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At the conclusion of my Secondary School education in Warri in 1979 I decided that I wanted to go up...Read the full article.

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"His sponsor, George Akume the ex-governor of that State still has an ongoing personal battle with the Economics & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which is seeking to prosecute him for corruption"



"Aondoakaa was George Akume’s defence lawyer in his corruption case with the EFCC; this clamorous conflict of interest escaped Yar’Adua and his handlers. Or did it?"



"The other day he came out to scuttle Soludo’s Naira redenomination plans. The rage in his face and the venom with which he spoke was something else. You would think he was a judge condemning a notorious armed robber to the gallows. Just a few days ago, Federal Government Lawyers went before the Code of Conduct Tribunal and told the trial judge in a case that they are prosecuting that they cannot produce Alamieyeseigha (who was seen gallivanting scandalously all over the place in Bayelsa) in court because the ex-governor is unwell!"


These are vintage quotes from this wonderful piece, need I say more?

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Your story may be well founded, but I'm concerned why Attorney Generals of non Yoruba stock usually faces incompetent questions from Yoruba lawyers. While Yorubas may have more lawyers in the country, other communities or tribes have equal right to be appointed to a political position including Attorney General provided they are qualified.

IK

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=daaloy;2091340>Your story may be well founded, but I'm concerned why Attorney Generals of non Yoruba stock usually faces incompetent questions from Yoruba lawyers. While Yorubas may have more lawyers in the country, other communities or tribes have equal right to be appointed to a political position including Attorney General provided they are qualified.

IK

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Well this writer is not a Yoruba. Secondly Bayo Ojo faced the wrath and worse questioning from the Yoruba folks. Thirdly the issue here is not whether this AG is a Yoruba or not, but about what he did, you agreed that much when you stated that the story if well founded. That is all we need, and not tribal sentiments.

Can you tell me one other non-Yoruba AG that faced such questioning unjustifiably?

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I am curious as to how the writer arrived at the conclusion that the Attorney generals SAN was as a result of quota, can an intelligent man not be corrupt if we were to go by this line of reasoning? I heard former IG Tafa Balogun had an enviable legal education from university of Lagos, yet stole the police blind!! Besides is Nuhu Ribadu the AG’s squabbling partner not also a product of the same ABU where he claims you need a letter from a big alhaji to be admitted? I would be surprised that quota issues arise in the issuance of SAN, but then again we are talking about Nigeria a jungle where anything can happen.

There really is nothing wrong on insisting on the rule of law, I once read the French Ambassador to Nigeria state that the EFCC will not get much help from the French authorities if the do not act within the confines of the law. The days of 6 people impeaching a governor in the name of fighting corruption should be over and if it is things like this that the AG is against then he is in order.

How about EFCC spend some time looking into Etteh and the house like they did to Wabara and Okadigbo rather than spending all their time on Orji Kalu and the attorney general? I wish Gani, Falana and co. will say something about this thieving woman in the house.

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i am not supporting the AG or EFCC, we need rule of law in this country, though the truth is that the AG may be using it for personal battles, but wasnt that what EFCC was doing in judging political affiliations before picking a target, consiously or subconsciously it isnt right.

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The writer started off on a wrong, speculatory premise: that Aondoakaa may be a quota SAN. He did this without analyzing the politics and nuances of the modern day institution of SANship. I understand from those in the legal profession that there are many SANs from ALL regions of Nigeria who, based solely on their professional record and accomplishments (in the courtroom, classroom, and publications), should never have been considered for the SAN honor. Quota is only one reason out of many why these lawyers get the honor. Other reasons are sheer visibility, populism, judicial activism, social critique, vocal showmanship, and political connections and/or friendship with the the top echelon of the legal hierarchy in Nigeria. There are probably other non-professional reasons.

