fraud. I am not a lawyer but certainly can read between lines and understand motives.

I hate corruption, not just because it is immoral but because it is responsible for the absence of virtually every support service that will improve and enhance the life of the Nigerian people. Government for the past several years has been irrelevant to the people. Despite the huge resources that accrue to the Nigerian state, the level of poverty and backwardness in the country is alarming. Nothing is easy in this country and almost every social, political and economic infrastructure has broken down.

In the present situation, Nigerians are very angry and justifiably so with all those who represent them at the various levels and organs of government. We have so misplaced our priorities to the extent that if you want to finish any public officer, the only thing that one needs to do is to accuse such officer with corruption.

The scapegoat at the moment is the legislature. It was the governors after the 2007 elections. The reasons are clear; those who battled Obasanjo were arraigned. Now that the leaders of the 6th House of Reps battled the government of Goodluck Jonathan by disobeying the presidency and the party in thwarting the zoning dictatorship which produced Aminu Waziri and Emeka Ihediaoha as the presiding officers of the House, it is trouble for them.

The result therefore is that they are arraigned for various charges which to me look more political than they are legal. In any case, the matters are before the court of law, but it is important to ask certain pertinent questions. What is the relationship between the Speaker, his deputy with the procurement of television sets and torch lights? Is this not funny?

I thought that given the sensation created by both the EFCC and government on the ‘fraud’ in the House, the charges that were to follow would be breadth taking. Unfortunately or fortunately, what we heard were these charges of contract inflation and overdrawing of account and procurement of loan facilities by the Chief Executive of the Nigeria’s congress.

Ordinary Nigerians, corporate groups and government organizations are known to borrow small or large sums of monies to meet their legitimate needs and operations. The largest institution of democracy cannot borrow money from banks to meet their needs. This is amazing!

Where are the billions of US Dollars that were spent in the power sector over the years? Where are the billions of Naira that were appropriated and released to the transportation, roads, schools, hospitals? They are in private pockets and Nigerians are the victims since there is the absence of all the issues raised above.

What this government is doing to the leadership of the 6th House of Reps is merely revisiting what was done by Obasanjo before now. The prosecution in my view is aimed at embarrassing the former leaders for successfully defeating their party and the highest level of the presidency.

It cannot be the fault of either Dimeji Bankole or Usman Bayero or any of the former principal officers of the House if the presidency and the party leadership were caught flat-footed. The failure to deploy effective political strategy to ensure compliance and acceptability in my view is responsible for the failure of the parity to dictate to the House of Reps who made bold to elect leaders they can trust. We now see very well, the war against corruption is far from hitting the nail on the head. Government must be impartial and must face the right direction and stop this cosmetic rigmarole just for the sake of deceiving the nation. The anti-corruption agencies, especially the EFCC, may be feared but they are certainly losing respect.