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Foreign Accounts Is Where Revenue Allocation Goes! Ask Governor Alamasiegha of Bayelsa State! By Paul I. Adujie New York, United States
Some Nigerians are sprinting and springing to the defense of theiveing Governor Alamiesegha of Bayelsa state, but why are they doing this? Whatever happened to shame and embarrassment? Why do thieves and criminals, now turn instant celebrities in Nigeria? How come scandals no longer shock some Nigerians? Where is the outrage?
It now looks as if this crooked governor is a hero to some Nigerians? May be he should receive a national honor award?
It would appear clear now, once and for all, that most Nigerians are simply hypocritical about tackling corruption by public officers. Or how else would anyone explain the current rush and stampede to support the crooked governor of Bayelsa state?
Governor Alamiesegha was arrested in London based on specific information of his criminality and the various criminalities that he has been engaged in, since becoming governor of Bayelsa; Nigeria’s EFCC provided a dossier to the British government, the British Police at Scotland Yard and more particularly, the London Metropolitan Police who it was that picked up the disgraced crooked Governor Alamiesegha of Bayelsa state at Heathrow Airport in London, they found Eighty thousand Euro on him, and subsequently found a million pounds sterling in his London home… How did he pay for his home in London we should ask?
Governor Alamiesegha have been receiving
very staunch support from too many Nigerians who have sought to make the
most twisted and most warped of defense, on the behalf of the thieving
governor, even though his misconduct has been known by many for so long!
The Ijaw Youth Council and others who are supporting and offering solidarity to the criminal suspect governor, reminds me of other cases such as Tafa Balogun and Professor Osuji, who, when they were accused of corruption, received seeming congratulatory messages from townsmen who argued that their arrests were spurred by some sorts of vendetta and vindictive actions on the part of their real and imagined enemies. As we are once again told that this governor is merely a victim of some witch hunt by the powers that be…ostensibly, some powers reside in Abuja and particularly in Aso Rock?
Here again, we are witnessing the same attitudes, as the Ijaw Youth Council have threatened to set Nigeria ablaze and harm foreign workers in our oil industry in Niger Delta, these threats are primarily and particularly directed at British citizens, because the crooked governor of Bayelsa state is facing the consequences of his criminal conduct, through his arrest and possible prosecution in London! It is unthinkable that this outlaw and high profile criminal is being defended by those who should be demanding that he is hanged for his crimes! Those whose resources he converted to his personal properties and estate! He is being defended by those who he pillaged and impoverished! Even though he deservedly arrested by the British Police, He was arrested because there is abundant evidence of his crimes against the people of Bayelsa in particular and Nigeria in general.
The world has since become aware also, the fact that Bayelsa State House of Assembly, the governor’s Deputy, have foreswore not to impeach the thieving governor of Bayelsa, they have instead, offered their unflinching loyalty, support, encouragement, succor, solidarity, to this crooked governor, all this done in a hurry, as if in some stampede!
All these makes you want to ask, whether morality is completely dead in some Nigerians? Or whether commonsense and logic still holds?
Commenting in the past, on the prodigal son like argumentation by agitators of more revenue allocations to Nigeria’s oil producing states, I had wondered aloud, why those gyrating publicly as they demand 50% or even 100% of revenues from oil derived from the soils beneath oil producing states, are the same people who are splendidly uninterested or happily oblivious of the plundering governors of their domains?
I have wondered aloud in public spaces, why none of these oil producing states citizens are uninterested in making their governors and other local officials account, in transparent manners, for the monies that have been allocated to these oil producing states since the inception of this present federal government of President Obasanjo who had seen to it, that a higher percentage of revenue allocation was accorded oil producing states. We have argued in the past that the lot of the citizens of oil producing states, have not shown any improvements despite the increased revenue derived from higher percentage allocation since 1999 and yet, all the charlatans and political jobbers, who have otherwise become irrelevant in the general scheme of things, continued to clamor for more revenue, even as there is no reflection on the ground, by way of improved public infrastructures in the oil producing states, despite the huge allocations that they have received since 1999!
The truth that we know all the time has finally been re-revealed to us, monies allocated to oil producing states, are in foreign bank accounts of the thieving governors and public officials of most of these oil producing states… hence they frequently engage in junket to America and Europe, coinciding, always, with revenue allocation time table or schedule. So the next time you wonder why the oil producing states have not faired better, despite higher amounts of monies pumped into them since 1999? Think money laundering and think of the ridiculous arguments made by Professor Sagay in which he compared a governor as co-equal to a president, as he claimed that Alamiesegha ought to sue the British government and police for wrongful arrest and detention, because in his view as a law professor, the crooked governor is entitled to some diplomatic immunity!
When ordinarily intelligent people such as this law professor, make spurious arguments, in defense of clear criminalities and high grade immoralities, all Nigerians ought to be really worried! We should demand the auditing of all governors particularly these thieving governors in the oil producing states, where crime, unemployment, prostitution and all other desperations usually engendered by depress economy have all gone up!
Look at Edo state for instance! Robberies,
Prostitutions, political violence has skyrocketed! And the inept governor
Lucky Igbinedion, is said to be busy posturing for vice presidential
opportunity in 2007! Even as he spends his time junketing abroad! In the
face of the decadence that Edo state has become, a state that was
heretofore, a model state And how about the accountability on the part of this governor and all the other governors of all the oil producing states who have clearly not used monies allocated for their people, but instead enriched their personal foreign accounts? Stealing Nigeria’s money is illegal, just as operating foreign bank accounts by these public officers. It is additionally illegal, for Nigerian public officers to acquire properties overseas while in office! How come these are not the focus of Bayelsa state House of Assembly, Deputy Governor and the so-called Ijaw Youth Council? Except for Mr. Sabella Abidde and Mr. Agbroko who have expressed outrage in connection with the pillaging of Bayelsa’s treasury!
Why are too many Nigerians only interested in solidarities with suspected thieves?
Nigerians ought to worry, additionally because, it now appears, that only a saint can prosecute the war on corruption in Nigeria, because as the arguments goes these days, other people are suspected to be corrupt and so, why ask me if I am my self corrupt? These days, it appears, most Nigerians are no longer interested in arguing to convince others of their innocence, they are no longer canvassing their good character and integrity, they have become more interested in pointing fingers to the likelihood or suspected corruption of others, as their sole defense!
It used to be, that anyone accused, would vigorously defend their own character and integrity in efforts to establish their personal innocence, but now? It has become fashionable to point to the likelihood of the guilt of others as a shield of one’s own guilt?
Nigerians should not accept the idiotic idea that no one can be arrested or prosecuted for corruption, until a saint shows up on the political stage to embark on a national cleansing. When anyone is investigated, arrested and prosecuted for corruption, the question to be asked and answered should be limited to the guilt or innocence of such person, and not the ancillaries or extraneous matters regarding the suspicions and likelihood of guilt of all others. All defendants must answer for themselves, guilty or not guilty!
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