Ironically, and contrary to what many people have come to believe, many lawyers (from all the regions) argue (privately, of course) that Gani Fawehinmi is not a sound lawyer and would never have qualified for SAN had a strict critrion of professional excellence been used to evaluate him. They argue that, as a person (as opposed to the head of a chamber with many brilliant lawyers who win cases FOR HIM and as the head a business that publishes a lot of respected legal journals), Gani's legal accomplishments (in terms of cases successfully argued and/or won before competent courts especially the supreme court) is thin. But even these folks concede that there are many things to admire, commend, and reward in Gani beside his poor knowledge of law and that, based on these admirable qualities, he deserves three SANs, not one. So perhaps SANs are not awarded on a solely professional critarion. Another topic for another day.

The writer's point about reforming the ways in which appointments are made and people nominated for high office is a great one (more on this shortly). But he mars the argument by not using Andooakar to bolster that argument but to indict the entire "Northern" educational system, of which Aondakaa is a product (I will show the writer shortly how to use Aondaakaa to make this sound argument about changing the method of public office appointments/nomination). This type of ethno-regional baiting is injurious to even the soundest argument. I should know; in my younger days, I used to advance these types of unhelpful generalizations. I am wiser now. Some people will simply dismiss the writer's sound argument about the excessive politicization of political appointments and the concomitant relegation of competence and professionalism because of the ethno-regional bashing the writer engages in.

But let me start with some falsehoods and half-truths in the write-up. First off, remedial programs and other preparatory pre-degree programs are not exclusive to Northern institutions; they are also used in several Southern schools to prepare deficient candidates for admissions into various programs. The difference is perhaps one of volume. Many Northern institutions (except perhaps schools in the educationally developed Benue-Plateau-Kogi-Kwara axis) fill about 50% of their admission quota through these preparatory programs. The other 50 percent is filled through JAMB (both direct entry and UME). I don't think the Southern institutions assign as much importance to these remedial programs. The reason is simple: the critical mass of qualified candidates is simply bigger in the South than it is in the North, especially in the so-called far-Northern states in which Western education (measured in school enrollment, number of students who take the SSCE exam, etc) lags far behind what obtains in the South and the Middle Belt states. These states therefore use remedial programs to assist students with poor SSCE (and now NECO) results to secure admission into degree programs and to use that to groom professionals and bureaucrats in their own civil service and to represent them in federal institutions.

The author grossly exaggerates when he states that students are/were withdrawn from form 3 and enrolled in the remedial programs. This is untrue, and the author knows it. I am very familiar with these programs, and some of my friends went throught them. The minimun requirements for them is WASC/SSCE/NECO with a minumum number of credits, so that excludes anyone who has not completed secondary school and/or has not taken SSCE, period. In fact, starting from the 1990s when university admissions all over the country became something of a battle (even for highly qualified people) many people with good JAMB scores and EXCELLENT WASC/SSCE results enrolled in the remedial pre-degree programs because admission was automatic if you passed their exams and scored the required number of points. Several of my friends--some of them from my state--got into Northern institutions this way because catchment area restrictions are hardly applied to the remedial programs.

Secondly, the issue of knowing someone before one could secure admission is a national phenomenon; it is not a northern problem. It mirrors the disparity between the demand for university education and the paucity of available admission spots. In any situation of scarcity, connection, nepotism, and influence peddling thrive. This said, I can say from my own personal experience that, except for a few cases, Northern institutions are very respectful of merit in their admission process, and generally keep to the JAMB guidelines (I believe it stands at 20%) on merit admission. This probably explains the high number of Southerners in Northern universities, including, yes, BUK and Sokoto, in addition, of course, to the fact that many Southern candidates use connections and money to get into these institutions since they are often excluded by merit and catchment area restrictions. As I said, in a few cases, merit could be surbodinated to catchment area and quota, but this abuse happens everywhere in isolated cases.

