posted
Recently Mr David Blunket, the British Home Secretary, and one of the most powerful and influencial men of British Politics was made to resign his appointment. The root of his problems was an official rail ticket worth less than £300 that he gave to his female partner. People were already calling for his head before it was discovered that he influenced the issue of a visa to the nanny of his former partner. He had to, and he did go.
This is a man who had served as the health secretary, and then the education secretary in Tony Blair's government before being elevated to the post of the Home Secretary as a result of his records.However, when he seen to have acted in an unacceptable manner, he had to bite the dust. Can this happen in our great nation Nigeria?
So much noise is now being make about the demise of the IG Tafa Balogun from his influencial position. To the average Nigerian, it may sound very strange that such a powerful man can just come crashing from grace to 'grass', and then be subjected to investigation for financial irregularities. This is because Nigerian are not used to be served by their so-called leaders. They are not used to accountability, responsibilty, transparency, and honesty from their leaders, be they 'elected' on imposed.
These people in high positions have for too long been seen as sacred and untouchable. They have all along been above the law that that governed the masses.
The word is that Mr. Balogun stole some money amounting a few hundred million dollars. The inspector general of police who is supposed to be Czar in the fight against crime turned out to be one of its chief perpetrator.
The question is, if Obasanjo himself is clean and transparent as he would want to have us believe, what took him so long to notice the nefarious activities of his police chief?
Balogun is by no means the only government official stealing national funds at the moment. I can bet my last kobo ( is it still in use?) that if we dig deeper still, Balogun may well turn out to be a small fish in the shark-infested waters of outright national treasury looting.
This Balogun saga should not be one for Obasanjo to brag about. It shouldn't be a moral booster for OBJ neither. If Obasanjo is serious about the fight against crime and corruption, then this ( though a right step in the right direction) should only act as a catalyst to push same to a higher level. Every Government official starting from the very top should be made to explain the source of their stupendous wealth, and account for same. Balogun himself, if properly handled by the investigators may well be a valuable asset in this pursuit. I smell a rat! I sense someone very high up there has dumped Balogun when he got caught with his pants down.
In addition, every former head of state, or president and their wealthy cabinent members should be probed and the sources of their wealth ascertained.
In the absence of this, Tafa Balogun would only have served as a scape-goat and a grand diversion from the real THIEVES,... THE SACRED THIEVES OF NIGERIA
Posts: 17 | From: London, UK. | Registered: Jan 2005
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Balogun is just a small fish, is just that he got his hand stuck in the cookie jar. The bigger thief is the commander in thief himself and his family. Obasanjo is both president and oil Minister, that is why every member of his family is now selling oil exploration license. If Obasanjo wants to fight corruption he should look no further than his dining and bedroom.
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Lrt the record show that the following is all that the Obasanjo regime had to say about the crimes by Tafa Balogun:
quote:Press Release No. 1569 January 18th, 2005
TAFA BALOGUN RETIRES FROM POLICE, NEW IG APPOINTED
The President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has approved the notice of retirement of the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Tafa Balogun from the Nigerian Police with effect from 6th March 2005.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette, the out-going Inspector-General will commence retirement leave with effect from Tuesday, 18th January 2005.
According to the SGF, the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in accepting Tafa Balogun’s retirement notice has expressed his appreciation on behalf of the nation for his past services and wishes him a happy retirement.
Meanwhile, the President has also approved the appointment of Mr. Sunday Ehindero as Acting Inspector-General of Police with effect from Tuesday, 18th January 2005.
If Aluko wants ********************1.com linked from BNW, Aluko should link BNW at ********************1.com Posts: 66 | From: Kalamazoo, Michigan | Registered: Nov 2001
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posted
EFCC says it has arrested Tafa Balogun. Let us wait and see. The real fight against corruption will start after Obasanjo and his son Gbenga are arrested.
