The length, breadth and stench of the perfidy and corruption unleashed over eight years by Dr Peter Odili the ex-governor of Rivers  State has been ably covered and reported widely.  This contribution arises only because this same Odili has decided to test and apply the Aondoakaa’s elixir of “the rule of law” as a not too subtle escape route for corrupt government officials.  It was recently reported that Odili has indeed gone to a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to obtain an order barring the EFCC from nabbing him.  The obvious admission of guilt, cheekiness and cold calculation inherent in that move is extremely infuriating.

Every once in a great while in the history of a nation, circumstances throws up an evil character that defines its nadir. Congo had Mobutu, Haiti had Baby and Papa doc Duvalliers, Central African Republic had Bokassa, etc, etc. Very painfully, Nigeria in its short history has been unfairly infused with many of such characters. This fierce and unapologetic concentration of locusts grew out of hand and effectively overwhelmed Nigeria in the last eight years.  Well led and conducted by their father Obasanjo, these people ravaged the nation while smiling and telling us differently.  Odili was a leading member of this ravaging gang.  He is undoubtedly the poster child for corruption in Nigeria today.  I’d be surprised if in most modern dictionaries his picture is not used as the illustration for the word corruption.  Obasanjo once told the former Secretary General of the United Nations that Odili is richer than that body.  Well, he should know.

The extremely corrupt are that way because, among other reasons, they revel too much in flamboyance and love being pampered.  Odili was no exception.  In fact, the only thing he did well besides stealing money was to luxuriate and over indulge himself.  His most visible achievement in Rivers  State was the building of “a befitting” Government House (Brick House).  That building looks much better that Aso Rock.  I think it was modelled after the German Chancellery.  Inside, the edifice is pure opulence and over the top wastefulness.  Mind you, this new Government House was built during the heady days of OBJ’s third, fourth, life term push for himself and sitting governors.  So perhaps Odili thought he was going to be residing in that house for a while yet.  You know he gets 99% of the votes in Rivers.

To better reveal the gluttonous mindset of this man and his focus whilst in office, a sieved look at his 2006 State budget, courtesy of Human Rights Watch would suffice:  Total budget for that year was N168 billion ($1.3 billion).  “Grants, Contributions & Donations; Grants for Women, Youths and Other Organisations was N4.33 billion ($33.2 million).  These grants were of course administered directly by the Governor’s Office.  “Entertainment, Hospitality, Gifts & Souvenirs for Visitors to Government House was N1.3 billion ($10 million).  Security Vote was N5 billion ($38.5 million).  N1.5 billion ($11.5 million) went for the purchase of new vehicles for Government House.  N800 million was spent just the previous year on the same thing.  “Special Projects” was $77 million, while “Transport & Travels” weighed in at more than $65,000 per day. 

Meanwhile the budget for the health sector (in a State governed by a medical doctor) actually declined that year to N2.8 billion (out of a total budget of N168 billion!) from N3 billion.  Even more embarrassingly, one of his Education officials approached a donor agency for money because he claimed Rivers  State cannot afford to buy desks for its schools without outside help. 

His health care policy was anchored on the purchase of two small aircrafts at a cost of N1.5 billion.  These were designated air ambulances!!!  Here was a one time practicing doctor who knows first hand through his Practice what the primary health care needs of his people are, but he chose to ignore them.  Air ambulances!  I suspect those aircrafts have since been effortlessly repainted in the colours of ARIK Airlines.  Paradoxically, and perhaps very conveniently, he is reported to own a very large hospital in South Africa.  Furthermore, Local Government Councils in Rivers  State were allocated approximately N82.7 billion ($636 million) from the Federation Account since 1999 of which not more that 15% went to the payment of salaries.  Most of the rest was lost to “statutory deductions”.  Guess who controlled that money?  Yes, Odili.