Now to the writer's main argument that I agree with, which I will try to strengthen. The writer is probably right that Aondaakaa is not the right man for the job. But it is not because he is not qualified professionally; he probably deserves the SAN on the strength of his professional record and is just as good (in legal knowledge) as any Southern SAN (after all, like them, he passed through the Nigerian Law School and passed the same bar exam they did). He is probably not right for the job because he is too politicized and too complicit in the system to facilitate the dispensation of justice dispassionately. It may interest the writer to know that there are many very qualified lawyers, including a few SANS, from Andoakaa's state, Benue, who could be doing a much better job at the justice ministry. One example is Professor Ignatius Ayua SAN, a legal scholar, who was even the director of the Nigerian Law School. He is less politicized and less implicated in the rotten system of our government. The question is why was Ayua not chosen? It is precisely because he wasn't a politician, had no political pedigree, did not have political godfather in the ruling PDP, and may discharge justice with a neutral professional passion, which may hurt the PDP's interest.

Herein lies the problem. The problem is not that Andooakaa is a quota SAN who is not qualified for the job. The problem is that the brash, uncouth, unrefined, complicit, conceited, and deeply politicized Aaondaokaa was chosen because he was nominated by his friend, former governor George Akume, because Andoakaa the politician is in the PDP and is a political son of Akume and the other Benue PDP big men. A better ministerial nomination from Benue would have been Ayua, who is refined, politically neutral, and very unlikely to be dragged into politically-motivated squabbles. But Nigeria's or rather the PDP's ministerial nomination/appointment system made the emergence of Aondoakaa possible and foreclosed the emergence of someone like Ayua.

The same thing happened in many states, where the ministeral appointees are not the best materials that the states can put forward for federal appointment but were put forward nonetheless because they were politicians and belonged to the right political family in the state. I guarantee the writer that even in his own state, such a problem exists and that the minister(s) from his state is/are probably not the best person/people his state can supply for federal office.

So, I completely agree with the writer's argument that the nomination/appointment system in the country is messed up. It relies too much on political affiliations and, of course, on federal character. Why can't a single state produce four ministers if those four people will perform well and solve the national problems in their areas of assignment? But quota system in and of itself is not the problem; it is the way that it is mediated and applied through the mechanism of a nomination process that is outsourced to the PDP machinery (read governors and PDP chairmen) in each state. I believe that every state including, yes, Zamfara, has brilliant, competent, professional, and unpoliticized persons that would excel in national office, but these people will never smell--to use a Nigerianism--national public office because they don't have the desired political affiliations.

I will advise the writer not to destroy a good argument with silly and unfounded ethno-regional generalization and stereotyping next time. It may turn off people who may otherwise appreciate his sound argument.

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=Ebe2;2091431>The writer started off on a wrong, speculatory premise: that Aondoakaa may be a quota SAN. He did this without analyzing the politics and nuances of the modern day institution of SANship. I understand from those in the legal profession that there are many SANs from ALL regions of Nigeria who, based solely on their professional record and accomplishments (in the courtroom, classroom, and publications), should never have been considered for the SAN honor. Quota is only one reason out of many why these lawyers get the honor. Other reasons are sheer visibility, populism, judicial activism, social critique, vocal showmanship, and political connections and/or friendship with the the top echelon of the legal hierarchy in Nigeria. There are probably other non-professional reasons.

Ironically, and contrary to what many people have come to believe, many lawyers (from all the regions) argue that Gani Fawehinmi is not a sound lawyer and would never have qualified for SAN had a strict critrion of professional excellence been used to evaluate him. They argue that, as a person (as opposed to the head of a chamber with many brilliant lawyers who win cases FOR HIM and as the head a business that publishes a lot of respected legal journals), Gani's legal accomplishments (in terms of cases successfully argued and/or won before competent courts especially the supreme court) is thin. But even these folks concede that there are many things to admire, commend, and reward in Gani beside his poor knowledge of law and that, based on these admirable qualities, he deserves three SANs, not one.

The writer's point about reforming the ways in which appointments are made and people nominated for high office is a great one (more on this shortly). But he mars the argument by not using Andooakar to bolster that argument but to indict the entire "Northern" educational system, of which Aondakaa is a product (I will show the writer shortly how to use Aondaakaa to make this sound argument about changing the method of public office appointments/nomination). This type of ethno-regional baiting is injurious to even the soundest argument. I should know; in my younger days, I used to advance these types of unhelpful generalizations. I am wiser now. Some people will simply dismiss the writer's sound argument about the excessive politicization of political appointments and the concomitant relegation of competence and professionalism because of the ethno-regional bashing the writer engages in.