If Aluko wants ********************1.com linked from BNW, Aluko should link BNW at ********************1.com Posts: 66 | From: Kalamazoo, Michigan | Registered: Nov 2001
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I heard from the grapevine that Obasanjo is serious about stamping out corruption in nija. All this is to prepare ground for his 3rd term. My sources tell me that Babangida may be the next person on OBj's radar, as soon as Babangida is arrested, Obj will announce to the nation that he needs more time to finish clearing the stinking ship. My source alss tells me that Gbenga and other members of OBj's family have been warned seriously to avoid any act that might embarass the Presido.
The big question now is how much support will Obasanjo recieve if indeed he is serious about arresting and trying IBB for corruption?
Should we support his 3rd term bid and all his other programs?
My prayer is that Tafa Balogun not die, that Osuji not die.
for now our prayers are answered, the worms are out of the can!
Posts: 380 | From: US | Registered: Dec 2004
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Are we gonna be seeing more of this type of articles?
*********** OBJ SHOULD BE SUPPORTED TO CONTINUE HIS GOOD WORK
I didn't use to like OBJ. I thought, like most Nigerians, that his second coming was not the blessing we were all expecting. Certainly not the Messiah we were waiting for. After 6 years in office the economy is not growing the way it should, inflation is not yet under proper control, the value of the Naira has not stabilised, unemployment and lack of job opportunities runs at 30-40% of the population, graduates still cant find work, we have no real security over our lives and property. In short, life is still short, sharp and brutish for the average Nigerian.
Error! Filename not specified. But the fact of the matter is that the reason Nigeria is not working is not because of OBJ or the PDP, ANPP or any political party for that matter, but rather for a number of reasons: first, there is the of lack of patriotism, common shared values and morality amongst Nigerians at all levels; secondly, there is the ugly use of the tribal and religious card by the political and social elite as and when it suits them; and thirdly, the big C- CORRUPTION in public service. This is by no means exclusive. You see, when it comes to stealing money from the government and people of Nigeria, bunkering our precious crude oil, inflating contracts and budgets 500%, 419, etc., the political elites don’t say ‘I am Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Edo, Igala, IJaw, Kanuri’ etc. They conspire to steal, steal and divide funds (loot) meant for Schools, Drugs, Hospitals, Roads and social development of our Dear Country. When they are stealing money you don’t hear them crying ‘ North, South, Christ or Allah, Holy Ghost Fire, Jihad or Geopolitical Zone’ for that matter. They ‘kill and divide’ quietly. As illustrated by the recent Osuji scandal (Osujigate) or should we call it ‘Wabaragate’. You see, we had big Yoruba, Hausa fulani royalty, big Igbo names all involved in the sharing of money ultimately meant for the development of our moribund education system. Some of them claim to be descendants of the ‘Great Prophet’ and to be Knight of Saint this and Knight of Saint that. We never heard Allah or God when they were sharing N55M. We never heard of North and South or the common cry today- Marginalization. The only time the elites and those in positions of power in Nigeria remember Allah or God or North and South is when we are talking about resource allocation, derivation, ministerial and other senior government appointments, location of infrastructural development projects and who is going to be President. In other words, when the resources and political power in Nigeria is to be apportioned (shared). That is why I have no time for those champions of the ethnic and religious card in Nigeria (Oha, Are, Afe, INC) They know the real problem in Nigeria is not about tribe or religion. They know it is poverty, lack of jobs, lack of basic water, lack of basic electricity, lack of security and proper infrastructures in the country and above all CORRUPTION. How can we have jobs, water, basic electricity, refineries, effective police force, proper roads, hospitals, schools and drugs for our sick people when the funds allocated for these services are misdirected into the private bank accounts of those in power. They know that. Instead of saying what the real issue is they hide under Allah or God, North and South, Igbo, Hausa, ‘marginalization’ and 'geo-political zones'. I can guarantee anyone that if Nigeria is to break up (God forbid) it will not be over tribe or religion. It will be over the control of resources. Basically, Oil. You see, after 45 years of independence we are still a single produce economy. We cannot manufacture anything. We know how, we have the resources, but we don't want to. Nigerians believe it is easier to make ‘more MONEY’ selling and consuming what others have produced. From refined petroleum products, to Benz, to 90 Jeeps for one person, to Computers, to Generators, to toiletries, to foodstuff, to sending our children abroad to study, to going abroad for medical treatment or shall I say to die. The fact of the matter is that without oil, which we did not create by our industry and talent, the poverty in Nigeria will be too much to bear. It will be running at 99.9% instead of the current 90%. To cut a long story short, if OBJ can continue his present revolution against CORRUPTION it will have a massive impact on the ugly