Series of sensational headlines have been published to sensitize the Nigerian public with Senator Obasanjo-Bello's Federal Ministry of Health's Ten million naira travail.  As a Nigerian, I feel disturbed by the Senator's over-all disposition in her unfortunate circumstance.  The Tribune on-line of April 23, 2008 carried some information that when the EFCC initially made contact with the Senator,  she was told to return the N10 million she collected on behalf of her committee. Instead of returning it as advised, she refused to comply and used the alleged amount to travel to Ghana with members of her committee. If this incident is true, the Senator must have deliberately done what she is being accused of doing.  In a similar dimension, the House of Representatives' Committee on Health chairman who was in a similar situation as our 'Princess', returned the N10 million released to his committee by the Ministry of Health.  The House of.Representatives' committee Chair complied with the EFCC advice. Why did the Senator refuse to comply on behalf of her committee?

The Senate committee of Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello consequently went ahead to hold its  retreat in Ghana on March 16, and 17, 2008, three months after it received N10 million from the Ministry of Health.  After the return of the committee to Nigeria, its members alleged that they did not benefit from the N10 million their chairman supposedly received from the Health ministry for the Ghana retreat.  This part of the story is not clear.  In fairness to our Princess, were the eleven of thirteen members of the Senate committee who went on the retreat in Ghana not informed of the N10 million from the Ministry of Health?  Were n't they given any part of the money as  allowances?  How were their needs and other services met, in terms of allowances, when in Ghana ?  All these questions need to be answered to clarify the situation. Who paid the Senators allowances for the Ghana retreat and who handled the distribution of the allowances?

The Senate has taken a different position on the issue, in difference to that of the House of Representatives.  Senator Ayogu Eze, the Senate Committee Chairman on Information and Media told newsmen that the Senate rejected the call by the House of Representatives that Obasanjo-Bello should report immediately to the EFCC and stop embarrassing her colleagues at the National Assembly.  He said further that 'the lower chamber is entitled to its opinion, and that it depends on the facts that are available to it and I don't want to join issue with it.'

First, Senator Ayogu Eze needs to be informed that his unnecessary comment about the House of Representatives position is preposterous and lacks adequate and mature thought or wisdom expected of a Senator.  He is supposed to know that Nigeria's Lower House represents the people of Nigeria in a greater capacity than the Senate.  The Upper House represents the States that constitutes our federal system or federation.  When the House of Representatives advised Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello to report herself to the EFCC and stop embarrassing members of the National Assembly, the Legislative body was duty qualified to offer such an advice and not an opinioin as regarded by Senator Eze.  The legitimacy of the Lower chamber's concern and advice to Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello does not preclude the Upper chamber from playing a sensible, thoughtful and responsible role because Iyabo belongs to it. But it is irresponsible to tacitly reject the legitimate advice of the lower house, which it offered faithfully, as the appropriate body that represents the Nigerian electoral populace. What is Senator Eze's idea or impression?

Our legislators at the National Assembly and the States must always bear in mind that they are supposed to make laws and motions for the good and positive well-being of the nation which belongs to all of us.  The Senate needs to avoid giving preferential treatment or be seen as giving it to any individual regardless of the social status of the person concerned.  He or she may be a helpless beggar or the son or daughter of the Sultan, a traditional monarch, the President's or Vice President's sibling or relation.  If our common hope is to build a nation, where tribe and tongue may differ, but justice would be guaranteed and assured, as our ultimate goal, then sentiment, bordering on partiality, undue and unnecessary kindness or timidity, some rationale based on archaic sensibilities of old tradition which have no bearing with modernity, commonsense and democratic values should not apply to our currently required disposition as builders of a free and equitable society. Otherwise, all the talk about 'Rule of Law'; 'Due process'; 'Transparency in governance and the 'Spirit to eliminate personal bitterness to dispense public obligations' may not be achieved for centuries to come.  Is the Senate supposed to protect Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello whenever she has a brush with the law of the land?  If that is the kind of attitude that pervades the minds of our Senators, they need to be told that they are off the track and not building the kind of democratic legislative institution needed to move Nigeria forward. They are laying the foundation for nepotism in our law-making bodies and further encouraging more corrupt practices in our polity. Nigeria's reputation, as indicated in the index of corrupt nations, is so high that we are over-due to start clearing our stables at home.  The Senate should admonish Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and encourage her to attend to the EFCC invitation and not caution EFCC to apply "due process" as reported in the news. The current situation calls to question honour, integrity, self-respect and responsibility in the face of the law for all concerned.

This article appeals to our dear 'Princess' to preserve her honour and that of Obasanjo's household as the first daughter of our ex-president who was popularly elected twice, who signed series of Nigerian laws including the law that established the EFCC, to curb the endemic corruption which is fast destroying us as a people of quality before the eyes of the world. As a Senator, you, our dear 'Princess' Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello,owe it to yourself to preserve the integrity and dignity of your office if you fully understand what is at stake for any one in that representative capacity to dis-respect the law. Good luck our dear 'Princess' and please behave.