Towards the end of his stewardship this year, he was visited by a British news correspondent in that ultra-modern Government House.  The journalist had spent some time going around Port Harcourt and other places in the State before meeting with Odili.  The journalist obviously couldn’t reconcile the poverty and squalor he found everywhere with the splendour and grandeur of Government House.  Naturally this question was put to Dr Odili who simply responded that the old Brick House just wouldn’t do as it was the dinkiest in Nigeria.  This was about 10:00am in the morning.  While the journalist was still digesting that answer, Odili called the Steward and asked for Cristal Champagne.  Now, Cristal costs about N36, 250 per bottle! Odili offered the journalist a glass but the man promptly declined.  Perplexed, the journalist sarcastically asked Odili why he was drinking such an expensive beverage (and early in the morning too!) in a State where almost everyone else drinks “pure water”.  His Excellency only had contented smiles for the journalist and the viewers.

Until “federal character” forced Obasanjo to look up North for his successor, it was common knowledge that Odili was his candidate.  He told a few people that much; Adedibu and Kofi Anan included.  Even after the PDP Presidential Primaries, OBJ was still proclaiming to those who went to him to complain that they had been deceived and cheated that Odili was his candidate but his hand was forced.  Odili’s Presidential campaign – while it lasted - was in fact the best co-ordinated, most visible, and most supported by Nigeria’s establishment and political elite.  That this was the case tells all you need to know about our country today.  And now, Aondoakaa has stepped in to protect one of their own.  It’s all just too traumatic.  Too mournful.  Too odious. 

demdem@hotmail.co.uk

Robot  Villager

# 1 The length, breadth and stench of the perfidy and corruption unleashed over eight years by Dr Pet...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 27.09.2007 13:16

JAGA-JAGA  Villager

# 2 I would not be surprised if Odili and others obtain court injunctions the way things are going. Also I'm expecting Madam Speaker to quickly go and obtain a court order arresting the report indicting her over the 628million Naira contract scam and others in the league of corruption should follow in same way. EFCC has being caged with their guerrilla-ambush tactics. This time we are in 'rule of law era', Na chop and quench, period.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Bye-bye-oh. I be una broda, JAGA-JAGA Posted by JAGA-JAGA| 27.09.2007 14:00

