The sacking of Ribadu has given the impression that many more untouchables will emerge from the Nigerian political landscape, that all living untouchables will go free and the incarcerated ones will soon breathe the air of freedom. Time is a function that will always bring out clearer pictures of everything. Some schools of thoughts have dismissed the anticorruption slogan of the illegitimate government in Nigeria. Whatever happens, no one should hope for too much from a government of opportunists and well known perpetrators of fraud. Time will time in all these things!

No amount of press secretaries or press offices can cover our eyes with veil such that we do not see how Atiku in his days in public service and in the PDP contributed to the spread of poverty and penury in Nigeria. For 8 years, Atiku paraded himself as the vice-president of Nigerian under the Obasanjo regime. Together, through their corrupt acts and insincerity, they left office with more problems for Nigerian than what was on ground in 1999. The expectation of the poverty-stricken people of Nigeria was far from being met when Atiku was the vice president of Nigeria.

Atiku’s press office may be quite efficient in refuting allegations of corruption against him. I am not perturbed about what they have to say to defend their boss and their own daily bread. They are doing a dirty job for which they get paid even from looted tax payers’ money! Nothing can take away the truth that in Nigeria, Atiku has gone done in history as one of the looters of our common treasury.

In 1999 and 2003, Atiku helped the PDP to power under the leadership of a very cruel master named Olusegun Obasanjo. Atiku fought a bitter public battle with Obasanjo as a result of the latter’s intention to perpetuate himself in office for life. Atiku had a legitimate ambition of becoming the president of Nigeria but some rancor prior to the 2003 elections and Obasanjo’s ambition put paid to that ambition. While declaring his ambition, he highlighted 5 areas of our national life that required urgent intervention. These include

• Employment generation and wealth creation,
• Security and war against corruption,
• Energy and infrastructural development,
• Education and social services
• The Niger Delta.

Nigerians should be grateful for the hand of fate that cause the katakata between Obasanjo and Atiku because that single event that brought governance to a halt for over 1 year in Nigeria gave us a deep insight into how Atiku participated in the looting to dryness of the Nigerian treasury. Let us imagine for once that everything went smoothly between Obasanjo and Atiku, then, all the allegations and counter allegations of corruption between him and Obasanjo would not have seen the light of the day. At the peak of their roforofo fight (in Fela’s words) Nigerians became tired of both Atiku and Obasanjo and the urge was to see the exit of both of them in 2007.

The implication of not having such a disagreement and subsequent roforofo fight is that power would have been transferred to Atiku and he would have continued to put up the face of an innocent man while stealing behind closed doors. In Nigerian politics, corruption is the keyword and that was why despite all the allegations of corruption here and there Obasanjo and Atiku still had followers. In civilized societies, both of them would have been under interrogation and possible prosecution and imprisonment. Immunity in Nigerian governance is a license to steal and loot. What a shame?

So, it happened that the PDP automatically became Obasanjo and Obasanjo became PDP; and the two became one. He threw Atiku out of PDP and deprived him of a platform to pursue or realize his ambitions. Atiku won case after case in the law court and eventually opted for the AC as the platform for his ambition. During his declaration, Atiku who was the architect of PDP’s rigged victories in 99 and 2003 had this to say "There is no great country without free and fair elections. We must mobilize all Nigerians to ensure that we free and fair and credible polls. Let them come out to vote and protect their votes. They must not allow those who want who want to subvert democracy to alter the outcome," he stated. Notable persons at the event included Chiefs Solomon Lar, Audu Ogbeh, Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Alhaji Lam Adesina, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Chief Segun Osoba and Alhaji Lawal Kaita among others.

What a wish and what a bunch of political gladiators! This is what the other parties and the people of Nigeria hoped and cried for in 1999 and 2003, but the likes of Atiku and his PDP cohorts smiled away with stolen mandates with Obasanjo as the lead beneficiary. The rest of what happened in 2007 (selection) is history. As a serious embarrassment to all Nigerians dead and alive, Obasanjo installed Umaru in the most shameful and worthless selection process since the evolution or creation of man. In Nigeria, rigging and manipulation of election result are acceptable ways of life. Even Atiku was stunned that he had crooks like Maurice Iwu beating him hands down in this shameful game.