hands of religious and tribal bigots in the country. What I call the ugly hands of underdevelopment. It will starve them of ill-gotten funds. This will in turn speed up the provision of basic infrastructure to our suffering masses up and down our massive country. It will create an atmosphere for transparency, competence and meritocracy. It will mean Nigerians can dream again the dreams we all had for our Country 45 years ago. We can then start to think about how to move our country forward and make life worth living for the majority of Nigerians. I suspect from OBJ's utterances that he does not wish to continue the revolution beyond 2007. All I have to say to him is, if he is reading this article, Please Don’t Go. We need to sanitise the country before we can develop and grow as a people. We need to develop a culture of law and order, transparency in public life, meritocracy and a public service ethos amongst our present and future leaders. To those men and women who are currently at the Political Reform Conference, you need to recommend that we amend the constitution. Have a fixed term of 6 or 7 years and no come back for the executive arm. The new constitution should not be retrospective. OBJ must be encouraged to stand afresh and if he does, will win hands down across NIGERIA. Let us have some stability in the country for a change. Stability under Democracy. This will bring the progress we all want for ourselves, our families our local government, our village, our town/city, our state, our tribe, or geo-political zone, our religion, our Gods, and our Country. The stealing of public funds is not progress. Ghana-Must-Go is not progress. Whipping up religious and tribal sentiments for personal political and financial gains is no answer, either. The history of Nigeria since 1960 has been one of political and economic instability from Independence to the 1st coup, the counter coup, the coming of Gowon, the rise of Ojukwu and Igbo nationalism, the civil war, the reconciliation and reconstruction under Gowon, the overthrow of Gowon after his many promises to hold elections, the assassination of Murtala Mohammed, the unexpected first coming of OBJ, the transition to Shagari, the farce of the 1983 elections, the collapse of the economic and political system under the second republic, the coming of Buhari, the palace coup and rise of IBB, the decline of the economy for the second time, the political crisis that forced IBB to hold elections at last, the victory of MKO, the refusal by IBB to hand over to the winner, the political fallout of this, the forced stepping aside of the Maradona, the institution of ING under the man from UAC, the vacuum it created for the deadly ambitious Kanuri turned Kano General to mount the saddle, the death of the so called third republic that never was, the consolidation of power by Abacha, his determination to succeed himself after making promises to hold free and fair elections and return the country to democratic rule, his so called transition that never was, his bullying of all the political parties he set up to make him the sole and only candidate, his stealing of billions of dollars of Nigeria's money ( not that he was the only one- and may God forgive me for speaking ill of the dead! ), the unexpected call from the messenger of death on him, the rise of Abdulsalam, the elections of 1999 , the second coming of OBJ and the rest. How long are we going to continue living and managing crisis in Nigeria. >From elections to coup, from coup to counter coup to palace coup, back to elections and then back to coup again. I have even forgotten about Parliamentary/Regional Government of the 60’s and Military Presidency. Some even say there is one we have not tried yet. Mixing the Presidential and the Parliamentary System like the French. And now I hear talk of back to Regionalism, again. When are we going to learn? It is not the system that is failing NIGERIA, it is the people who run it that are failing us. We have tried almost everything over the past 45 yrs and it still is not working. They don’t know how to lead by example. And they Don’t care because they can get away with it. We can have a system run by Bishops and Imams if you like and it still won’t work in the current NIGERIA. The poverty of Good Leadership and lack of Total Commitment to the Cause of NIGERIA is our problem. Nations less blessed in human and natural resources such as Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, South Africa and now even small Vietnam are doing better than us. When are we going to start living and managing progress and success. When are we going to learn? Let OBJ stay and complete the first stage of Nigeria's resurgence as a successful, strong, stable and proud nation. He needs to lay the foundation for progress. I don’t think he can solve the chronic economic and infrastructural decay and underdevelopment in Nigeria in the next 2 years but if he can lay the foundation for economic and social development by putting to an end, once and for all, the stealing of public funds and the mentality that ‘you go into Government to make money’ then it would be worth it. If OBJ does not stay, I doubt if any of the contenders to his office will have the will, desire or courage to tackle the biggest problem facing Nigeria today. It will be like starting all over again. It will be back to square one for Nigeria. May God (Allah) Help NIGERIA. I have not been paid by anyone to write this article. It is just my personal view and it is not meant to offend anyone’s religion, geopolitical zone, tribe, political ambition or status. Nothing personal.
