“You can’t prove deeds with words”. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Although the dictionary included dishonesty among the definitions of corruption, President Jonathan had insisted that it is only stealing. I fully accept his definition of what happens in official circles. My mentor on this was the Abami-Eda himself, Fela Anikulapo – who left us with a track titled “Authority Stealing”. Jonathan, it can be assumed from his utterances and conduct, appears not to be prepared to fight corruption. But, will he wage war against stealing? Given the facts available to me, the answer is “definitely No!”
Permit me to take a diversion by pointing to the puerile approach the PDP had taken in their attempt to smear Buhari and Tinubu with charges of corruption.
For Buhari, the PDP and their choristers in the media, including my colleagues in VANGUARD, had been repeating a charge about $2.8 billion stolen from the NNPC when Buhari was Petroleum Minister. Among the rumour mongers are Professors and respected columnists. I have challenged any of them to publish the balance sheet of the NNPC in 1976, because the entire organization was not worth $2.8 billion. At any rate, in 1976, the exchange rate was US1= N0.67, same as when Buhari was Head of State. Today it is US$1=N205. I am sorry if “respected” columnists have forgotten the history. But, there it is. Even, the entire Federal Budget in 1976 hardly reached N2 billion. Liars!!
It is when they turn to Bola Tinubu that they really become comical. You read advertorials about “the largest land owner in Nigeria” (no acreage, like 90.4 hectares in Abuja, is mentioned and where the parcels of land are); “the man who controls all the governors under the APC in the Southwest” (how much he takes from the states is not stated). The stupidities continue on and on. Two impressions are created among thinking readers: they cannot substantiate their allegations; and lack the guts to confront the man. Propaganda is serious business and should be left to professionals. Run-of-the-mill columnists cannot handle it successfully. I pity them.
By contrast let me explain why Jonathan cannot, and will not, fight stealing by top government officials. The plain truth is, almost all of them are close to the corridors of power in Aso Rock. He provided some inkling into his mind-set when he pardoned his former boss Alamieyeseigha, the former Governor of Bayelsa State. “Alams” was the accused fugitive, who absconded from Britain dressed as a woman to avoid prosecution.
He was later tried in Nigeria, allowed to plea bargain (meaning he surrendered only part of what he allegedly stole) and was given a light sentence. To help erase his criminal record Jonathan gave the man pardon. He is now thinking about going to the Senate; and one day, become the Senate President. Nigerians need to have an idea of the amount of public funds which Jonathan’s friend allegedly stole.
In my book, PDP: CORRUPTION INCORPORATED, and on pages 268 to 270, they were captured.
I don’t intend to reveal the entire evidence in the book. But, I can guarantee the reader, that if Alams had committed those crimes in Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Viet Nam or China, he would not be alive today.
In that book, PDP: CORRUPTION INCORPORATED, I had asked if it is possible for a Governor to steal so much and the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the House and other legislators knew nothing about it. How about the Accountant-General and the Auditor-General?
Jonathan recently campaigned in Enugu and told the crowd that ex-Governor Jim Nwobodo received the longest sentence among those convicted under Buhari in 1984. I pity Nwobodo. I don’t want to disgrace the old man. But Jonathan is almost tempting me to reveal to Nigerians the whole truth. The record is there in my archives.
LAST LINE: I have reserved five (5) copies of PDP: CORRUPTION INCORPORATED for anyone in Bayelsa, eager and patriotic enough to know what happened between 1999 and 2007. It was stealing unlimited!!!
VANGUARD
END
The article is not only succinct but explicit for any discerning mind. The 90.4 hectares of land in Abuja is a corruption case against a sitting president and PDP by extension. That between 1999&2007 stealing and corruption reigned supreme in Bayelsa is also not an allegation but a fact, Alameseigha was convicted and jailed for this reason. That is also an indictment on GEJ because he cannot claim innocence on that issue as a deputy gov. The extent to which the state sponsors corruption is not only alarming but shameful. Pension scam, Oduahgate,Oil theft,NNPC/DESIANI missing oil money, trillions budgeted for security with nothing to show etc…nauseating.
Please where can we get the book to buy?
The article only left more questions than answers and at this stage in Nigeria, Nigerians need to know the whole truth and not a part or half truth. There is no single place where the corruption cases against gej or pdp are really mentioned in the article, abi the writer is scared?