The EFCC accused Atiku of diverting $125m into personal business interests. The report of his involvement in corrupt practices is quite voluminous. Villagers in this square have analyzed it back and forth.

No doubts, Atiku suffered humiliation as he championed the anti-third term struggle against a dictator like Obasanjo. Even a non-performer like Fani-Kayode could afford to spit his saliva on Atiku. He was the person loud enough to tell us such a nonsense that the presidential wing of the Airport is only meant for the President, "not to the Vice President or any other member of the public. It was the magnanimity of Mr. President that allows 20 members of family/staff of Atiku . Indeed politics in Nigeria has continued to bring out the animals in men.

One of the strongest arguments against the EFCC itself is that under Obasanjo, the commission completely strayed out of the path of duty into the field of witch-hunting. That whoever stood in the way of President Obasanjo during the turbulent days of the 'Third Term' project was marked for liquidation. Yet it is not clear how EFCC would have found a man corrupt if he was not corrupt at all. Does the EFCC manufacture bank documents and foreign account? Does the EFCC manufacture looted funds transferred to girlfriends or prostitutes? Does it connive with foreign banks to lodge imaginary funds abroad?

But one thing that continues to trail Atiku to this day is the international dimension of the allegations of corruption against him. They are popular scandals that had taken a substantial part of the World Wide Web. This is as a result of the involvement of the FBI in the case against him. It could have been cheap counter blackmail to say that EFCC was used by Obasanjo to sniff his dry, but I don’t know if Obasanjo or Ribadu induced the FBI to carry out the raid on his home in the US. I don’t know how many Nigerians bought this testimony told by Atiku when he faced the senate Ad-hoc committee. The real situation is that both Obasanjo and Atiku exposed each other’s corrupt acts and nothing can change that! No amount of haba! or ngbati-ngbati can take those revelations away. Who does not know that reddened eyes cannot light a cigarette?

Atiku has denied his involvement in the Willbros scandal . That is one of the issues that would be resolved with time and there are reasons to continue the probe.

The popular Jefferson’s story will also definitely be clearer with time. The US Congressman needs to be psychologically evaluated anyway as he continues to give contradictory positions/claims that he gave Atiku USD 100 000 bribe to facilitate a business transaction in Nigeria. Jefferson was filmed taking bribe and he also spoke about giving Atiku USD 500 000 as a motivating factor to make sure they obtained contracts for iGate and Mody's company in Nigeria.

Atiku, just like his former boss Obasanjo and several other corrupt Nigerian politicians are examples of people who have not given full accounts of their stewardships in offices to the Nigerian people. Probity and accountability remain alien to the Nigerian society and several attempts to make it a lifestyle have been crushed by the cabal, both seen and unseen. To this day in Nigeria, there is a class of citizens that are the untouchables because no matter how much we know about their corrupt attitudes and the evils that they perpetrated, they have never been called upon to answer for their deeds or they always find ways to evade being under the searchlights. For the suffering masses and the downtrodden, hope is not near!

Thy Glory O’ Nigeria…!

Further reading and references:

Gani Fawehinmi on NBA and Atiku

Atiku’s disqualification by INEC

Supreme Court’s Decisions

Acknowledgement

References from the Nigerian Guardian, The Washington Post, BBC, Nigerian Punch Newspaper, EFCC website and the Nigerian Village Square.

Robot  # 1 | 06.01.2008 01:46

var sbtitle8911=encodeURIComponent(The untouch...Read the full article.

