Who are the opinion gladiators, sleaze merchants and dodgy penpushers plotting to smear Saint Utomi?

Who are the all-abusive, all-vituperative and all-denouncing hordes clamouring for the head of this wonderkid who seems to have the touch of the Midas? Patrick Okedinachi Utomi became visible in my journalistic radar as far back as 1984. Then, I lived in the arid desert of Shunni, in Sokoto State, where I taught English. Prior to that as an undergraduate student in the department of English, University of Ibadan, I used to serenade readers of the op-ed page of The Guardian newspapers with my ideas and thoughts. Call them purple prose and you are dead right! Arguably, in the early 80's, The Guardian op-ed page was the next best thing in the world after a bottle of chilled Guinness. It was where the great, the good and the best submitted their minds for public scrutiny.

It was on the same op-ed page that I came to notice the stridency of a voice in the wilderness, shouting to be heard. Utomi was that voice in the wilderness whose by-line then became a regular staple. Being eclectic, his journalism was rich in ideas, wit and sound judgment. This was back in the days.

Once plain Pat Utomi is today’s Professor Pat Utomi and with that, comes its complexity. What can we say of this complex persona? Who really is this journalist, administrator, consultant, management guru, political scientist, social critic, neo-conservative, capitalist, teacher, businessman, seasoned traveller, broadcaster, banker and pan-Africanist? What can we say of our overrated oracle and moral guardian of the realm? Who are the paid up con-artists perfecting hatchet job on our connoisseur of fine taste who once coveted the highest office in the land?r oncoveted the highest office in the land?

I have to ask these existential questions in order to unravel the reason behind the recent and most damaging utterances attributed to him. Is Utomi dangerously falling into a trap? Is he becoming too clever by half with all his achievements?  Could it be money, prestige, fame, or plain silliness that is throttling him maddeningly to self-destruction?

Attributable sources inferred that Pat Utomi remarked, quite belligerently, that statecraft should take precedence before any witch hunt against Charles Soludo over allegation that the apex bank, Central Bank of Nigeria, under Soludo, invested a breath-taking $462million in a black hole, called African Finance Corporation. Utomi, relying on his charm had unwittingly and foolishly shot down the inquest into the scandal as “backward looking” at a time when Musa Yar’Adua needed to point Nigeria to a forward trajectory.

Utomi, who I called, “Atomic Utomi” also heehawed like this, “friends abroad were calling ‘what’s this about AFC and CBN? Why are hatchets been drawn all over the place? Can’t you people focus on nation building?”

Can we see what is unravelling of Atomic Utomi through his resolute opposition to the probe of Soludo and CBN’s corruption? Can you see the layer of his neo-liberal pretence peeling away? Can you feel the gently eroding self-conferment honour of the champion of voiceless middle class tearing asunder?  It has to be said that Nigerians are going through a period of political anxiety. And we have to ask anxious questions from Utomi who has been richly favoured by this country.

Preceding the gaffe above, duplicitous Atomic Utomi had used a loud hailer to make a clarion call on Nigerians to rise up and play active roles in the fight against official corruption in Nigeria. My attributable source was The Punch Online of Thursday 24 April 2008. Hear him:”most of us have failed to challenge perpetrators. Everyday in this country, we are being robbed of our property, and most of us keep docile about it.” He said further, “When some people argued that Ribadu was going after only the enemies of Obasanjo, my response was: ‘Let us first catch the enemies of Obasanjo. After he has finished with the enemies, then Obasanjo friends will be available to be caught.”

Last year when Atomic Utomi morphed into a politician as presidential candidate for the ADC, he flew a reflective piece titled, “This Struggle is now my life”, published in May 2007 by The Guardian. Utomi, seeing himself as the self-anointed torchbearer for the silent middle class, bared his political anxiety on the public domain. It was a free-flowing sobering piece with clear warning to the middle class to vacate their chintzy comfort and wrestle Nigeria from the python-like coil of ‘serfdom that we currently travel’.

