Jonathan

Jonathan’s administration: A Protectorate for the Corrupt? (I)

Sulaiman Badamasi (Mahir)

While many people are commenting on some of President Jonathan’s utterances during his political call to arms, what draws much attention was his statement on 9^th January this year, when his campaign train stopped at Enugu, at which he was quoted to have beleaguered and tongue lashed General Muhammadu Buhari administration for arraigning Jim Nwobodo, who was accused and found guilty of an act of depravity, by saying: “How much did Jim Nwobodo stole? Money not up to the price of a Peugeot and Buhari regime sent him to jail. Is that good enough?” Dr. Farouq Kperogi’s concern, published on Sunday Trust, 18^th January, 2015, was targeted at and poked grammatical dwarfism in the man’s assertion.

Upon reading Dr. Farouq’s kicky advertence, as a concerned citizen, though a young aged one, I began to ask myself the following observatory questions; was Mr. President not happy to have a corrupt public servant convicted? Is there a certain amount of bamboozlement that is not be punishable? Did he really mean what he said? Did he know the implication of such a gobbet of words to be articulated by high profile personnel? Has he forgotten that he is the President, C in C? And lastly, why has this administration become a refuge to some suspects, accused, corrupt personalities, ex-convicts, (official) gangbangers, questionable characters etcetera? Is that a coincidence?

However, Jonathan government has been widely critiscised for lack of sincerity in fighting corruption by not probing or prosecuting several persons who were perceived to have committed corruption, misappropriation of public funds, committing crimes, or relieving them of their duties. “In criticizing the lack of commitment of the Goodluck Jonathan administration to the anti-corruption crusade, commentators have often failed to pay sufficient attention to the penchant of Nigeria courts to dismiss corruption cases on the alter of technicalities. It is on record that many corruption cases filed against members of the ruling class by anti-graft agencies have been dismissed in the last few weeks on flimsy grounds. On the contrary, the courts have had no difficulty in convicting petty criminals and sentencing them to long terms of imprisonment for stealing telephone handsets, bush meat, tubers of yam etc. on account of poverty. In reviewing the anti-corruption war therefore, the class character of the nation’s neo-colonial legal system should always be taken into consideration” – Femi Falana (SAN), December 2013. – Source: Premium Times

There is a saying that says: “Action speaks lauder than voice” hence, there seem to be no disharmony between Mr. President’s voice and actions. There is a famous hellish statement credited to him which suggests that; “stealing is not corruption.” Also relating to him was “there is no corruption but mere stealing in Nigeria”. And recently, “if I arrest all corrupt Nigerians, who will be left to run the country?” Mr. President’s lamentation about Nwobodo’s conviction too was quite freaky.

In order to have what I am trying to convey well delivered, let us highlight the mischievous acts of some personalities that are punishable by law, but instead the government is paying them bountifully and some of them are currently occupying honourable offices. Starting with the man,

1. Jim Nwobodo

Jim Nwobodo and why he was jailed; he is James Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, born in Nasarawa state in 1940. He became the first elected governor of Anambra state in 1979 up to 1983 when he ran for second term but was defeated. He was convicted for an array of corrupt practices in 1984, which includes corruption and abuse of office as a governor under Buhari’s administration by the military tribunal. “Authorities have accused the Greenfield Company, Governor Jim Nwobodo and Gomba of pocketing some 3 million pounds for work that was not done in Nigeria under the contracts.” (Richard Akinola’s blog, Jan 2015). As at today, 22^nd Jan 2015 the equivalence of that money to Nigerian Naira is eight hundred and fifty four million five hundred and thirty five thousand four hundred and seventy five naira (N854,535,475.5000) – did Mr. President know that the money is up to this amount? Does it still remain a petty stealing? Is that money not up to buying a Peugeot car? Which brand of Peugeot is he talking about; 504, 306, 607? Is Mr. President not ashamed of spitting such a word? Where are his media aids; are they not of any help or that is the best they can offer to him?

“Of Nwobodo’s scandalous moments, the one the nation should neither forget nor forgive was his role at the Maiduguri convention of the Grass roots Democratic Movement (GDM) in the twilight of Abacha’s lifetime. Flying in with members of the party’s executive council and security officers in a presidential jet from Abuja, Nwobodo ensured that the party’s constitution was illegally amended, and rammed through the election of Abacha, who was not even a party member, as the party’s flag bearer in forthcoming phantom elections (which were designed to succeed phantom coups, phantom crusades against corruption and phantom external reserves).” Sanusi L. Sanusi. A book titled: “Corruption in Anambra: the Jim Nwobodo legacy” by Arthur Agwucha, published in 1983 also communicates a lot. This is the man to whom Mr. President became an espouser, in a snap move to douse the light of opposition. Unknown to him that to every levelheaded person, he only becomes like a candle (which lightens others while burning itself).

