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EFCC Where are Corrupt Ex-Governors By Ezugwu Benson Whyte
‘No evil deed can go unpunished, any evil done by man will be redressed, if not now then certainly later….for the victory of evil over good can only be temporary.’’----Dele Giwa
Recently, there have been spate of arrests and invitations by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to officials of states government across the country. Media reports claimed the anti-crime agency some weeks back swooped on Ondo state government, and arrested the state Accountant General over alleged N1 billion deals. Though the Secretary to the State Government said it was mere routine exercise, but confirmed also that other officials of the state have been guests of the EFCC, on normal routine invitation. Well, it is difficult to say whether the office of the EFCC and that of the Ondo State government have become family friends or it was just PDP, usual phrase, ‘family affair’’.
During the celebration of the nation’s 48th Independence Anniversary by the Ebonyi State Government, Governor Martins Elechi berated the EFCC for incessant harassment of officials of the state government on accounts of corruption for which he said, none has really been officially indicted. The governor expressed his anger over such raids on officials of his administration, cautioning the anti corruption agency to take it easy. There is no doubting the fact that Farida Waziri’s men have been acting on some information at their disposal and rightly, has a duty to investigate such reports as enshrined in the act establishing it.
Apart from the two states mentioned, there are other states across the federation which are also been raided by the anti-graft body for corruption related issues.. As at the time of writing this piece the Chief of Staff to Rivers State government house Mr Nyeson Nwike was still with the anti-crime outfit for alleged corruption case. Other states such as, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Ekiti and more, reports say, are constantly under watchful eyes of the commission. Unfortunately, we have not heard of any successful outcome of investigation which may lead to prosecution of these officials. At this instance, one may be tempted to ask, is it that most of the allegations against these public officers are largely false or that the allegations were tied to their masters who are shielded from prosecution due to the ‘almighty’ immunity clause?
From all indications, one can rightly say that the dance band has started again. Another round of looting has just begun. This goes to confirm the saying that, ‘even though you take a pig to London it remains a pig’’. Even with the so-called rule of law. It was exactly the same cock and bull story from 1999 to 2007. And today upon the whole graa graa by the former administration, of fighting corruption, the gangs plundered our resources endlessly and today are coolly enjoying themselves with some even in the national assembly claiming to be making laws for the same country. What a pity!
During the tenure of former, agile police officer mallam Nuhu Ribadu, there were flurries of petitions against officials of state governments across the country. In his usual characteristics, he always come out to inform Nigerians of the progress made each time arrests were made, but at the end of the day, we were told that the cases were tied with the powers at the state house which made it impossible for these officials to be prosecuted.. At a time Ribadu had all the facts and figures of how much were stolen by each of the state governors under scrutiny. Even the lamedock, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), at a time, boasted of having the dossier of upto twenty four corrupt governors then, saying, it was only waiting for them to remove the immunity gown before they would commence their trials and prosecution in a competent court of law. But seventeen solid months after these former governors left office, the anti-crime outfit has not been able to bring even one of them to justice. Interestingly some people are still claiming to be working there, collecting salaries for job not done.
Ribadu once appeared before the senate, and told the world how some state governors converted funds meant for Local Governments in their respective states to personal accounts. He mentioned names of some of these governors and how they misappropriated, their states fund to the detriment of the citizens. He vowed to see that they were brought to justice as soon as they vacated the government house. But how time flies! Today, Ribadu has been made to take the back seat, while those he fought on behalf of the hapless citizens of this country, are frolicking and junketing round the globe on flimsy excuse of traveling abroad for medical check up.
Former governor of Edo State, Chief John Oyegun, recently wondered why these immediate past governors have suddenly become sick, such that all their excuses have been to travel abroad for medical check up. When they were in government house, how many times did they travel for medical check up? I reason along this line too. I remembered that some of the state governors then were in the habit of traveling to overseas without delegating duties to their deputies, so that their shoddy deals, would not be undermined.