Kayode Ogundamisi is a former sec general of the Odua peoples Congress, and founding leader of the Odua Republic Front. Ogundamisi currently resides in The United Kingdom were he his a postgraduate student of the London Metropolitan University. He his a volunteer campaigns fellow for the German human rights group IMRV Bremen
[ March 30, 2005, 06:25 PM: Message edited by: Administrator ]
Posts: 380 | From: US | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote:But the fact of the matter is that the reason Nigeria is not working is not because of OBJ or the PDP, ANPP or any political party for that matter, but rather for a number of reasons: first, there is the of lack of patriotism, common shared values and morality amongst Nigerians at all levels; secondly, there is the ugly use of the tribal and religious card by the political and social elite as and when it suits them; and thirdly, the big C- CORRUPTION in public service.
The three points are dead on the point, but corruption is not only in the Public sectors, it is in all facets of Nigerian fabrics.
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Folks, Lets face it, we are all living in denial and deceit. OBJ tricks will continue to hold every citizen, in zombie style mood. Since what nigerians enjoy is all these useless sensational news of corruption, then the citizens are all doomed.
This make belief war on corruption by OBJ is one of his tricks. Guys you can tell your stories to the marines. OBJ is the captain of this stinking ship, and will remain the master/king of all the corruption going on in nigeria. The only way out of this terrible situation, is nothing but a great revolution that will flush out these rogues in power.
I can assure you that RAWLING'S action in Ghana some years back, brought about the current sanity in Ghana today. No country in any part of the world will tolerate this hopeless corrupt adminstration of Obasanjo one day longer.
A great Biafra-Nigerian and renowned author, Chinua Achebe's award winning novel, reminded us that when "things fall apart" the center cannot hold.
The center in this case represents the nucleus of a nation. Which prompts the oft asked question, Is Nigeria really a nation? Many well qualified people have debated this issue ad nauseum.
I have reached the conclusion that nigeria falls into the 80/20 rule paradigm. Namely, that Eighty percent of its inhabitants do not see themselves as having strong common bonds to foster a nation, and as such have no interest in promoting the 'common good'. Consequently, the Twenty percent who at one time or another champion the "unity of the nation", only do so when they occupy or share the seat of power.
Translation- The only common denomination is survival of the fittest. And when such jungle instincts become the norm, nationalism becomes as elusive as a snow storm in the desert.
Thus the so called leaders clearly understand the situation, and will stop at nothing to loot the country of it's wealth, to the chagrin of the unsuspecting and vulnerable populace. The mantra has been and will continue to be:- Till OIL DO US PART./Posts: 119 | From: USA | Registered: Aug 2001
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I talkings long time Imo River nobodies doings nobodies ihe ndi awusa mere anyi. I talkings for everybodies na ndi ofe mmanu doings to killings everybodies na alaigbo. So therefore I talkings agains na ndi awusa na ndi ofe mmanu doings to killings everybodies nihi fa enwero aka olu na Igbo must never never therefore nwee mmeri. Anyi ga ebi maka na I knowings that. Hoha.