2. Femi Fani Kayode

President Jonathan’s campaign chief, Femi Fani Kayode, a former Minter of Aviation and Culture & Tourism in 2003 and 2006 respectively, currently has a pending court charge against misappropriation of N19.5bn Aviation intervention fund. Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tried Femi Kayode on 47 counts bordering on money laundering. According to Barr. Festus Keyamo, “I am the one prosecuting the fellow (Femi Fani Kayode) on court and the case has been adjourned to February 23 and 24 for trial. Part of the lies told is that the fellow has been freed whereas some of the counts in the charge were just struck out and the court held that he has a case to answer on some other counts.” This means that even the ruling party’s campaign chief’s integrity is not yet ascertained, thus many people do allege that his defection to the ruling party was just a skew move to get a cover up of his yet non forgiven or punishable for sins, especially in the time when the party has been frequently experiencing series of verbal attacks from him.

3. Hon. Farouk Lawal

Another person whom the Jonathan government has deliberately refused to prosecute properly is Hon. Farouk Lawal, erstwhile chairman of the House of Representatives Subsidy probe, who was video-taped while collecting a bribe of $620,000 in 2012 from the chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Femi Otedola. Right from the time, no serious court has arraigned properly to punish these two accused, yet Farouk is still a serving member of the House of Representatives and even contested for another tenure under the ruling party, but the government continue to brag that it fights corruption. Which fight? Which corruption? How?

4. Stella Oduah

It is also in President Jonathan’s government that Stella Oduah, another Former Minister of Aviation in October 2013 purchased illegally two exotic bullet proof cars at the cost of N255m, using the ministry’s money for her personal use. While Mr. President refused to sack her as requested by the House of Representatives, she was later in January 2014 discovered to have falsely claimed having an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration, from one Pacific Christian University, but investigation by Premium Times suggest that no university called the said name exists in the United States. This disclosure has further triggered more investigation into her certificates which miraculously revealed that the woman (Stella) has forged her Masters of Business Administration too, which claimed having from an institution that has never awarded any masters of that kind. With all these three things, the president continued to turn down all the calls of her sack, she rather had to resign honourably and was taken to no court in a country where forgery is a crime. Despite all these scandals and national embarrassments, the woman was not taken to any court but rather she was allowed to contest for senator under the ruling party. Which corruption does the president fight?

5. Diezani Alison Madueke

Mr. Jonathan’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison Madueke, who was believed to be very close to him and untouchable despite series of petitions, demonstrations and obvious evidence of corruption tendencies link to her. Here is an excerpt of ‘Diezani Madueke’s many scandals’ - The original piece was posted in hallmarknews.com on April 7, 2014; what made Madueke to be popular as Minister of Petroleum Resources in the country are corruption tendencies going on in the ministry and NNPC under her watch. The Nuhu Ribadu led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force was in Feb 2012 given responsibility to investigate alleged fraud in the oil industry. After six months, the committee’s report tasks the EFCC to investigate misappropriation of $167m, $2.9m, $3.027b and $1.5b respectively. In July 2012, Technical Committee on Payment of Fuel Subsidies discovers illegal distribution of over N400bn to fake petroleum Marketers and there was an excess payment of N14bn. Then governor of Central Bank of Nigeria alleges that at least a sum of $20bn which was supposed to be given to the apex bank by the NNPC which was under her ministry was missing without any explanation. The woman has later fallen in another scandal of spending up to an average of N300m/month on maintaining her private jet. A group called ‘Crusader for Good Governance (CGG)’ “accused her of spending $300,000 on an average international trip and spends as much as $500,000 on trips to China, Malaysia, and several north American countries”. But this woman, who repeatedly refused to honour the House of Representative’s invitations for proper hearing on her case, is still holding her ministerial position. One trillion naira kerosene subsidy scam was also tagged on her. – Is Jonathan not satiric about war against corruption?

6. Bemigho Reno Omokiri Alias Wendell Simlin

Another heart-shaking event that causes mix reaction amongst the Nigerian masses and raised eyebrows was when President Jonathan’s Special Assistant on New Media, Bemigho Reno Omokiri “courted controversy and was caught using a pseudonym Wendell Simlin to spread malicious religious under-toned propaganda”. In February 2014, he wrote and distributed an article to bloggers as well as some national dailies in a move to link the person of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, alias Sarki of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, the then governor of Central Bank with Boko Haram. Though he identified himself (the sender) as Wendell Simlin, the digital footprint of the article was traced to him. A California-based woman who identified herself as the real mother of one Wendell Simlin based in Hercules, California wondered why Reno Omokiri uses her son’s name who was a son to his brother-in-law. Despite several calls for his sack due the above mentioned mischievous attempt to cause violence, defamation of character (of Sarki Sanusi) and impersonation, Jonathan’s government has maintained a deaf ear and is still working with him. – What a saga!