25 Nov 2005 |
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Recent
events on the subject of corruption and international crimes;
particularly financial scams and money laundering involving Nigerians
leaves so much to be desired. Good examples of those already
apprehended by the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) are: the
arrest and convictions of some Nigerians (Messrs Chief Emmanuel Nwude,
Mrs. Amaka Anajema, Mr. Nzeribe Edeh Okoli and
others) who ruined a commercial bank in Brazil through international
scam (popularly known as 419) involving US$242 million; the case of an 86-year-old Hong Kong woman, Juliana Ching defrauded of the about US$4.8 million by some Nigerian fraudsters; the
arrest of Otunba Johnson Oyewole Fasawe, reputed to be a close
associate of President Olusegun Obasanjo, for failing to repay a huge
sum he borrowed from an unnamed bank; arrest and detention of Mr. Marc
Wabara, Chairman/ Chief Executive, Hallmark Bank Plc, in connection
with about $58 million (N7.5bn) belonging to the Nigeria – Sao
Tome Joint Development Zone (JDZ) trapped in the bank.
The
most astonishing recent local development on anti-corruption war was
the arrest and detention by the EFCC of the now former Executive
Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PDTF), Alhaji
Hussein Jalo, reputed to be a close associate of Governor Ahmed Makarfi
of
Within
three months of taking over from (Dr.) Yusuf, Barrister Hussein Jalo
went for the kill. For details, please see EFCC Website postings at:
http://www.efccnigeria.org. At least, the EFCC had recovered of about N32million and four luxury Jeeps, a Honda Accord and Peugeot 406 from Hussein Jalo.
It is also important for the public to know that, while Barrister
Hussein Jalo was busy quenching his insatiable thirst for money and
luxury, hundreds of Nigerian students under his care were left stranded
both in
However,
the most embarrassing of all the financial scams so far recorded
officially by the Nigerian authorities (and some foreign countries)
involving high profile public office holders are those of Governors
Joshua Chibi Dariye of Plateau State and Chief Dr. DSP Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa State (now fugitives) respectively. Another one was the
arrest and conviction of the former Nigerian Inspector-general (IG) of
Police Alhaji Tafa Balogun for stealing about 17 billion naira from the
Nigeria Police Force. These three cases stand out of all the cases
either completed or awaiting trial and or conviction by the EFCC. The
cases involving Dariye and Alamieyeseigha are very unique in the sense that these State Governors were arrested and brought before the law courts in
There
are many others pending cases either at the levels of investigation and
or prosecution. There are equally substantial undetected cases. There
are also cases that are very well established and known
to the public which the federal authorities, but for whatever reasons,
have not been investigated. This is where the paradox and tragedy of
the Obasanjo’s anti-corruption war lies. A lot have been said and
written about this issue of selectivity and unfair pursuit of the
exercise. What Nigerians need to do for now, is to apply enough
pressure to nudge President Obasanjo into doing the right thing in
prosecuting the anti-corruption war. It is only if this is done that
Nigerians can claim ownership of the war. Otherwise, as things are now,
one can only call it Obasanjo and Nuhu Ribadu’s adventurism in
the murky waters of tropical gangster-ism.
The
civil society must rise not only to challenge the modus oparandi being
used by President Obasanjo and his EFCC, but ensure that they own the
war on economic and financial crimes and extend it to political and
judicial crimes. Nigerians must actively participate and exercise
simple civil duties and responsibilities. Doing otherwise will make us
become as guilty as the perpetrators of these heinous crimes in our
polity.
Let
me just update our reading community of the latest public disclosures
on corruption that have come into limelight. It has been reported in
the Nigerian media that, Governor Ahmad Muazu of
However, there is a new phenomenon taking place in
Similarly, his contemporary in
The poor people of
Please, don’t get bored with my rather lengthy update as it has also been reported that the Federal Government on
Least
we forget, the convicted former IG of Police, Tafa Balogun was praised
by President Obasanjo several times and even, crowned his appreciation
for Tafa’s excellent handling of the heavily rigged 2003 general
elections with an award of National Honour in 2004. There are several
cases of this nature but for space and time, I would not mention them
here. It is now time for the civic society to rise up to their
responsibilities and take ownership of the
battle against corruption and other vices tearing our society. Folding
our arms akimbo, will only amounts to complacency. The government
cannot fight it alone without the input and co-ownership by the civil
society and all Nigerian citizens.
In
conclusion, I would like to recommend the following seminal books for
reading to all the stakeholders in this enterprise of war against
corruption (financial, economic and political and moral corruption):
1.) “Controlling Corruption†(Paperback, 1991) by Robert E. Klitgaard, 2.) “Corrupt Cities: A Practical Guide to Cure and Prevention†(Paperback, April 2000), by Robert E. Klitgaard, Ronald Maclean-Abaroa, H. Lindsey Parris and 3.)“Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform†by Susan Rose-Ackerman
(Paperback - June 28, 1999). These are good starting materials for
those dispose to academic way of looking at the issue. I thank you for
your patience.
Dan Azumi Kofarmata,
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