The Only Way To Fight Corruption In Nigeria: A Guide To President Obasanjo And Nuhu RibaduByAbdu Isa Kofarmata
APRIL 05, 2005
In 2003, the Transparancy International (TI) rated Nigeria second most corrupt nation in the world. In 2004 we improved a little and brought home the bronze medal i.e the third most corrupt nation and in this year we worked hard and relentlessly maintain our position in the TI rating. In the first instance, our then Honourable minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana of the popular AGIP party was at hand to reject our hard earned silver medal, claiming that it was based on the past information and indices obtained during General Abacha’s (most hated) regime as if he was not part of it. In the other two instances, Femi Fani Kayode, former hard and popular enermy of the president now his special assistant, said that it was obviously a clear case of partiality especially when the TI was fully aware of the serious fight on corruption being embarked upon by president Obasanjo. Recently, Femi Fani Kayode made refernce to the arrest and proscution of serving and former ministers on the ID card scam as well as the forced retirement and subsquent proscution of the disgraced former IGP Balagun, as some reasons why TI should deny us our bronze medal in 2005. The minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonja Iwela added her weight to it when she received some members of the IMF. She cited the good works of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the EFCC and ICPC persistent war on corruption as example. The president is not left behind on this issue. Just last month he was in the air making a celebrated national or rather international broadcast on the dirty bribery scandal involving his minister of education, Professor Fabian Osuji and some members of the National Assembly. All these were to prove to the world and TI in particular that his government is fighting the monster called corruption. It is at this stage that I find it pertinent to draw the attention of Mr President and the EFCC boss Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to serious issues of corruption that took place at different times within the present administration which if properly addressed, could restore people’s confidence both within and outside the country. Similarly, these issues I consider most effective way of telling the international community yes, we are fighting corruption. This way is the hard way, and it can never be uncovered by a coward. Below are 21 cases of corruption enumerated for your perusal. If properly uncovered and the culprits are purnished accordingly, I assure Mr President that our respect and national diginity will be restore and our rating will surely change. Nigeria will not be among the first 100 in the TI rating list.
1. The president should reveal to Nigerians what transpare in the NCC scandal where $185 million GSM licence proceeds is yet to be accounted for. 2. The president and Mallam Ribadu should come forward with the culprits involved in the company tax scandal amounting to N3.7 billion that was declared missing. 3. Nigerians require full explanation as to how Abuja stadium contract was over inflated. Culprits should be arrested and proscuted accordingly so that the international community can be assured of our determination to fight corruption. 4. Recently, EFCC announced to the world that it has succeeded in collecting N300 million on behalf of the V. Mobile (a GSM company). Therefore we expect Mallam Ribadu to arrest and proscute whoever is involved. Specifically, EFCC should avail Nigerians with adequate information about the extent of Mr Wale Tininbu’s involvement. Refund is not enough to meet the TI standard; there must be prosecution of whoever made the refund. 5. Nigerians expect the president to give the same treatment he gave to Professor Osaji to the minister of Housing of her involvement in the sales of FG houses at Ikoyi, Lagos. Furthermore, all people involve in the housing deal including his wife and her relatives should be brought to book. It is important to note that simple revocation and cancellation of the purchase is not sufficient to meet TI standard in the fight against corruption. 6. The president should be bold enough to make public the role of his son Gbenga and his wife Stella in the importation of refined petroleum into the country. As the president knows TI is fully aware of whatever is happening in that sector. 7. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu should as a matter of urgency arrange a befitting cell reservation for Nasir El’Rufai may be next to Balagun’s cell for his role at BPE where he delibrately aid some faceless people to dupe Nigeria over $100 million in the pentescope deal. It is a clear case of 419 and EFCC should move into action as quick as possible. 8. Nigerians expect the EFCC boss to come forward with all the culprits neatly handcuff over the bribery issues in the House of Representatives in 2002, where the presidency through a state governor attempted to bribe the honourable members to remove their speaker then, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na’Abba. 9. The president and EFCC boss should note that Nigerians are still interested in knowing how AP and Unipetrol now Oando was purchased and the real people involve in the deal. 10. The president should revisit the purchase and over invoicing of the FM transmitters at the FRCN. We want know the role of Professor Jerry Gana and Eddie Iroha in the deal. Is the president aware that at that time of the purchase, somebody went to court and sworned before a competent court that the country was duped through over invoicing? 11. Nigerians are still awaiting the presidential report on COJA. 12. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu should kindly avail the president of the whereabout of Commodore Olabode Geoge and Alhaji Aminu Dabo. The duos are now set to contest elections come 2007 with NPA’s looted money. It is a pity that none of these people is neighbouring Mr Tafa Balogun at the EFCC cell. 13. The president should use all diplomatic avenues necessary to ensure the deportation of Mr Julius Makunjuala former perm. Sec. Ministry of defence. The president has done it before when he exploited all diplomatic avenues to ensure the repatriation of Abacha’s loot, so he can do it again or else the TI will conviniently handed us our deserved gold medal. 14. To convince the international community and gain the respect we deserve within the committee of nations, the president should order an immediate arrest of Mr Tony Anenih for what he did with N300 billion for road construction of which no road can be found even in his Edo state. 15. All PDP donors to 2003 presidential election should be investigated by EFCC, and presidential waivers on importation that follows after the donations should be treated as corruption. Aliko Dangote and his likes should be forced to payback the waived amount. 16. Nigerians and especially TI are vey much intersted in knowing the position of NNPC account and the size of the federation account. There exist a conflicting statement from the Accountant General office, CBN and Ministry of Finance. 17. The president should hand over the management team he appointed to wind off the PTF for proscution immediately so as to avoid retaining our bronze medal. 18. Nigerians expect the president not be harbouring criminals in his cabinet. His present minister of Defence was cought red handed with stealing of ecological funds of about N1.0 billion, a white paper is released on him and the case has since been forwarded to the EFCC but the president is still keen in retaining him as his senior minister. 19. Chris Ubah, the acclaimed Annambra political godfather is yet to be arrested or prosecuted for destroying public property and kidnapping a sitting governor. 20. Sir, we need sufficient explanation about all the monies appropriated to NEPA from 1999 to date, the president is fully aware about the situation of electricity supply in Nigeria. Sir, I learnt even the Villa is on 24-7 generator suppy. 21. This is the last but not the least, rigging election is the highest order of corruption under any democratic setting, Nigerians are waiting patiently to see the day the president and INEC chairman Dr Abel Guobodia would submit themselves to the approriate court of law for conspiring to rob and destroy our democracy in 2003.
Unless all these issues raised above are considered and treated with utmost dispatch and all the culprits involved are brought to bear the full weight of the law, the fight against corruption will remain an illution. We will definitely remain at the top of the transparancy international rating. In conclusion, I wish to make a personal contribution of this article to the National Assembly. This surely will be useful to them in preparing for their last fight against the executive arm. To remind the honourables also, they should not go to the battlefield without the 2002 Audit report, prepared by Mr Vincent Azie, the most respected auditor general ever to be found in Nigeria.
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