But let me start with some falsehoods and half-truths in the write-up. First off, remedial programs and other preparatory pre-degree programs are not exclusive to Northern institutions; they are also used in several Southern schools to prepare deficient candidates for admissions into various programs. The difference is perhaps one of volume. Many Northern institutions (except perhaps schools in the educationally developed Benue-Plateau-Kogi-Kwara axis) fill about 50% of their admission quota through these preparatory programs. The other 50 percent is filled through JAMB (both direct entry and UME). I don't think the Southern institutions assign as much importance to these remedial programs. The reason is simple: the critical mass of qualified candidates is simply bigger in the South than it is in the North, especially in the so-called far-Northern states in which Western education (measured in school enrollment, number of students who take the SSCE exam, etc) lags far behind what obtains in the South and the Middle Belt states. These states therefore use remedial programs to assist students with poor SSCE (and now NECO) results to secure admission into degree programs and to use that to groom professionals and bureaucrats in their own civil service and to represent them in federal institutions.

The author grossly exaggerates when he states that students are/were withdrawn from form 3 and enrolled in the remedial programs. This is untrue, and the author knows it. I am very familiar with these programs, and some of my friends went throught them. The minimun requirements for them is WASC/SSCE/NECO with a minumum number of credits, so that excludes anyone who has not completed secondary school and/or has not taken SSCE, period. In fact, starting from the 1990s when university admissions all over the country became something of a battle (even for highly qualified people) many people with good JAMB scores and EXCELLENT WASC/SSCE results enrolled in the remedial pre-degree programs because admission was automatic if you passed their exams and scored the required number of points. Several of my friends--some of them from my state--got into Northern institutions this way because catchment area restrictions are hardly applied to the remedial programs.

Secondly, the issue of knowing someone before one could secure admission is a national phenomenon; it is not a northern problem. It mirrors the disparity between the demand for university education and the paucity of available admission spots. In any situation of scarcity, connection, nepotism, and influence peddling thrive. This said, I can say from my own personal experience that, except for a few cases, Northern institutions are very respectful of merit in their admission process, and generally keep to the JAMB guidelines (I believe it's stands at 20%) on merit admission. This probably explains the high number of Southerners in Northern universities, including, yes, BUK and Sokoto, in addition, of course, to the fact that many Southern candidates use connections and money to get into these institutions since they are often excluded by merit and catchment area restrictions. As I said, in a few cases, merit could be surbodinated to catchment area and quota, but this abuse happens everywhere in isolated cases.

Now to the writer's main argument that I agree with, which I will try to strengthen. The writer is probably right that Aondaakaa is not the right man for the job. But it is not because he is not qualified professionally; he probably deserves the SAN on the strength of his professional record and is just as good (in legal knowledge) as any Southern SAN. He is probably not right for the job because he is too politicized and too complicit in the system to facilitate the dispensation of justice dispassionately. It may interest the writer to know that there are many very qualified lawyers, including a few SANS, from Andoakaa's state, Benue, who could be doing a much better job at the justice ministry. One example is Professor Ignatius Ayua SAN, a legal scholar, who was even the director of the Nigerian Law School. He is less politicized and less implicated in the rotten system of our government. The question is why was Ayua not chosen? It is precisely because he wasn't a politician, had no political pedigree, did not have political godfather in the ruling PDP, and may discharge justice with a neutral professional passion, which may hurt the PDP's interest.

Herein lies the problem. The problem is not that Andooakaa is a quota SAN who is not qualified for the job. The problem is that the brash, uncouth, unrefined, complicit, conceited, and deeply politicized Aaondaokaa was chosen because he was nominated by his friend, former governor George Akume, because Andoakaa the politician is in the PDP and is a political son of Akume and the other Benue PDP big men. A better ministerial nomination from Benue would have been Ayua, who is refined, politically neutral, and very unlikely to be dragged into politically-motivated squabbles. But Nigeria's or rather the PDP's ministerial nomination/appointment system made the emergence of Aondoakaa possible and foreclosed the emergence of someone like Ayua.