According to Atomic Utomi, “the struggle will be aimed largely at keeping the man in the street, middle class professional people and the youth ever committed to the quest in advance of the Common Good for Change. The pains of seeing so many middle class people come out to vote........increases the essence of the struggle”. His Daniel-like interpretation of our collective dream in another of his piece titled, “Why We Must Restore Nigeria,” published in the same newspaper, was to transform Nigeria from being a basket case to the league of fast developing economies in the mould of China, India, Malaysia, South Korea and other celebrated Asian Tigers”.

When his pipe dream for Nigeria was unfolding, I greeted his grand but impotent vision and twilight optimism with solid, boneheaded pessimism. That old pessimism has now paid me a dividend of cynical laughter in the light of his pretentious disrobement.

For far too long, hypocrites and demagogues masquerading as angels of light and liberation have been given public platform to perform bad pirouetting that requires no applause. For far too long, overeducated errand boys have been given public platform to pout populist drivels in order to hoodwink those of us who could not see beyond the carapace of yawning ambition and Houdinitic deception. For instance, I have journalist friends who were once champions of the ‘commonteriat’ but are now landlords in the Lekki/VGC corridor. Regarding where a struggling journalist got the money for such palatial mansion, mum is the word!

The present intellectual anguish, frustration, disappointment and moral conundrum we, lovers of Utomi, are made to bear should offer a lesson to all. Nigerians are too complex as people to have as heroes and heroines. Atomic Utomi falls into the mould of that character we love to hate-rich, arrogant, privileged, outspoken, abrasive and confident. He is the everywhere on your face kind of bloke that could make us say, God, not him again!

For Utomi who believes that through ideas he could ‘confront the crisis of values that is crippling Nigeria’, the CBN gaffe is an own goal. Going by what he professes, he should have driven the sword of righteousness into Soludo’s monumental wastage of anger-inducing $17million of Nigeria’s wealth on “pre-preparation and travelling” in connection wit the African Finance Corporation.

For him to have thrown a protective cordon round Charles Soludo in order to advance intellectual and possibly, Ndigbo solidarity, shows how easy it is to betray the squeaky-clean image we attached to huggers of our media limelight. The sword of probity should be long enough to reach every marrow of serving public servants for clinical dissection of how public money is spent, regardless of friendship, clannishness and academic sympathies.

Utomi’s pronouncement against proper accounting of Soludo’s financial misdemeanour exposed his inexperience of the dirty, dark art that is Nigerian politics. What animates his Nigerian dream is driven solely by middle class ideas and knowledge. Unfortunately, it has to be said, that those who have imperilled the progress of Nigeria in the last 48 years are the arrogant, overeducated, contemptible, professional and business class of whom Atomic Utomi is a visible member.

Tijani lives in London.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Who are the opinion gladiators, sleaze merchants and dodgy penpushers plotting to smear Saint Ut...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 15.05.2008 22:00

hellofadude  Villager

# 2 What a profound piece... I have never really taken to Utomi anyway because I thought he hada funny, two face look about him... just my instincts mind you.. A sort of jack of all trades, master of none kinda fellow.. Thanks for the insight. Posted by hellofadude| 17.05.2008 10:46

