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So much has been said about Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar, the immediate past vice president of this great country. We
have been made to believe that he is the most corrupt public official in
the last civilian dispensation. The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission made so much noise about this. As has always been the case,
we allowed ourselves to be taken for a ride. Hitherto, no concrete
evidence can be tendered to bring out the corruption in Atiku.
At the peak of Atiku’s war with former
president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, we were made to believe that the
obstacle between Atiku and Kirikiri maximum prison was the immunity he
enjoyed as vice president then. Even Obasanjo was prepared to
arbitrarily remove the immunity clause from the constitution if only to
send Atiku to Kuje Prison. Nuhu Ribadu talked so passionately about this
corruption issue involving Atiku Abubakar that majority of Nigerians was
prepared to eat Atiku alive if given the opportunity. Ribadu’s bosom
friend, Nasir el-Rufai was always on hand to assist Ribadu in
castigating Atiku.
Since the immunity clause prevented
Obasanjo cum EFCC from dealing with Atiku when he was still the sitting
vice president, we were made to believe that Atiku Abubakar would be
arrested and tried for corrupt charges the minute he drops his immunity
shield. To our amazement, Atiku completed his tenure in peace and he is
still living in peace. No one, not even EFCC, has been talking about
Atiku and corruption since he left office more than a month ago.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission told us that there is no hiding place for ‘corrupt
politicians’ who might want to flee the country to avoid arrest. The
United States was the last place any corrupt politician would dream to
go and hide. To EFCC, the deal had been concluded and everyone was
waiting for that time when all corrupt politicians would be rounded up
and made to vomit their loots. This has become an endless waiting game,
a mirage so to say.
It would be recalled that just shortly
before his exit from Aso Rock, Alhaji Atiku went on a short vacation to
seek medical attention to his fractured knee. The picture as painted by
EFCC and his traducers was that Atiku was escaping justice. Some local
tabloids even had it that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar had applied for asylum
in the United States. Alhaji Atiku debunked his enemies and returned to
the country to a heroic reception. From the airport to Abuja Township
and later to his Adamawa home state, the crowd that poured out to
receive Turakin Adamawa was unprecedented.
The moment Atiku stepped on the soil of
this country, Nigerians kept their ears wide open to hear that EFCC had
invited him for interrogation. Nothing of that sort ever came to pass.
EFCC was later to offer a lame excuse that Atiku would be given time to
recuperate before being invited for questioning. The same Atiku who was
campaigning in clutches could not be invited for mere questioning
according to EFCC. And this is the same EFCC that would detain suspects
against medical advice.
Another angle to this saga was the
Congressman William Jefferson’s case. While Atiku was still in the
States, Jeff was having a fight with the authorities. It was rumoured
then that with Jefferson’s indictment, Atiku was only a few days to
arrest. More especially as he was just within the territory of the
States. Atiku was unshaken as he insisted that he did no wrong and
therefore has nothing to fear. It was at this time that Alhaji Atiku
jetted out to Nigeria to fulfill his promise of coming home after his
short rest.
We were almost fooled by EFCC as it was
rumoured again that Atiku ran out of US because of the Jefferson saga.
We were made to believe that Atiku, having escaped from US, dare not
enter the States again. To everyone’s surprise, Atiku returned to the
United States of America to enjoy his break after hectic years of
service. We all know that Atiku could not have bribed his way in the
States to prevent prosecution. United States of America is not another
Nigeria. He enjoys no immunity any longer.
It can reasonably be argued that the issue
of corruption was effectively used by Obasanjo to debase Atiku and to
exterminate him politically. If Alhaji Atiku can go to United Sates
again where he is said to have committed this sin, it shows clearly that
everything was stage managed all with the motive of hitting a target. No
sane person sees a burning flame and jumps into it. And I believe Atiku
is sane.
Mal. Nuhu Shuaib
Okene, Kogi
State
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