The same thing happened in many states, where the ministeral appointees are not the best materials that the states can put forward for federal appointment but were put forward nonetheless because they were politicians and belonged to the right political family in the state. I guarantee the writer that even in his own state, such a problem exists and that the minister(s) from his state is/are probably not the best person/people his state can supply for federal office.

So, I completely agree with the writer's argument that the nomination/appointment system in the country is messed up. It relies too much on political affiliations and, of course, on federal character. Why can't a single state produce four ministers if those four people will perform well and solve the national problems in their areas of assignment? But quota system in and of itself is not the problem; it is the way that it is mediated and applied through the mechanism of a nomination process that is outsourced to the PDP machinery (read governors and PDP chairmen) in each state. I believe that every state including, yes, Zamfara, has brilliant, competent, professional, and unpoliticized persons that would excel in national office, but these people will never smell--to use a Nigerianism--national public office because they don't have the desired political affiliations.

I will advise the writer not to destroy a good argument with silly and unfounded ethno-regional generalization and stereotyping next time. It may turn off people who may otherwise appreciate his sound argument.

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Ebe2,

This is a good and well balanced review of this article.

The only part that I disagree with is as regarding Gani Fawehinmi, but I understand that the position is not yours but what "some people" claimed.

As far as I am concerned, Gani is a brilliant lawyer by all standard and has done more for the legal system probably than any other practising lawyer in Nigeria today.

If he employs briliant lawyers working for him, he must be doing something right. Some lawyers like Ebun Sofunde, who was the youngest SAN at a time got his SAN(ship) while he was still working at Chief Rotimi Williams Chambers.

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Thursday, September 20, 2007 Printer Friendly Version

Senate backs EFCC, doubts AGF’s ability

By John Alechenu, Abuja

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption, Senator Sola Akinyede, on Wednesday expressed doubts over the ability of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to effectively prosecute all cases.



Akinyede said this during an address he read at the inauguration of the committee.

He added that he had no doubt that by virtue of Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF had the powers to take over the prosecution of all cases being prosecuted by agencies under him.

Akinyede, however, said, “The power not only applies to the cases being prosecuted in all courts including the more than 2,000 Magistrate Courts and area courts all over the 774 local government areas in this country.

“This therefore raises the question whether the office of the AGF has the capacity to effectively exercise its supervisory and prosecutorial powers over all the cases being prosecuted in all these courts.

“I believe that it was because the office of the AFG lacked, and in my opinion still lacks this capacity, and because of the serious threat that these crimes had become to the very existence of our nation that these specialized agencies( EFCC, ICPC and NDLEA) were created.”

He argued that it would be a share waste of time and resources to deploy the nation’s resources to train specialised personnel to man these agencies only to have their functions taken over by another government body.

The chairman said while it was true that some of these agencies were not perfect because they were manned by human beings, it must be acknowledged that the activities of these agencies had improved the image of the country.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, said that whether people were willing to admit it or not, the EFCC had perform creditably.

On drugs he said consumer nations would do well by reducing drug demand.

He said “It is obvious that without rule of law, we can’t deliver dividends of democracy but we cannot encourage rule of law by tolerating corruption.”

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It was to this person that I implored my brother-in-law (with whom I was then residing) to take me to get such a letter. We met this gentleman who promised to ‘do something’ and told us to return after I have written the exams.

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Who is this mu-mu who comes to the village square parading his nauseous prejudice? Having admitted failing to secure admission into ABU through the back door by fraud (obtaining a letter of recommendation from one who did not know him!), he comes here to crap all over the shop.

Is this another caveman from Ogidigben who thinks that he can just walk into another man's house and demand a sit at the table?

What a load of rubbish!

Aluta!

Gwobezentashi