felix  Villager

# 3 MORE PROFESSIONALS BACK AFC! LINK: http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/moneywatch/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=140508&ptitle=AFC%20probe:%20Cutting%20the%20nose%20to%20spite%20the%20face? AFC probe: Cutting the nose to spite the face? By Enitar Ugwu AFRICA Finance Corporation (AFC). That seems to be the hottest news item in the nation's finance circles now or rather, the probe of the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) investment in this corporation. A nation deserves any point in time to enquire and know where its funds are if invested, in what project. Such monitoring by relevant bodies is okay so long as it is not turned into a sort of witch-hunt. It is in the light of this that the explanation from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice over the weekend over the issue came handy. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Micheal Aondoakan had refuted the speculations that the Governor of the Central Bank, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had been indicted by the committee set up by his office to investigate CBN's investment in African Finance Corporation (AFC). The minister in a press statement signed by his Media Assistant, Onov Tyuulugh over the weekend said the committee was a fact-finding committee whose investigation was still on-going. The statement reads: "The attention of the office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to investigate the AFC has indicted Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, governor of the CBN over CBN's investment in the AFC. "We wish to re-state that this is a fact-finding committee and its investigation is on-going. It has not completed its assignment neither has it submitted any report. Consequently, any publication relating to the indictment or otherwise of the CBN governor are yet to be ascertained until the committee submits its report." The minister said the committee was not set up to witch-hunt anybody, but only to facilitate government in taking on informed decision on the matter. "In the era of rule of law, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice is mindful of the fact that issues of indictment are serious matters of judicial pronouncement." Prior to this, the Central Bank Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo had told investigators of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that the withdrawal of the $462 million from the foreign reserves and subsequent payment of same to the African Financial Corporation (AFC) was with full backing of the board of the apex bank. He also told the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency that legal process was followed in the deal. Soludo, accompanied by a retinue of aides, arrived the ICPC headquarter at 10.00 am and was directed to the office of the Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunshokin. It was gathered that he told his interrogators the money was an investment from which Nigeria stands to benefit immediately. The committee which comprises Alhaji Mohammed Garba, representing the Accountant-General's office, Mr. Pius Oteh, representing the Federal Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General office, Dr. B.B.A. Verr representing the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government and Mr. Emmanuel Oshibote expected Soludo to come back to the panel with documents to back his claims. Among the term of reference of the committee, which was inaugurated on April 16, 2008 by the Attorney General of the Federation, is ascertaining and obtaining necessary evidence of remittance of the equity contribution by the CBN to the recurring bank for the AFC initiative. It is also to ascertain the authorisation for the remittance and determine the signatories to the account in the recurring institution. And testifying before the House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Currency, the CBN governor said: "The process for setting up AFC started in January 2006 and the final agreement was signed about 17 months later. Meanwhile, a cross section of experts interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, said that the probe was unnecessary. Prof. Jonathan Edwin, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) said the CBN acted in the best interest of the country and warned that the probe should not be allowed to degenerate into conflict among arms of government. Mr. Okechukwu Unegbu, a former president of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), said the CBN did not need to go to the National Assembly to get approval before taking investment decisions. "CBN does not need to go to the National Assembly to get approval since the CBN has it own laws,'' he said. Mr. Tiamiyu Sodiq, a financial analyst, said that there was no need for a probe once due process was followed on the matter. "Once the due process was followed, I don't think there is a need for a probe but I think CBN should summit itself to the investigation for avoidance of doubts," he said. Mr. Samuel Kolawole, also a former president of CIBN, advised the Ministry of Finance to take note of procedure before making decisions. He urged the CBN to see the probe as a challenge, saying that in as much as the bank followed due process on the matter it should not entertain any fears. In a related development, the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), has advised the Federal Government to exercise caution in the on-going probe of CBN's $480 million equity investment in AFC in order for it not to be seen by the international community as a cog in the wheel of the corporation's progress. In a statement, the association described the decision taken by the CBN in 2007 as a move that would impact positively on the nation's economy and that of Africa. It said that the CBN, which was the brain behind the establishment of the AFC in 2007, should be commended for its pro-activeness in this regard, as the nation stands to benefit tremendously from its investment in the Corporation. This, it noted, is hinged on the fact that the AFC is well positioned to provide funds to accelerate the economic well being of the continent and its people. Already, the AFC has commenced plans to build a $700 million Ring Road in Port Harcourt. The corporation and the government of Guinea Bissau have also agreed to a multi-million dollar upgrade of the electricity and water facility of the country, among other initiatives in some African countries, aimed at bolstering infrastructural development and eradicating poverty. The association emphasised the need for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the AFC achieves its objectives against the backdrop of the sordid experience of African countries in the hands of global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, when it comes to sourcing of funds. On the on-going probe of the CBN's investment in the AFC by the Federal Government, ACAMB observed that this is a dis-service to the nation as there has not been any report or allegation of impropriety in the operations of the corporation. While we commend the Federal Government for its efforts at ensuring probity and transparency in the country, we believe that this particular probe of the CBN for taking a bold decision that would add value to Nigeria is uncalled for, a distraction and capable of undermining the reputation and strides made so far by the AFC, the Association stated. ACAMB pointed out that available facts show that due process was followed by the CBN going by the apex bank's Act of 2007, which makes it an autonomous body and empowers the board to invest its (CBN) money in a manner that will bring good returns. Based on this provision, there is no need for the CBN to seek approval from the National Assembly. The association is urging the Federal Government to rather focus on how best to strengthen the AFC in order for it to realise its objectives so that the country can derive maximum returns from its investment. It would be recalled that Soludo launched the AFC as a private sector-driven African investment bank on April 1, 2007. At the event, he said the new fund, sponsored by the CBN, would "harness the opportunities created by the massive funding gap for the key sectors and requisite infrastructure for economic growth in Africa." A minimum of 51 per cent of the start-up capital was to be drawn from the private sector. All central banks in Africa have been invited to invest in the bank, although the aim is to push private-sector funding to 100 per cent of the total, in time, in line with its objective of being a private sector institution. AFC has an authorised share capital of two billion ordinary shares of $1 each, of which one billion ordinary shares is expected to be paid up at take-off. More than $800 million has been raised internationally towards the AFC's start-up equity. The minimum investment is $50,000. It was expected to have its headquarters in Lagos, with branches in other African countries. Before the House Panel on Banking and Currency in Abuja, Soludo disclosed that the CBN spent $462 million on AFC, stressing that no law was breached in the process of putting the outfit in place. He said that with the progress made by the corporation, the investment would soon be justified as many countries and international bodies had indicated interest in investing in the corporation. The CBN governor explained that the $462 million spent by the CBN to set up the AFC was sourced from Federal Government bonds and not from the Bank of England account as wrongly reported. "The process for setting up AFC started in January 2006 and the final agreement was signed about 17 months later. All the legal processes were followed. The CBN Act allows the bank to go into any investment for the economic development of the country if approved by the Federal Government. It is like every other investment that the bank has in Nigerian Deposits Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other investments. The approval granted by the former President was in line with the CBN Act, he said. According to him, the money used for the scheme was not part of the Federal Government's fund in the Bank of England. Soludo said: "There is no relationship between the AFC investment and the money in the Bank of England. The total money in that account as at last July was not more than $16 million while the AFC investment is about $462 million. The money in the Bank of England belongs to the Central Bank but is called Federal Government Account because the practice is that account is opened in the name of sovereignty. We did not move the money from Bank of England. The Federal Government had about N237 billion in stock and from there we invested in AFC. It came from naira account and we converted the money to dollars. The money invested in AFC is safe, secure and yielding interest." Soludo said with time, CBN would reduce its share to about 10 per cent. He added that besides some African countries that had subscribed to the concept, some Canadians had offered to invest about $100 million but the management of the corporation had asked them to wait because of the on-going valuation of the investment, emphasising that the investment was critical to the achievement of the 2020 goals. The CBN governor, who painted a rosy picture of the journey so far, disclosed that AFC was already carrying out some projects in the country that would generate revenue to the corporation. He listed some of the projects to include the $4 billion power project to add 3,600 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, construction of ring roads in Port Harcourt in Rivers State to the tune of about N700 million, construction of Fourth Mainland Bridge in Lagos and coal fired plant in Kogi State. Soludo added that some African countries had offered the corporation mining licences while some Nigerian banks had invested in the venture but only those investors with a minimum of $50 million were allowed to be on board of the company which he chairs. He recalled before the committee that AFC was approved by Obasanjo following a proposal he submitted to him and the signing of the agreement by the Attorney-General of the Federation who put official seal on it. Earlier, the chairman of the committee Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, had told the CBN officials led by Soludo that the interaction was meant to exchange information on the controversy over the setting up of the AFC. Posted by felix| 19.05.2008 04:08