iroko22  JJC

# 3 I will appreciate if all you VILLAGERS will read this ATTACHED Text below which I culled from www.dailytrust.com For your information,Daily Trust is a Nigerian Newspaper. I am sure you all will begin to understand the stupidity of our system and the kind of Nama or Malu who is currently sitting in Aso Rock as our President. Just two days ago,Yar'adua also nominated Mr.Chuka Julius Odom as a Ministerial Nominee from the South East and by full representation,PPA (Orji Kalu's Party). Mr.Chuka Odom still has a case to answer with EFCC concerning the Looting of Abia state with his Master Orji Kalu. Yet, our Malu president went on to nominate such character for consent by the Senate as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Now we can understand that Yr'adua can never be taken as a serious person as regards the curruption war. Now we can see why Aondoakaa the self styled Arthorney General has been playing to the galary(Big Shame...) PLEASE READ ON.. YAR'ADUA, IBORI, RIBADU's SECRET MEETING IN NEW YORK By EKE UKOMA IN a bid to escape the prying eyes of Nigerians while resolving the face-off between indicted former state governors and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, last Sunday night, held a secret meeting in an undisclosed high profile hotel in New-York with former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Ribadu and Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC). National Daily reliably learnt that Ibori flew into New-York from Miami last Thursday, while Ribadu arrived there the next day for the meeting. Also at the meeting was Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, a close confidant of Yar'Adua, who, as a serving State Chief Executive, has been representing the interest of his former colleagues now out of government. It was gathered that Mr. President accented to hold the crucial meeting, following the tension that trailed efforts by some of the indicted former public office holders to force Ribadu to resign his position. The tension peaked last week after the muscle-flexing between Ribadu and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) attracted the attention of Nigerians and the National Assembly. Although it was not clear if Aondoakaa was invited to the meeting, the matter was said to have been discussed at the meeting. Our source said Yar'Adua, who had earlier entered into an agreement with his fellow former governors not to humiliate them but to recover some of the public funds they embezzled, has been under intense pressure from Ribadu, the international community and some Nigerians to bring the indicted former public office holders to book. A Presidency source said, after Aondoakaa briefed the media to declare that Ribadu no longer has power to prosecute, responses from home and abroad put Yar'Adua in a very tight corner. The outcome of that pressure was the volte face that rather embarrassed the government. In his second briefing, the AGF told the media that he was 'clarifying' media reports about the Federal Government's initial position which requires the EFCC to refer all of its criminal cases to the AGF's office before criminal prosecutions can be carry out. According to him, the new position is that the EFCC can prosecute without recourse to his office. A report on saharareporters' website said that the messy affair began 'when the AGF, working behind the scenes with ex-governors, had written a letter to Yar'Adua requesting that he is granted the powers to supervise all prosecutions by the EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau. Yar'Adua approved the request to please former governors, especially James Ibori, who had put enormous pressure on him to bridle the EFCC. Besides Ibori, other former governors had made efforts to stop EFCC's onslaught. Former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili, for example, recently dragged the EFCC before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, asking the court to restrain the anti-graft body from prosecuting him over his tenure between May 29, 1999 and May 29, 2007. He had also filed an ex-parte application dated September 13, which urged the court to restrain the EFCC and its agents from arresting or prosecuting him, pending the determination of his application. Justice Regina Nwodo in her ruling on the application however refused to grant Odili's prayers. Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has also been urging an Abuja High Court to declare his trial null and void. Before some of the governors were arrested and detained, the governors entered a deal with Yar'Adua to bargain and quietly return some of the looted funds. Public opinion however forced Mr. President to renege on this to some extent. Labour Party, for example, urged Yar'Adua to direct EFCC to discontinue with plea bargain for those being accused of corrupt practices, saying that the system would rather encourage corruption than reduce it. But with last Sunday's secret meeting, there are speculations that the indicted governors may have secured another soft-landing. This is partly because the meeting came up just few days after Ibori's sister, Christine Ibie Ibori, was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police. The Police had on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 arrested and interrogated Christine, in connection with the multi-million Pound money-laundering case against the former governor. With this kind of investigation still going on abroad, many are wondering if Yar'Adua's decision to negotiate with the indicted officials at home and abroad will not undermine his anti-corruption stance. Posted by iroko22| 27.09.2007 16:04

iroko22  JJC

# 4 Thanks Iroko for this pointer and greater insight.I am now convinced that I have been fooling myself about Yar'adua as our new hope. It is shameful indeed to be a Nigerian. Here we are condemning Patricia Etteh for her wickedness,while our own President is busy planning how to help the Looters to escape. I am realy sorry for myself and Nigeria.I feel so ashamed associating myself with all those who planned the reception for Yr'adua when he arrived United States. Ikenna Posted by iroko22| 27.09.2007 16:12

truthsayer33  Villager

# 5 I saw the channel4 UK programme featuring Odili and was staggered by the man's arrogance and stupidity.He clearly believed that his display of opulence would impress the reporter. But this is the type of leader that western governments want for Africans. Posted by truthsayer33| 27.09.2007 17:34