But to doings that we knowings na ndi iro gbara anyi mgburugburu we must therefore knowings na agwo no na akirika. And we talkings to be knowings na agha bu njo.
Ezi okwu bu ndu agha bu njo.
Thank you.
___________________ Agha bu njo Posts: 58 | From: Moscow | Registered: Aug 2003
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Bature, This is why Nigeria will not move forward. It is high time people start using their wise mind in looking at events in nigeria. The weak emotional mind i see most Nigeria exibit is the the bane of that country. People who want the best for their country are taking action all over the world. You must have read how leaders are chased out of office by their citizens for corruption. How rigged elections are rejected by citizens who know what they want. Nigerians can countinue their day dreaming of an imaginary war on corruption by this adminstration.
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OBJ launched this make-believe war on corruption to please Nigeria's western creditors, in hopes that he can get the debt either forgiven or re-structured. In either case, if he is successful, he and others would then have a new free-for-all of looting the national treasury. As oil minister, he can't keep enough of the revenues for himself and his family because he has to pay Nigeria's bills from it, hence this anti-corruption campaign to make his creditors believe in Nigeria's extended credit-worthiness.
The guy who wrote the introductory article of this thread refuses to recognize the truths Teddy spelled out, that is, Nigeria, as it is presently constituted, is not a normal nation. It has no basis for nationhood. In fact, there are at least three different nations in present-day Nigeria being held together purely by force, the design of the British for their own selfish ends. The affected peoples are therefore left with a monster that devours them instead of a nation that nurtures them. There is no family or national tradition that binds them into one people. The leaders of Nigeria steal without shame because each fancies he is taking from his adversaries and/or enemies rather than his own people. The writer of the article in question should recognize that the only real solution is to divide Nigeria, along family or ethnic lines, and allow the different peoples their right to self-determination.
Meanwhile, the oil that the writer says is the life's blood of Nigeria, is property theft that makes every other crime in Nigeria look small in comparison. For this same oil, an attempt was made to murder a whole nation of owners(Igbos), and was only averted by the international attention it drew between 1967-1970. Since they couldn't kill off all the Igbo people(though they tried), on whose land most of the oil was found, they heve settled for stealing it these last 34 years, and doing everything possible to discredit Igbos and portray them as greedy, when in fact the horrible greed that commits murder is alive and well in Northern and Western Nigeria, while the true owners of the oil wealth are kept down and under by the only Nigerian national campaign that seems to work, the campaign against Igbo people, to malign them, sterotype them, dis-possess them, and kill them, all done with impunity and active support of the Nigerian government. And now the Chief Thief and MSO(Minister of Stolen Oil) is talking anti-corruption. That's a bit too rich for me.
___________________ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves... Posts: 660 | From: Valle del Sol | Registered: Nov 2004
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OBJ'S supporters can tell their stories to the marine's. This sudden make believe war on corruption by OBJ,is laughable, and will not fly. Certainly we will still be singing this same song a year from now. The game plan is humilate Igbo's and make them look like the greedy bunch. This has been going on since OBJ became president.
The blue print to deprive and mistreat Igbo's since the end of the civil war is still in place. When in actual sense what they are accusing these few short sighted Igbomen, who jumped on the bandwagon with Obasanjo's one nigeria, is just a tip on the iceberge, compared to the massive looting by past and present nigerian leaders.
The beat goes on,
But sources told Sunday Independent that the House might have been bolstered by some alleged discoveries especially that of plans to buy off the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State by Gbenga using some companies that were just recently incorporated in Nigeria.
According to sources, the Alliance for Democracy leader in the House, Mr. Wunmi Bewaji disclosed the case of the query issued to Obasanjo by Bush to other legislators and presented a document to that effect.
