November 14 , 2007
PRESS RELEASE
ANTI-GRAFT WAR: YAR’ADUA SHOULD GO BEYOND PLATITUDES
President Umaru Yar’Adua at the seminar organized by
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
has once again given us the usual platitude of his
intention to fight corruption in Nigeria without
minding whose ox is gored.
“Let it be clear to all that no one irrespective of
assumed or real status, who is proved to be corrupt
will receive protection from this administration”,
said the President.
This clear commitment is coming the same day the
United Nations regaled us with a figure of $400b as a
conservative estimate of what Nigeria lost to graft
in 39 years.
It was also the same day that the House of
Representatives told President Yar’Adua that N1tn was
spent on the power sector in eight years of Obasanjo
without a corresponding result.
And in far away London, a British Court was in the
same day hearing the case of James Ibori’s E35m
assets in Britain alone after being Governor for
eight years. Ibori of course is just a statement for
most of the ex-Governors who equated being Governor
with treasury looting.
But the critical issue in Yar’Adua’s commitment is the
phrase “who is proved to be corrupt”.
It is critical because despite Babangida’s
profligacies of eight years, Obasanjo kept asking
Nigerians to bring the “Proof” that Babangida was
corrupt throughout his presidency. Revelations coming
out from within and outside Nigeria on the sleaze that
characterized his own presidency now tells us that by
asking us for “proof” Obasanjo was only doing himself
some post-dated favour.
The question is who will initiate the proof of
corruption in Nigeria today? Is it the hapless
citizens who have no access to information on
government activities or the government that has all
the facts? And this is where Afenifere has problem
with Mr” Rule of Law”’s platitudes.
He says the fight against corruption is his fight but
we are yet to see him put on his gloves. If he is
ready to walk his talk by now Patricia Olubunmi Etteh
ought to be answering charges over the N628m
renovation scandal.
If Yar’Adua’s fight against graft is not only ‘story,
story o”, the billions of Naira James Ibori allegedly
committed to his campaign funds is one solid “proof”
why no shred of shield should have been provided for
Ibori the way his Attorney General was doing before
yielding to public pressure.
For us to take Yar’Adua seriously that the commitment
he is giving is not just another hollow ritual he must
do the following:
(1) He must instruct his Attorney General to
collaborate effectively with the EFCC to bring to book
James Onanefe Ibori and all the ex-Governors that have
been indicted by the EFCC.
(2) He should initiate a comprehensive probe of the
Obasanjo presidency with emphasis on the following:
(a) The 1trn spent on the power sector between 1999 –
2007.
(b) The $800m spent on Turn-Around Maintenance of the
refineries under Obasanjo.
(c) The management of NNPC and all the attendant
international bribery allegations with Obasanjo as oil
minister.
(d) The sales of Federal Government properties in
Abuja and Lagos.
(e) The alleged diversion of N19b aviation
intervention fund into private accounts by Femi
Fani-Kayode.
(f) The billions of Naira raked for Obasanjo’s
library.
(3) Hon. Patricia Etteh should be made to face the law
over the N628m renovation scandal.
Anything short of these would only mean that President
Yar’Adua is only playing to the gallery.
‘Yinka Odumakin
National Publicity Secretary