Bankole Okuwa Ph. D

Professor of Political Science

okuwa1006@cablelynx.com

Robot  # 1 | 03.05.2008 04:08

Series of sensational headlines have been published to sensitize the Nigerian public with S...Read the full article.

AISAGBON OMOGIADE  # 2 | 03.05.2008 04:53

The tone and style of this article demonstrates that the writer,besides being a university teacher, is a patriot worthy of emulation by well meaning-Nigerians and those who think they could bend or mis-interpret the laws of Nigeria when certain "untouchables" violate them.Well done!!!.

LagosBlues  # 3 | 03.05.2008 13:55

=Robot;4295013291> ... when the EFCC initially made contact with the Senator, she was told to return the N10 million she collected on behalf of her committee. Instead of returning it as advised, she refused to comply and used the alleged amount to travel to Ghana with members of her committee. If this incident is true, the Senator must have deliberately done what she is being accused of doing. In a similar dimension, the House of Representatives' Committee on Health chairman who was in a similar situation as our 'Princess', returned the N10 million released to his committee by the Ministry of Health. The House of.Representatives' committee Chair complied with the EFCC advice. Why did the Senator refuse to comply on behalf of her committee?.. Do we really know that the underlined above is true? Even the opening words of the author's very next sentence are careful enough to provide a margin for possible error. But be that as it may, Senator Obasanjo-Bello has done herself no favours in her handling of this whole affair and contributed significantly to the muddying of the waters regarding the facts of the case. Perhaps it's even better to say her non-handling of the affair. She has done nothing but run from the authorities like one who has something to hide - even admitting to the BBC that she's "afraid of the EFCC". In contradiction of the Tribune's report quoted by the author, a member of her Senate Health Committee speaking on the condition of anonymity, has stated that the N10M was collected by the Committee's secretary in December 2007, and was almost immediately disbursed on Chairman Iyabo's say-so on things like air fare and hotel bookings. Committee members reportedly got their estacodes as well. If this is true, when the Ministry of Health N300M scandal broke - and she was contacted by the EFCC and "told to return the N10 million she collected on behalf of her committee" ... she/her committee didn't have it to give back. On the other hand, the HOR Health Committee apparently had not made any arrangements for whatever it wanted to do with their "allotment", so their N10M was to hand and could be returned. Now, back to our Senator 'Princess'. Has she offered one word of explanation so far? Oh no, she's too busy being "afraid of the EFCC". And as a direct consequence we are left to make what we will of the mess confronting us. So much for "distinguished" senators. Iyabo's conduct has been anything but distinguished; but then again, I suppose we will get the kind of senators we deserve. So why has none of the other ten senators that took that ill-fated Ministry of Health sponsored trip to Ghana decided to speak publicly on what the actual score is? Most probably for reasons of misplaced "esprit de corps" - (feelings of pride and loyalty that are shared by members of a group). Misplaced because there's nothing for them to be proud of in the mess they find themselves in, but they apparently still cling to the "loyalty" part of the definition. In the end, even if Iyabo "did no wrong" according to the Senate's rules as we have been told, surely the public's sense of outrage wipes out that acquittal - and is the reason she's so shamelessly "at large". But I'm rather perplexed by the refusal of the EFCC to question the ten other senators of that committee, lending some credence to Iyabo's claim that "it's me they're out to get" because I'm Obasanjo's daughter. Neither do I know what to make of the ten other Senate Health Committee members (virtually all of whom are notable professionals that have made their mark on society) "esprit de corps" silence. Whose interest are they serving anyway? Their electorate's, the senate's, the nation's or their own?

Oguguo Yakere  # 4 | 03.05.2008 18:43

"Princess" What a title, what a Kingdom and what a crown of allegation of corruption & theft.

Olamide  # 5 | 06.05.2008 02:55

I have said this before and I am saying it here again for the records. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo did not collect the 10 million naira from the Federal Ministry of Health for sharing with her colleagues. She never wanted to hold the 'retreat' but to keep the money for her personal use. If this is not true, then why 1. Did she refused to return the money after the EFCC alert? 2. Did she organized a retreat on health-related issues in Nigeria in Ghana when all the decaying infrastructure and issues are right here? 3. What is wrong with allowing the resorts and conference centres in Nigeria benefit from the money if the aim is altruistic? 4. Has she not made a public statement for the record? 5. Has she not reported herself to the EFCC like the others and clear her name or have her day in court to do same? 6. is she relying on BBC to assist her spread propaganda of 'family witch-hunt' because she is Obasanjo's daughter? 7. Is she in hiding if she has nothing to hide?