Besides, the source alleged that the lawmakers were ready to brandish proof that the same Obasanjo’s son, through the Indian Company ISPAT bought the gigantic Ajaokuta Steel plant and also on the verge of acquiring Delta Steel Plant at Aladja, Delta State and the Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Corporation in Kogi State. His company, Global Consult is also said to have controlling shares in these companies.
It was also gathered that the House Committee on Power and Steel had also investigated the case..
However, there was a bit of disagreement among the legislators before a final decision was reached.
While some of them argued that the president should not be held responsible for a crime committed by Gbenga since he is an adult, others said he could not be totally unconnected as he had been presenting his son, Gbenga as a reliable businessman, whenever he travelled abroad.
Sunday Independent gathered that a list of other business interests of the younger Obasanjo was also shown to the lawmakers during their executive session last Wednesday morning where they took a resolute stand to hit back at the president for allegedly making a sweeping statement that the National Assembly was an institution characterised by corruption.
A member said if the legislators disclose all they have or report their findings at the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the nation would marvel at the level of corruption going on.
The source said the House had now resolved to bring everything to the public arena for Nigerians to judge.
Similarly, the legislators have also complained that the Presidency had been starving the National Assembly of fund.
I would like to know how Gbenga Obasanjo is purchasing all these companies and/or gaining a controlling interest in them. Where does his capital(money) come from. That's what George Bush wants to know, and I'd like to know too. Well, all we really have to do is follow the money and see where it leads. Got any ideas?
___________________ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves... Posts: 660 | From: Valle del Sol | Registered: Nov 2004
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This is why i am against the type of privatization Obasanjo and Atiku supervises. This is Atiku that is known for his greed while a customs officer and Obasanjo who according to Fela (of blessed memory) as International Thief Thief...How many here remember the rumor then about Idiamin of Uganda seizing an aircraft from Nija full of money! Rumor had it then that Obasanjo was shipping money berekete out of nija via multiple routes and Idiamin got the information and seized the aircraft.
Now same Obasanjo is supervising the sale of public properties and infrastructures. These people self, how much will they ever have before they are satisfied? What type of conscience do they have? Millions are suffering daily even dying while they are accumulating and haording the nations wealth amongst themselves and their families. When did Gbenga venture into business and how did he raise his initial capital. We now know that newly established businesses are winning the bid for most of this sale, only to resell such to notable companies.
War against corruption must start in the house of Obasanjo first!
Posts: 380 | From: US | Registered: Dec 2004
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If these excesses are apparent to us, do you think that others who have an interest in Nigeria are blind to Obasanjo's trickery. If he thinks the truth is hidden from the public, he is only tricking himself. Meanwhile people like Bababoyz and Bature seem to be playing the part of magician's assistants, trying to get people to believe OBJ's illusions.
___________________ The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves... Posts: 660 | From: Valle del Sol | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
This is a fine article from Dr. Steve Nwabuzor posted at Nigeriaworld website.
quote:BRIBERY AND HYPOCRITICAL GRANDSTANDING
A national broadcast on Tuesday March 22, 2005 by the president, Olusegun Obasanjo, indicted the Minister of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji and members of the Education Committee of the National Assembly for bribery to jack-up the Education budget. Concomitantly, Professor Osuji was fired and prosecution recommended.
advertisement In a clear move feigning to fight corruption, the President embarked upon an insincere rhetoric in a broadcast about fighting corruption with the crooked hands at the disposal of the state. This move has been welcomed by all and sundry, including sycophants, clergy and hypocrites. While corruption cannot be said to have started with this government it is doubtful if it (this government) has the will or moral authority to fight this endemic problem.
This bribery scandal is unique because of the high profile positions of the people involved in this despicable action. One is a Minister, another is the Senate President and others are members of the legislature. Clearly under the laws of the country no one is guilty until proven so by a court of law. Hence the rush to broadcast to the nation and passing judgment by the President is, to all intent and purposes, an illegal act as this would be prejudicial to the litigation in the court of law and a blatant interference with the judicial process in a supposedly democratic setting.