JAGA-JAGA  Villager

# 6 =iroko22;20914299>I will appreciate if all you VILLAGERS will read this ATTACHED Text below which I culled from www.dailytrust.com For your information,Daily Trust is a Nigerian Newspaper. I am sure you all will begin to understand the stupidity of our system and the kind of Nama or Malu who is currently sitting in Aso Rock as our President. Just two days ago,Yar'adua also nominated Mr.Chuka Julius Odom as a Ministerial Nominee from the South East and by full representation,PPA (Orji Kalu's Party). Mr.Chuka Odom still has a case to answer with EFCC concerning the Looting of Abia state with his Master Orji Kalu. Yet, our Malu president went on to nominate such character for consent by the Senate as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Now we can understand that Yr'adua can never be taken as a serious person as regards the curruption war. Now we can see why Aondoakaa the self styled Arthorney General has been playing to the galary(Big Shame...) PLEASE READ ON.. YAR'ADUA, IBORI, RIBADU's SECRET MEETING IN NEW YORK By EKE UKOMA IN a bid to escape the prying eyes of Nigerians while resolving the face-off between indicted former state governors and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, last Sunday night, held a secret meeting in an undisclosed high profile hotel in New-York with former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Ribadu and Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC). National Daily reliably learnt that Ibori flew into New-York from Miami last Thursday, while Ribadu arrived there the next day for the meeting. Also at the meeting was Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, a close confidant of Yar'Adua, who, as a serving State Chief Executive, has been representing the interest of his former colleagues now out of government. It was gathered that Mr. President accented to hold the crucial meeting, following the tension that trailed efforts by some of the indicted former public office holders to force Ribadu to resign his position. The tension peaked last week after the muscle-flexing between Ribadu and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) attracted the attention of Nigerians and the National Assembly. Although it was not clear if Aondoakaa was invited to the meeting, the matter was said to have been discussed at the meeting. Our source said Yar'Adua, who had earlier entered into an agreement with his fellow former governors not to humiliate them but to recover some of the public funds they embezzled, has been under intense pressure from Ribadu, the international community and some Nigerians to bring the indicted former public office holders to book. A Presidency source said, after Aondoakaa briefed the media to declare that Ribadu no longer has power to prosecute, responses from home and abroad put Yar'Adua in a very tight corner. The outcome of that pressure was the volte face that rather embarrassed the government. In his second briefing, the AGF told the media that he was 'clarifying' media reports about the Federal Government's initial position which requires the EFCC to refer all of its criminal cases to the AGF's office before criminal prosecutions can be carry out. According to him, the new position is that the EFCC can prosecute without recourse to his office. A report on saharareporters' website said that the messy affair began 'when the AGF, working behind the scenes with ex-governors, had written a letter to Yar'Adua requesting that he is granted the powers to supervise all prosecutions by the EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau. Yar'Adua approved the request to please former governors, especially James Ibori, who had put enormous pressure on him to bridle the EFCC. Besides Ibori, other former governors had made efforts to stop EFCC's onslaught. Former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili, for example, recently dragged the EFCC before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, asking the court to restrain the anti-graft body from prosecuting him over his tenure between May 29, 1999 and May 29, 2007. He had also filed an ex-parte application dated September 13, which urged the court to restrain the EFCC and its agents from arresting or prosecuting him, pending the determination of his application. Justice Regina Nwodo in her ruling on the application however refused to grant Odili's prayers. Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has also been urging an Abuja High Court to declare his trial null and void. Before some of the governors were arrested and detained, the governors entered a deal with Yar'Adua to bargain and quietly return some of the looted funds. Public opinion however forced Mr. President to renege on this to some extent. Labour Party, for example, urged Yar'Adua to direct EFCC to discontinue with plea bargain for those being accused of corrupt practices, saying that the system would rather encourage corruption than reduce it. But with last Sunday's secret meeting, there are speculations that the indicted governors may have secured another soft-landing. This is partly because the meeting came up just few days after Ibori's sister, Christine Ibie Ibori, was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police. The Police had on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 arrested and interrogated Christine, in connection with the multi-million Pound money-laundering case against the former governor. With this kind of investigation still going on abroad, many are wondering if Yar'Adua's decision to negotiate with the indicted officials at home and abroad will not undermine his anti-corruption stance. Thanks Iroko22 for this update from daily trust as well as the nomination of Mr.Chuka Julius Odom a suspect in corruption trial as a minister of the Federation called Nigeria. I knew from the beginning that UMYA wasn't out to fight any corrupt, especially concerning his benefactors. I also know that the macabre dance steps of AGF was being teleguided from above. This justifies the adage which goes thus " when you see a little child pointing a finger in a particular direction, if you look very well in that direction, you'll either see the mother or the father there". The corruption war has just began, and if UMYA does not give way, it'll most likely consume him and all those that smuggled him into power as well, period.:sad::sad: Posted by JAGA-JAGA| 27.09.2007 17:57