Ironically, the man whom we were all looking up to bringing these cabals to justice was unceremoniously sent packing through the back door. Instead of being celebrated as a hero of our time, the gentleman was not only banished but disgraced later on. But like the patriach, Uthman Danfodio, the leader of the 19th century Sokoto Jihad, said, ‘conscience is an open wound only truth can heal it’, the person who replaced Ribadu, in person of Farida Waziri, a retired Police AIG, has not, at least, for now shown enough aggressiveness to suggest that she has guts to succeed where her predecessor failed or even do better, even though she had boasted to step on toes.
The woman has repeatedly, told the nation that, soon the commission would call up the files of cases concerning former corrupt governors. At least we are already aware that some of them are having pending cases, it was no longer a rumour, and we are also eagerly waiting for the EFCC to conclude on the cases of others which Ribadu told us were almost ready before he left office. We heard that Madam EFCC is preparing a bill which will give the anti-graft agency the power to cause corrupt government officials to forfeit seized assets to the government. That is very good but seizing of assets and forfeiting same is not enough. Those who are found culpable should spend some uncomfortable time in prison custody.. This will serve as deterrent to others. Any arrest or invitation of present officials of states government without first clearing the Augean stable can never succeed unless those before them are brought to book. One thing to note here is that, most of those who are in power in many states today are surrogates of the immediate past former governors. So it would not be out of place to suggest that many of them were partners in their alleged crimes. Most of the new state executives know very well how their predecessors looted the treasury of their respective states and the ways and means of cleverly covering the loopholes, which will make it very difficult for the EFCC to make any headway.
And since those who had been accused of looting have been freely doing their normal businesses, the present ones have nothing to fear; because they know that they also would end the same way. At a time it will become a norm, such that governance in Nigeria becomes all about looting of the treasury.. Morality and Ideology, which are supposed to be pillars of any government, will no longer count.
A situation where the ultimate ambition of an average politician in Nigeria is to go to the government (whichever level) to make fortunes, will only lead to more bleak future for the generations unborn.
A cursory look at our country today, from the east to the north, from south to west would reveal much discontent and disenchantment among the populace. All these are a result of maladministration and injustice, which reached a crescendo between 1999 and 2007. And since the present administration has remained passive to the yearnings and aspirations of the majority of Nigerians, in bringing those pen robbers to book, the Nigeria public may do nothing but return back to prayer.
I could remember that, in 1998, there was national prayer session held at different times in Abuja, at the instance of the then Head of State, late General Sani Abacha, by both Muslims and Christians. What followed thereafter is now history.
Interestingly, during the Yar’Adua’s 2008, Sallah message, he asked Nigerians to pray. Mr. President sir, we are praying and our first prayer point is: O EFCC, revisit the issue of former corrupt governors and their allies. O Mr President begin authentic investigation on the Power probe report, N19.5 billion Aviation fund, mismanagement in the NNPC from 1999-2007 and others. These are good prayer points that we need at this point in time. We can not continue to ask God to bless this country and when the blessings come, some people will corner the blessing for themselves and their cronies and at the end nothing happens.
The truth is: How can we curb restiveness in the Niger Delta when the people see with their ‘koro koro’ eyes people siphoning money baked from their backyard and nobody says anything? How do you stop teachers strike when, the impoverished teachers knew very well how some governors cornered funds meant for their salaries to foreign bank accounts and nobody says anything? A citizen in one of the sharia states was amputated for stealing a goat while the man who ordered for the amputation in the name of practicing Islam, with all the allegations of misappropriating Local Government funds, against him by former EFCC boss, is today comfortably sitting in the National Assembly. This is the highest point of ‘man’s inhumanity to man’, and a negation of the principle of rule of law.
Ezugwu Benson Whyte is a current affaires analyst, and wrote from Abuja, Nigeria. (ezugwu2008@yahoo.com)
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