Nigerians have been victims of corruption in all facets of the national life and are unflinching in their desire that corruption be obliterated or minimized so that the socio-economic engine can run freely with minimal friction. However, in fighting this canker, the government must be seen to have the legitimacy and moral ground to do justice to the problem. Only few Nigerians can assert that the Obasanjo-led PDP has the mandate to rule or the transparency to combat the wide range of corruption that is bane of the country. In the latter lies the dilemma of this 'renewed,' ad-hoc crusade which has excited the polity, albeit fleetingly.
One of the fundamental pillars that hold justice is that 'he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.' And one may add, for any government fighting corruption transparency in all its ramifications must be a sine qua non in the affairs of state. Current bribery scandal is not a first under this dispensation. In the first term of this PDP government, the House of Representatives accused the presidency of arm-twisting and subsequent bribery. To prove the latter, members of the national assembly brought bags of bribe money to the floor of the house and no denial from the presidency on this incident has ever been forthcoming.
Also, the former Defense Minister, Rtd General T. Y. Danjuma, blew the whistle on a former permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr. Makanjuola, who allegedly stole N400 million from the Defense fund. Other instances included the ID scam, which involved late Minister of Internal Affairs, Chief Sunday Afolabi, of "the come and chop" fame; the ex-Inspector General of Police', Tafa Balogun, unaccountable one billion naira in a bank account; the Ngige-Uba affair in which the president was an accessory to the facts; the president's forgery of the Electoral Act; the cloud surrounding the president's appropriation of the Abuja stadium fund and spin-offs in building a private hotel and mini-stadium in Otta. Until recently it is public knowledge that the presidency pays allowances to law makers when approval is sought for passing a bill or expenditure? Is the latter not bribery? What has the current alleged offenders done that are contrary to the President's way of doing business?
There was no instance in the aforementioned when the presidency went on the air to be the accuser, the jury and the judge. Why in this instance did the president go public without allowing the judicial process to pass judgment? It will not be out of place to infer that this action is predicated on scoring cheap political point, at the expense of the PDP controlled legislature, and a tactics to impress the West that this government noted for stinking corruption is at last 'doing something'? Obviously this new antics is a stratagem to pull wool over the eyes of the West in seeking debt relief.
In concluding, Nigerians are in the right frame of mind wanting corruption to be combated. However, such fight must be holistic in nature and not selective. For this new drive to be meaningful all previous cases must be subjected to the same weight of law with no sacred cows. This democracy in Nigeria cannot watch previous looters of the treasury, mainly in the military constituency, enjoy their booty, while some politicians, especially of a particular ethnic nationality, are constantly ridiculed, made scapegoats and projected as nonentities in the affairs of state. A foundation for the New Nigeria cannot be built on sleaze and selective justice. The latest national broadcast by the President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is nothing but hypocritical grandstanding and a perversion of the judicial process. It should be condemned by well-meaning Nigerians.
IGBO BU IGBO.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Let's see how this President will handle this new list of Kurrupt officials and one of his wives.
quote:Ikoyi houses sold to First Lady’s Family, govs Obasanjo cancels deal, queries minister By Collins Edomaruse, 04.01.2005
Friday, April 1, 2005 No fewer than 207 Nigerians including members of the family of the First Lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, governors, ministers, senior military and police officers and top civil servants have been secretly allocated Federal Government houses in Ikoyi, Lagos from those slated for sale in an advertisement early in the week.
But irked by the development, President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed dissatisfaction and queried the Housing Minister, Mrs. Mobolaji Osomo, for what he called the shoddy manner she has handled the process and consequently, canceled the allocations.
However, THISDAY checks at the ministry revealed that unknown to the present occupants of the properties and other Nigerians intending to bid, several of the houses advertised for sale have been allocated under the table and in some cases payment partly or fully made by the beneficiaries long before the bidding process begins.
