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The Scandal Of Money Smuggling On A Presidential Plane: Matters Arising By Aonduna Tondu New York
Obviously rattled by the revelations in the media that the American justice system has found an aide and political ally of Nigeria’s dictator guilty of cash smuggling bordering on money laundering, the Aso Rock tyrant and his associates are reacting in a manner that is suggestive of a willingness on their part to hedge and basically play their usual inane pranks that are indicative of a refusal to own up to their failings. Yet, the more they struggle to embellish the truth surrounding this scandal involving the illegal shipment of money by Andy Uba on a presidential plane in which his boss was a passenger, the more one realizes that the Obasanjo aide may have through his misconduct opened a Pandora’s box in our difficult world of political leadership and the common good. It is conceivable that what has been revealed so far is the tip of the iceberg. A thorough investigation initiated by the National Assembly into the matter should, amongst other things, determine to what extent that otherwise hallowed symbol of Nigerian sovereignty and constitutional order, namely, the presidency, has been used and abused for mostly selfish purposes by those charged with preserving its sanctity.
There are those who make the compelling point that the cash smuggling scandal, or simply ‘Ubagate’, has thrown up a lot of critical issues one of which is the continuing and unprecedented desecration of the Nigerian presidency and its implication for Nigeria and Nigerians. For example, the perception of Nigeria's presidential planes being used for smuggling runs around the globe is at best worrisome. It should be considered as very bad publicity for our collective image.
Also, this scandal involving an Obasanjo confidant – one that is said to be very close to Kabiyesi – and the reaction to it by another sidekick of the tyrant, Nuhu Ribadu of the EFCC have once more called into question the purported anti-corruption campaign of the regime. In its indictment, American justice has stated that prior to the time Andy Uba was caught illegally transporting money into the USA, the former aide to Obasanjo ‘on Domestic Matters’ was reportedly under surveillance. He was suspected of involvement in money-related fraudulent activities that are not clearly spelt out, although it is insinuated that it may have to do with suspicious transfers of money into bank accounts in America. And for EFCC’s Ribadu to refuse to investigate Uba and his suspicious transactions by hiding behind the flimsy excuse that he has not been formally informed by the American authorities speaks volumes. Importantly, the fact that the Americans are basically saying that they doubt the legality of the source of the money smuggled into their country on a presidential plane used by Obasanjo is enough reason for any relevant government agency in Nigeria to want to get to the bottom of the case, so to speak.
Incidentally, the indictment of Andy Uba contains, amongst other items, a direct reference to a substantial part of the smuggled funds having been used for the purchase of equipment for Obasanjo’s commercial farms. This critical dimension may in fact explain, at least in part, the cowardly and nauseating refusal by Nuhu Ribadu to investigate the matter. Deep-down in his heart, Ribadu probably knows that he and his political master have no credibility whatsoever as far as fighting corruption is concerned. Nevertheless, Nigerians must refuse to be taken for granted by insisting that symmetry be adopted in the so-called anti-corruption crusade. In the meantime, we should canvass for the determination by all well-meaning citizens and Nigeria’s friends around the world to double their efforts at exposing and shaming any robbers of the commonweal.
Adding insult to injury, Obasanjo’s mouthpieces are vacuously accusing the Atiku Abubakar camp of being responsible for the travails of Andy Uba and by extension his boss, Baba Aremu at the hands of the American legal authorities. These people don’t seem to get it. They are so consumed with pettiness that they conveniently ignore the reality that the cash smuggling saga is an issue that is in the public domain, that is to say that every Tom, Dick and Harry can access the information related to the case.
Let us pause here and just marvel at the speed with which Obasanjo who has usually resisted any pressure to get rid of under-performing or incompetent hands or associates has moved to temporarily withdraw Andy Uba from the glare of adverse publicity without any apparent form of hesitation whatsoever. I use the term “withdraw” advisedly for a probable conclusion is that Andy Uba agreed with his master who was reportedly in far-away Asia at the time this sordid tale started to feature prominently in the media that in order to limit the damage, it is tactically wiser for the disgraced aide to lie low for the time being. But let nobody be fooled. Sooner or later, Andy Uba and his boss will be called upon to render accounts. And indeed for Uba, the time for reckoning may come sooner than expected. This leads us to the next matter, namely, that of the suitability of Andy Uba’s candidacy for the governorship of Anambra state in the 2007 elections.
In what
should be deemed an insidious attempt at the rehabilitation of Obasanjo’s
alter-ego, one has of late witnessed what is tantamount to a media
campaign to sell Andy Uba as the anointed – meaning imposed – governor of
Anambra, come 2007. The business man, Alhaji Dangote, for instance, has
reportedly called on the Anambra people to consider the Obasanjo acolyte
as the best material for them next year. When I talk of rehabilitation in
relation to Andy Uba, I am referring to his role – that is his action or
inaction – in almost seven years
It seems to me that in Anambra, in short in Nigeria, what we should rightly be concerned with is not a rehabilitation of the very individuals that have ruined their respective states and by extension the country in the last seven years. We should instead work toward the respect of the will of the people in future elections by not giving the impression that those who rig, cheat, organize mayhem against the citizenry can be allowed another decade or thereabouts in the vain hope that they will turn our collective fortunes around despite their terrible track record. And part of working toward the respect of the will of the people at all times should involve the pledge by Nigerians wherever they may be to undertake a purposeful and sustained demystification of those bent on causing our collective perdition. One way we can do that is through the repudiation of anointed successors whether in Anambra or in other parts of the country. Importantly also, we must undertake the denunciation as well as the exposure in the media of the misdeeds of Nigeria’s reckless tin gods.
Those who
have exposed the latest failing of the scandal-plagued Obasanjo regime do
indeed deserve accolades from fellow citizens. As for the tyrant and his
foot-soldiers, their puerile attempts to intimidate or gag journalists
through the dictator’s so-called “personal legal counsel on international
matters” should be condemned as a needless waste of the Nigerian tax
payer's money. It is pathetic and irresponsible.
Aonduna Tondu New York.
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