Toku.A  Villager

# 7 A nice piece, just keep it flowing. Posted by Toku.A| 28.09.2007 06:18

Kelechi  Villager

# 8 This is not a holier than thou stance but I am not surprised at all. I have said it on this square so many times already that it is only a matter of time before UMYA shows whose song he is dancing to. The snake will always sire a long offspring! Posted by Kelechi| 28.09.2007 09:46

Mikky jaga  Villager

# 9 The solution to this problem is simple. UMY'A has the right to meet with any Nigerian anywhere, even the convicted ones. Afterall he is the president of Nigeria that takes care of the interest of Nigerians, no matter who they are. The only way to test the sincerity of this government is to follow it along as it goes. What is hidden will then come to the fore. Let EFCC contest every injunction secured by these rogue governors, charge them to court promptly with evidence and pursue the case diligently without infracting the fundamental rights of the accused. If, on the eve of securing a conviction, the AGF enters a nolle prosequi, then the hands of the government will then be exposed. Until that is done, every form of insinuations here remain what they are - Insinuations, without any basis. Posted by Mikky jaga| 28.09.2007 12:41

Abraxas  Villager

# 10 Odili's suit against EFCC scandalous ~ Prof. Tam David-West Source: Port Harcourt Telegra... Professor Tam David-West has described the recourse to the court of law by former Governor Peter Odili to prevent his arraignment by the EFCC as an embarrassing proof of his guilt. The professor of Virology who spoke to the Telegraph from his Ibadan base Saturday remarked that it was incomprehensible that Odili was trying to block an attempt to investigate his activities while in office by seeking the protection of the judiciary. The EFCC has put men on the trail of ex-Governor Peter Odili, investigating several contract deals and money transfers that it believes were used to salt funds belonging to the Rivers people into undisclosed accounts abroad. Professor David-West said it was ironical that an agency set up by the Obasanjo administration in which he was an untouchable and an anointed one was now chasing him for offences said to be committed while in office. He observed that it was not the duty of the courts to protect people against trial for acts considered inimical to the welfare of the state. The social critic noted he was amazed by Odili's move, saying the evil mind runneth when nobody giveth chase. As he put it, Odili cannot claim to be innocent of the allegations that the EFCC have come up with if all he can do is to seek ways and means by which he could get the courts to block any attempt to try him. "I am surprised", the professor noted, "that even when charges have not been pressed, he is already moving to ensure that the charges are never brought against him. "It is scandalous and laughable and I am truly amazed that Odili who has a judge as a wife and who claims he has done no wrong is seeking the protection of the courts to cover up his past." He urged the EFCC not to relent in its effort to bring erring public functionaries like Odili to book, saying even where attempts are made to block the truth from coming out of the courts, the EFCC should publish all they have on Odili in the press so that the court of public opinion could pass its own verdict independent of the courts. David-West expressed the view that no responsible court would grant the request of the former governor, saying that it would be a dangerous precedent to set in law and embarrassing use to put the judiciary to. He said the Nigerian people were watching the judiciary and the Yar' Adua administration as a new chapter opens. He said while there was an attempt to justify what was happening under the rule of law, David-West said he was inclined to believe that a rule of lawlessness was being introduced, using judicial pronouncements to back such contraptions up. Justice Nwodo who ordered that EFCC be placed on notice would have the opportunity to listen to the suit filed by ex-governor Odili. No date has been fixed for the hearing following the inability of the court to hear the matter on the 21st of this month. But court officials told this publication last week that the court is likely to entertain the matter this week after the judges who were outside the state attending a seminar return. Posted by Abraxas| 29.09.2007 04:56

---

The conversation continues in our forum. Click here to read all comments

---