Date Published: 10/29/09

28th October 2009.

Press Release.

LAGOS AC WELCOMES BODE GEORGE’S CONVICTION, WARNS PDP TO STEER CLEAR.

The Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress has welcomed the conviction of a chieftain of the PDP, Mr. Olabode George for massive corruption in the Nigerian Ports Authority. The party says that the development is a positive development in the anti-corruption campaign and calls that more looters should be put to trial.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the AC, Joe Igbokwe, the party berated the PDP for its reaction that it will fight back to free Mr. George. It says that the unfortunate statement shows the PDP to be remorselessly committed to promoting corruption and warns it not to take the patience of Nigerians for granted.

“The conviction of Bode George is a welcome development and we believe that even as the sentence handed down to him was mild, it sends a positive signal to those that loot with impunity that someday, they will stand trial for their offences. We are happy that this character has been thrown to jail for his sundry role in looting the NPA and we salute the current EFCC chairman for effortlessly pulling this conviction through. We believe that there are many Bode Georges in the PDP and that the conviction of George will serve no useful purpose if other like looters are not brought to justice.

“We must note that there were frantic moves made by the former Obasanjo regime to shield George from justice. This rendered the works of the former leadership of the EFCC a huge joke as this desperate effort lasted. It also showed that the Obasanjo government was merely using anti-corruption as a ruse to promote his political interests. We hope the present government will not do same on the critical issue of fighting corruption.

“Lagos AC notes that the country has been mindlessly looted in the past ten years and that this bizarre act has accounted for why the country is today lying prostrate among all other nations of the world. We want to state that more than 90 per cent of the resources that have accrued to Nigeria in the past ten years have been recklessly plundered by members of the PDP and these should be made to face the law as Bode George was made to. We call that the EFCC and the law courts should ensure that the entire loot of Bode George is recovered and channeled back to the economy. We also call on the EFCC to pay attention to those ministries, parastatals and agencies  that are deemed as fat cows with which the PDP had been settling all manners of party jobbers since the last ten years and ensure that such reckless plundering, as happened in NPA under Bode George, does not happen again.

“We are sad that the PDP has shamelessly come out openly to offer some hope of reprieve for Bode George. This shows that the PDP is wedded to corruption, as was observed in the massive manner they have plundered Nigeria in the past ten years. We shall all watch and see how it helps its convicted chieftain in this regard. But we must warn the PDP that they are merely tasking the patience of Nigerians on its corrupt acts by this open solicitation for corruption. We warn them not to entertain the thoughts that Nigerians are fools who will take anything thrown on them by the PDP.

“Once again, we welcome the conviction of Bode George. We are mindful of the strong lesson it serves other corrupt officials, who abound in great number in the PDP, that their own days in the court are coming. They can only run but can never hide.

Joe Igbokwe.

Publicity Secretary,

Lagos AC.