Ningbo, P. R. China

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke (Jnr.) recently referred to the Advance Fee Fraud, popularly known as 419 as “the greatest stain on Nigeria's image in the international community. This negative perception that all Nigerians are crooks Nweke said, has so permeated the psyche of people across the world that Nigeria, an otherwise big brand on account of her contributions to world peace seems to have been relegated to the background” (ThisDay, Friday, April 28, 2006).

The Minister was reported to have said that only “an infinitesimal proportion (about 0.00125 per cent) of the population of Nigerians were involved in the business of Advance Fee Fraud,” but that “the spiral effect of their unwholesome acts impact very negatively on the entire population.” To fight the menace (419), the Minister announced the second phase of the Heart of Africa project to reorient and “tackle major national brand eroders by encouraging Nigerians to isolate 419 practitioners and persuading the practitioners to desist from their nefarious activities and turn a newleaf.”

Nice talk and nice plan of action too by the Minister and I would add that every responsible Nigerian, home and abroad, should support these efforts by the government. 419 – Political deceits, business swindles and Internet scams – without being told and however one looks at it, is simply bad. And innocent Nigerians have suffered untold credibility hardships and other forms of contempt from other nationalities, as a result of the menace. However, the big question is: how does a government that operates on 419 fight against it? This is the key question that must be answered before any effective war can be planned and waged against the menace.

To start with, let me make it abundantly clear that 419 is not the invention of this Obasanjo’s administration, no, it has been with us for a long time before the present administration. Indeed, one may be tempted to saluting this administration for recognising 419 as a major image problem to the nation and for the concrete steps already taken against the practice through the establishment of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fight the menace and other corrupt practices. One may be further tempted to salute the Federal government given the fact that the EFCC for its part has done relatively well. It has created the much needed awareness on 419 both at home and abroad, made some arrests and has even recovered and returned illegally received money to their foreign owners! These achievements have earned the EFCC local and international commendation and support. Today, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the EFCC boss, is certainly one person that needs no further introduction in Nigeria and, to a certain extent, even abroad.

Unfortunately however, Obasanjo’s administration has engaged itself in the practice of taking one step forward and two steps backward. The EFCC itself is now in credibility crisis. The organisation is regarded by the majority of Nigerians as operating on 419 basis, having demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that it is not interested in dealing with those seen to be in the presidency good books, no matter what crime they may have committed or perceived to have committed.

The Presidency itself is actively engaged in 419 practices of deceit, unlawful extortion of money from other arms of the same government and the short-changing of Nigerian citizenry. It is 419 when Mr. President advised his deputy against attending regional meetings yet he and his cronies organised, financed and attended identical regional meeting where, worse still, the main agenda was how to short-change another region, through population census, in order to achieve Mr President’s regional desires. It is 419 when the presidency tried to sneak-up on Nigerians with a totally new but fake constitution during the 2005 National Political Reforms Conference. Other than 419, what else would anyone call the recent Senator Ibrahim Mantu’s voice vote on the ongoing constitution changes in one of the gatherings in Port-Harcourt? Or the corrupt fund-raising for Mr President’s presidential library? The recent ‘Third Term’-inspired promises to the people of Niger Delta and the drainage of river Niger is another classical 419 by the presidency.

By far, the biggest and most serious 419 fraud committed by Obasanjo’s government is the unprecedented rigging of the 4-19-2003 election. The president himself told the nation that he, personally, met with at least two self-confessed 4-19 elections fraudsters and, rather than treat them for whom they are, criminals that should be serving long jail terms, rewarded them with unhindered access to Aso Rock and to the president!

For those readers who would prefer seeing 419 in terms of monetary figures extorted, consider Tony Anenih’s over N400billion allegedly spent on roads that are nowhere to be found in Nigeria, the over N300billion allegedly pumped into NEPA – including the 419 name-change from NEPA to PHCN, as if that matters, the over N300billion unaccounted for by the NNPC, the case of the indicted former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence, Dr Julius Makanjuola, along with three others, for stealing the ministry’s N400 million, to name but a few. Indeed, virtually all of this administration programs and projects are name-seeking, commission- and/or contract-pushed rather than a genuine desire for development.

In 2005, the IMF mission reported that “corruption, poor state of basic infrastructure and weak institutions remained the major deterrents to investment, sustainable growth and improvement in social welfare, despite contrary official claims” (PUNCH, Friday, April 28, 2006). (Emphasis added). 419! And long before the above IMF damning report, Transparency International reported that 56% of the corruption in the country takes place in the Presidency.

It is irrelevant here how the Minister of Information got its “about 0.00125 per cent” of the population of Nigerians involved in the business of 419. What is relevant is what share of the above figure is due to Federal government 419 acts: 90% or greater, Mr. Minister?

Indeed, the Turaki Vanguard, a group promoting the presidential aspiration of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, recently gave credence to the above assertion that the presidency is the worst offender in 419 and other corrupt practices, when the group wrote to NASS asking it to consider granting Obasanjo life immunity. According to Turaki Vanguard, “We have identified two major fears of President Olusegun Obasanjo making him reluctant to leave Aso Rock honourably – the fear of EFCC, ICPC and the other relevant government institutions initiated by him from catching up with him after May 29, 2007 and the preservation of his so called economic programmes and achievements (Daily Trust, Friday, April 28, 2006).

How can one fall foul of the laws one personally setup to guide the nation? Simple, the laws were not genuinely setup. They were based on 419. That is why I said this Obj’s administration is engaged in the unfortunate practice of taking one step forward and two steps backward, with programs that are contract-pushed and name-seeking in nature.

The real issue here, given all of the above, is on what moral ground will the Federal government fight against 419 practices? Or is the reorientation program itself another 419 in which Nigerians will later learn how much of their collective wealth in billions were used to run the program? Nigerians would like to know, Mr. Minister.