Date Published: 12/21/09

IBORI: THE GRAND CONSPIRACY By Terso Adagher

Cowardice, ask the question, is it safe? Expediency, ask the question is it politic? Vanity, ask the question, is it popular. But conscience asks the question is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right; Martin Luther king jnr.

For the sake of clarity let me refresh our minds on the criminal activities of James Ibori. This criminal that has inflicted so much pain on the suffering masses was first convicted at the Gwagwalada Magistrate court. He denied that it was not his Ibori, with the help of former IG of Police, Tafa Balogun, he escaped the prison.

The same man was a Super Market Cashier in London where he indulges in shop lifting with his girl friend and now his wife.. The woman in question was arrested recently at the airport and her finger print reflected the same with that of the lady earlier arrested for shoplifting.

Justice Marcel Awokulehin was elevated in 2005 from a position as a Federal Prosecutor in the form of Deputy Director of public prosecution (DPP).he was recruited to handle Ibori’s case by another high court judge Justice Ibrahim Ndagi Auta. This conspiracy to exonerate Ibori has been planned long ago, with the Minister of Justice, AGF taking the leading role.

Nigerians are not surprise of Justice Awokulehin’s judgment. However posterity will judge all the parties involved in ensuring that Waziri did not put Ibori behind bars.

These calls for the creation of Special Court that is being championed by the EFCC to handle corrupt cases, with this kind of corrupt judges presiding over cases that has to do with the generality of the Nigerian at large the war against corruption can never be achieved.

For a Federal High Court Judge to collect the sum of $5 million dollar to pass verdict in favour of the accused person is a big slap on the judiciary.

Bearing in mind the negative effect it will have on the Nigerian populace:

(a) Undermine democracy, rule of law, human rights and economic development          

(b) It will engender conflict, violence, crime, insecurity and instability due to competition, inequality, poverty   and lack of access to basic amenities of life.

© Erodes values of hard work and integrity.

(d) Undermine productivity and divert energies of youth to political thuggery..

(e) Discourage foreign investment because of corruption induced bureaucratic and other obstacle and high cost of doing business.

With all these damage to our nascent democracy, the downtrodden are asking the Appeal Court to look at our plight and come to our rescue by discarding that kangaroo judgment.

Conclusively the time has come for the judiciary to take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but the one that is RIGHT. Because the judiciary remains the last hope of the common man.