Further investigations also showed that at least six governors benefited from the behind-the-scene deal. They are: Dr. Peter Odili (Rivers State); Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun State); Otunba Gbenga Daniel (Ogun State); Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara State), Mr. Donald Duke (Cross River State) and Alhaji Adamu Muazu (Bauchi State).
Besides, embattled Senate President Adolphus Wabara and former Alliance for Democracy (AD) senator who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Musiliu Obanikoro were among National Assembly members who have already been given houses.
Others are Senator John Azuta Mbata, Senator Isa Maina and Senator Ben Obi.
Members of the House of Representatives who also benefitted, according to the investigation, included Deputy Speaker Austin Opara, Sadiq Yar'Adua, Bawa Bwari and Abdul Ningi.
Also included are Minister of Police Affairs, Chief Broderick Bozimo, his counterpart in the Sports Ministry, Col. Bala Mande (rtd) as well as the Minister of State (Defence), Dr. Rowland Oritsejafor and Ambassador Adamu Waziri of the Ministry of Commerce. Their former colleague in the ministry of education, Professor Fabian Osuji is also on the list.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Martin Agwai tops the list of the armed forces and police personnel, either serving or retired, who benefitted from the deal. Others are the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, Maj-Gen Lawrence Onoja (rtd), Maj-Gen Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd), Maj-Gen Olufemi Olutoye (rtd), Maj-Gen A. Ajibade, Rear Admiral Adesokan, Brig-Gen J. B Akinyemi, Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) Bello Labaran, Musa Abdulkadir and Mike Okiro.
THISDAY checks also revealed that two Supreme Court Justices, Adolphus Karibi-Whyte and A. O Ejiwunmi as well as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Roseline Ukeje are beneficiaries.
Former National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Barnabas Gemade as well as Personal Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Traditional Matters, Mr. Segun Awolowo also got allocations.
Top businessmen on the list include Oba Otudeko, Chief Subomi Balogun, Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Festus Odimegwu as well as corporate bodies like SIO Properties and Power Properties Ltd.
The investigations also showed that the Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Charles Soludo and the Director-General of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Dora Akunyili, benefited from the allocation.
Others are Chief (Mrs.) E. O Adegbite, Chief O. O Ogunbuwa, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Architect Albert Ikomi and Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan.
In canceling the allocations, Obasanjo in a letter to Osomo said: "...I must express my great displeasure, in very clear terms, about the way you seem to be handling the sale of federal government property in Lagos
"I have a document sent to me anonimously (copy attached), where 207 people had been allocated or offered land/property for sale surreptitiously; some with full payment, some with deposit and some without payment at all.
"I also feel personally embarrassed that almost all members of my wife's family are on that list. As it is, the entire list will now be canceled without fail, the money collected should be refunded and all the property will be advertised for sale except those allocated to Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari and Chief Emeka Anyaoku which had been approved before this exercise on special condition of encouraging their relocation to Nigeria and on the basis of current value plus 10 per cent. Report faithful compliance with this instruction."
In newspaper advertisement early in the week, the Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the alienation of Federal Government Landed Property called for bids from members of the public interested in purchasing the landed properties in Ikoyi.
A statement by the Secretary of the Committee Professor P.T. Ahire advised interested Nigerians to collect bidding forms, free of charge, from either the office of the Federal Controller of Housing Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Onikan Lagos or the Presidential Advisory Council, the Presidency, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Abuja.
The properties slated for sale include 3 bedroom houses, 4 bed room detached houses with Boys Quarters, and 5 bedroom detached houses.
Although the bid is open to all interested Nigerians, sitting tenants who are interested in buying the houses they currently occupy have the first right of purchase.
___________________ Feel me? Ofu onye ana asi unu abia go. - Ednut Igbo-American . www.airamericaradio.com visit her. Posts: 2447 | From: Mother Earth | Registered: Mar 2001
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