gwobezentashi  # 2 | 06.01.2008 04:03

Why can't this author take a leaf from his own book. "You can't fool all of the people all of the time..." This is another regurgitation of unsubstantiated allegations that have been repeated time without number. The hope is that if it can be repeated enough, perhaps it could somehow transmute into truth. That Atiku's Potomac house was raided means something was found or that he was culpable? If an allegation is made, does this give the strength of fact? This man clearly comes from the Nuhu school of mud slinging. Perhaps he can explain to us, why Atiku has not been charged and Jefferson has? Did Atiku not go and live in America for 5 months after leaving office? Did the FBI so much as invite him for interview? That Obasanjo and EFCC mis-directed FBI to investigate Atiku is a suprise to this quack? That Jefferson made unsubstantiated allegations later found to be false certainly cuts no ice with this plonker on a hatchet mission? Atiku has responded forcefully to the innuendoes in the Wilbros affair. Why doesn't this joker try debunking them rather than simply hurling non stick mud? Let this man stop peddling innuendo and falsehoods. When he has facts, please wake us up. Right now, he is whistling in the dark or simply writing for the sake of writing. If he is that destitute or jobless, let him try watching paint dry. It would be a more effective use of his time. This is another example of lazy authorship and armchair commentary. No depth or rigour in analysis. Just a load of waffle and cobblers. This article belongs in the bin and is so consigned. Aluta! Gwobezentashi

Oghre  # 3 | 06.01.2008 09:07

=gwobezentashi;4294977755>Why can't this author take a leaf from his own book. "You can't fool all of the people all of the time..." This is another regurgitation of unsubstantiated allegations that have been repeated time without number. The hope is that if it can be repeated enough, perhaps it could somehow transmute into truth. That Atiku's Potomac house was raided means something was found or that he was culpable? If an allegation is made, does this give the strength of fact? This man clearly comes from the Nuhu school of mud slinging. Perhaps he can explain to us, why Atiku has not been charged and Jefferson has? Did Atiku not go and live in America for 5 months after leaving office? Did the FBI so much as invite him for interview? That Obasanjo and EFCC mis-directed FBI to investigate Atiku is a suprise to this quack? That Jefferson made unsubstantiated allegations later found to be false certainly cuts no ice with this plonker on a hatchet mission? Atiku has responded forcefully to the innuendoes in the Wilbros affair. Why doesn't this joker try debunking them rather than simply hurling non stick mud? Let this man stop peddling innuendo and falsehoods. When he has facts, please wake us up. Right now, he is whistling in the dark or simply writing for the sake of writing. If he is that destitute or jobless, let him try watching paint dry. It would be a more effective use of his time. This is another example of lazy authorship and armchair commentary. No depth or rigour in analysis. Just a load of waffle and cobblers. This article belongs in the bin and is so consigned. Aluta! Gwobezentashi Gwobezentashi, "You can't fool all of the people all of the time...” but the voice of the people is the voice of God and truth, Nigerians may be a race of passive people but surely they know when a thief is in their midst. There is not a single Nigerian anywhere in the western hemisphere who does not comment on Atiku Abubakar as a corrupt Nigerian who has somehow siphoned public money for his own private use. If Atiku Abubakar was an American and not a former Vice president wielding a diplomatic passport he will be close to 15 to life in an American (or Nigerian) jail. That he is not in that situation does not mean he has no case to answer. I can tell you that as long as these” regurgitation of unsubstantiated allegations that have been repeated time without number” means one day people will really take them serious and Atiku Abubakar will be made to face justice and then people like you will be forced to eat crow. We do not need to keep repeating the allegations against Atiku to translate them into truth; mudslinging, innuendos cannot take away the fact that Atiku has committed some of the worst cases of abuse and graft; his name will forever be synonymous with corruption. Atiku Abubakar has insinuated that he was not the only one who mismanaged and stole money from the PFT fund and that Obasanjo did the same, I guess by your books this translate as being innocent since he was not the only thief around at the time. One day Atiku will be made to give account of his stewardship as a customs office, a vice president and as the head of the privatisation program where he sold Nigeria’s assets to himself and his cronies. Surely by your cancerously-corrupt mind a customs office and later a vice president (who is nothing more than a civil servant) is able to buy properties in choice locations in America and also purchase a world class university. Goes to show you how low some Nigerians will stoop to celebrate crooks. I can only tell you that Nigerians are this minute laughing at your response to this article; I am certainly one of them. Happy New year to you

