Minister
Andoakaa SAN, AG, Nigeria’s Public Enemy Number One! Paul I.
Adujie
Corruption is worse than terrorism
A comparison of corruption devastation on Nigeria with the effects of
terrorism on America will show that the impact of corruption on Nigeria,
is more catastrophic and cataclysmic, across the land, whereas, terror
attacks physical damage on America is localized and limited to three
cities; vide New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC.
The impact of pervasive corruption in Nigeria, its impact on daily life,
its magnitude and far reaching ramifications on public infrastructure,
the criminal justice system, the overwhelming permeation of corruption
on how life is lived in Nigeria is glaringly obvious
Corruption hinders tourism, as when there is insecurity in the land and when unnecessary road blocks creates nightmares for road travelers.
Corruption hinders national and international trade, as when Customs
official corruptly hinders the transportation of goods. Customs officers
become impediments and obstacles impeding free flow of goods and
services. Saw dust, sand and radioactive chemical waste have been
imported into Nigeria, while Customs corruptly looks the other way
Corruption is why regulatory authorities may look the other way, as some
unscrupulous persons or company, imports contaminated foods and or fake
drugs, as have happened in the past in Nigeria, before the Professor
Dora Akunyili era at NAFDAC
Corruption is most devastating! It has devastated all of us and it
continues to ravage our economy, our development. It is alarming, that
our rule law inventor Mr. Andoakaa takes the view that he should keep
issuing get-out-of-jail cards to Kalu, Ibori, Dariye and others as some
Nigerians continue to announce and inform us, that this is how the law
is intended to, and supposed to work!
I take the view that corruption worse than terrorism. Corruption could
actually make fighting any crime including terrorism difficult, or even
impossible.
Mr. Andoakaa’s cavalier attitude towards the war on corruption is
outlandish and astounding! Could any Nigerian imagine a situation where
any lawyer in the United States Department of Justice, including the US
attorney general, writing letters to defense lawyers of a terrorist
being detained in England, Germany or Australia.... a letter which in it
practical tenor and effect ... exonerates an Al Queida operative, an
active terrorist?
Such outrage could never occur in America and it does, there would be
huge public outcry against such action. If it were to happen in America,
Mr. George Bush will fire such a lawyer and most Americans would ask...
who such errant Department of Justice lawyer actually works for.... for
America or the terrorists/Al Queida? President YarAdua has publicly
stated repeatedly, that he is committed to eradicating and eliminating
corruption from Nigeria and we are obliged to take him by his words of
honor
But we are compelled to ask, at this point, whether AG Mr. Andoakaa
really work for President YarAdua and further, whether AG Mr. Andoakaa
works for Nigeria and serves Nigeria‘s best national interests? Thus
far, AG Mr. Andoakaa have acted as if a friend of corrupt officials or
at best, a lawyer in private practice, representing corrupt officials
and against Nigeria.
Some of us are beginning to wonder, whether Nigerians invented the rule
of law and democracy, and so, Nigerians are in effect, more apprised of
these concepts, more than the Americans? Is it the case that Nigerians
know more legal concepts and understand the ideals of democracy more
than any American alive or dead? Or why is it, that the Americans are
singularly focused and resolved, to tackle their national enemy,
terrorism, however defined and yet, AG Mr. Andoakaa seem incapable of
such resolve, in dealing with Nigeria’s national plague and
international embarrassment-shame!
At the onset of America’s war on terrorism, the Americans outlined their
national position in public statements, among which was that America
will fight terrorism and that it expected global cooperation. In this
regard, it publicly stated that any person, institutions or nations
which provided protection, safe haven and succor to terrorists, would be
considered enemies of the United States.
Nigerians should expect no less from AG Mr. Andoakaa and every Nigerian,
especially, a so-called chief law officer of our federation! Every
government official, every Nigerian and in particular, those in the
justice ministry ought to take more than a passing interest in curbing
corruption. In the past few months, Nigerians instead have witnessed a
phenomenal unwillingness and unmitigated foot-dragging on the part of AG
Mr. Andoakaa
There are now, indisputable evidences that AG Mr. Andoakaa rushed to
judgment in writing a letter an exonerating to Mr. Ibori’s lawyers, the
letter which was relied upon by a court in England last week, to
defreeze the assets of Mr. Ibori and his cohorts.
A competent attorney general should conduct inter-departmental and inter-agency communications! It has become clear that there are chasm and schism in the President YarAdua administration. Chasms, schisms and intrigues that are getting in the way of efficient and effective government functioning. Good governance is being obstructed
It is a fact, that both the AG Mr. Andoakaa and Mr. Nuhu Ribadu of the
EFCC work for Nigeria, so then, why is the AG's ego, so gigantic that he
could not liaise with anyone and everyone to fight Nigeria's cause?
A competent AG would have sought adequate time from the British courts
and other British agencies, to enable the AG garner sufficient
information from the Nigeria Police, the ICPC, SSS, Nigeria Customs
Service and NDLEA and of course, the EFCC
Why was AG Mr. Andoakaa in a hurry to exonerate Mr. Ibori as the AG did
in Kalu's case? the AG continues to thwart and subvert Nigeria's loot
recovery efforts!
Some of us take the view that the war on corruption is a national
emergency in Nigeria and the war on corruption is and should be
Nigeria’s job number one. This so, because corruption is the root of
detentions without trials as police use this outrageous tools to extort
money from poor innocent Nigerian citizens.
Corruption is responsible for the failure of the power failure in
Nigeria. Corruption is the reason why electricity generation and
transmission remains abject, despite the tons of money that have been
poured into that sector for so long.
Corruption is the reason Lagos-Benin road is impassable, despite public
resources that have been wasted on it repeatedly. Corruption is the
reason why the road from Onitsha to Port Harcourt is impassable and
ditto for all the impassable roads in Nigeria
And yes, corruption is the reason why, Nigerian hospitals lack necessary
medical equipment and medicines, despite budgets and earmarks for these
purposes. Corruption is the reason why, Nigerian educational
institutions no longer get respect, which was formerly accorded them in
time past. As our institutions now lack money and equipment for
research.
Corruption has led to extreme decadence in physical structures and our
society’s moral fibers.
Nigeria is endowed with abundant human and material resources. But
looting, pillaging and plundering of Nigeria’s public wealth, our
collective patrimony is the bane of Nigerians and Nigeria. There is
enough resources to eliminate blackout or power failure, Nigeria has
enough resources to eliminate unemployment and Nigeria has enough
resources, so much so, that there is no need for Nigerians to besieged
foreign embassies daily, seeking visas desperately , to get of o Nigeria
and to live anywhere but Nigeria
Indeed, for any challenge that Nigeria has ever faced and presently
face, corruption gets in the way of solutions to such challenges. So,
next time you think of any Nigerian challenges? Think of corruption as
the dragon, the python and the hydra headed snake that gets in the way
of solutions, which are within Nigeria’s reach. Corruption is the
singular evil that continues to stunt, stifle and retard Nigeria drive
for development, advancement and greatness.
Nigeria’s current attorney general, Mr. Andoakaa is blissfully oblivious
of the gargantuan effect that corruption has on Nigeria and perhaps,
what is worse than that, is that the AG is willfully conniving,
colluding and abetting the escape of corrupt public officials and
ex-officials. Corruption is Nigeria’s public enemy number one. Mr.
Andoakaa is enabling corrupt persons to escape legal consequences for
their illegal acts. As a corollary to America’s war on terrorism, anyone
who provide succor to those who are corrupt and allow corruption to
fester in Nigeria, is Nigeria’s public enemy number one!
No Tears for Looters!
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