gwobezentashi  # 4 | 06.01.2008 13:17

=Oghre;4294977779>Gwobezentashi, "You can't fool all of the people all of the time...” but the voice of the people is the voice of God and truth, Nigerians may be a race of passive people but surely they know when a thief is in their midst. There is not a single Nigerian anywhere in the western hemisphere who does not comment on Atiku Abubakar as a corrupt Nigerian who has somehow siphoned public money for his own private use. If Atiku Abubakar was an American and not a former Vice president wielding a diplomatic passport he will be close to 15 to life in an American (or Nigerian) jail. That he is not in that situation does not mean he has no case to answer. I can tell you that as long as these” regurgitation of unsubstantiated allegations that have been repeated time without number” means one day people will really take them serious and Atiku Abubakar will be made to face justice and then people like you will be forced to eat crow. We do not need to keep repeating the allegations against Atiku to translate them into truth; mudslinging, innuendos cannot take away the fact that Atiku has committed some of the worst cases of abuse and graft; his name will forever be synonymous with corruption. Atiku Abubakar has insinuated that he was not the only one who mismanaged and stole money from the PFT fund and that Obasanjo did the same, I guess by your books this translate as being innocent since he was not the only thief around at the time. One day Atiku will be made to give account of his stewardship as a customs office, a vice president and as the head of the privatisation program where he sold Nigeria’s assets to himself and his cronies. Surely by your cancerously-corrupt mind a customs office and later a vice president (who is nothing more than a civil servant) is able to buy properties in choice locations in America and also purchase a world class university. Goes to show you how low some Nigerians will stoop to celebrate crooks. I can only tell you that Nigerians are this minute laughing at your response to this article; I am certainly one of them. Happy New year to you Ah ah ah, the racist anti north now speaks for all Nigerians in the diaspora! Wonders shall never cease! When you see craze man dey laff for road, you sef follow am dey laff, tell me na who craze pass? There are a lot of people in the diaspora that this type could never speak for, so let him stick to facts instead of his highfalutin nonsense. We do not know where this irredentist spokesman plies his irrelevant trade if not on internet message boards like Biafraworld. His over reliance on hyperbole and no substance is typical of the inferiority complex that drives their irredentism. He talks about diplomatic passport as if Pinochet was not an ex-President or whether diplomatic immunity stopped them from going to his house or from arresting Alamco or Dariye. Anyway, why am I wasting my time responding to the antics of a loony toon? Aluta! Gwobezentashi

Frisky Larr  # 5 | 06.01.2008 13:29

If Atiku Abubakar was an American and not a former Vice president wielding a diplomatic passport he will be close to 15 to life in an American (or Nigerian) jail. That he is not in that situation does not mean he has no case to answer. - Oghre This premise is wrong sir! If anything, it has been obvious for sometime now that the Americans do not consider it in their national interest to decapitate Atiku politically. They did not only downplay the significance of the raid on his Pontomac house, they blackened off passages that may incriminate or expose Atiku in the publicly released copy of Jefferson's indictment. Any pointer to his name in any public document that may be incriminating has been managed with care to avoid exposing Atiku. Therefore, it is not being a former Vice President that matters. It is his relevance to the strategic interest of the Americans in our part of the world. The Americans are not keen to see him as President of Nigeria. They do not want him humiliated either. Some evil tongues characterize people like this as CIA operatives, which is not quite accurate. Records have it though that Jefferson described Atiku as corrupt to the bone.

tonsoyo  # 6 | 06.01.2008 15:04

If we do not know what is happening in America, at least we are aware that he (Atiku) has been indicted by the National Assembly.

NWANZA  # 7 | 06.01.2008 23:45

The title say "The untouchables" 1.2.3.....but you have not made any points as how and why they are classified as such. Freedom of speech do not give anybody the audacity to libel. You can touch the untouchables, if you bring facts to the table and a little courage. Two days ago your wrote "Thank You NVS" for "Thank you guys/men/ladies for giving your time, commitment and finances in the name of freedom of expression and for the sake of a better Nigeria." How does this and a whole lot of nonsense make for a better society? Why bring stress and negative emotions in your life by making false allegations about issues that have not been judiciously exposed. I pity you and your mental health.

Mikky jaga  # 8 | 07.01.2008 05:04

Nwanza, You got my high five for yours above. Thanks for putting things in their right perspectives. They are untouchables because nothing has been found against them. Eveeryone, including Deola is innocent until he/she is proved guilty. No more no less. The kangaroo senate indictment, as at my last check has been discredited by a High Court judge. Produce your facts or forever keep silent.