It sounded incredible but must be true, at least, as revealed by Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, while addressing the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. According to Amaechi, after Nigerian officials “chopped and obtained full,” they invited a foreign accomplice, yet unnamed, who was paid N32 billion naira for whatever investment in the maritime industry. But the man left Nigeria immediately without performing or refunding the huge amount.
The concern is not only about the huge amount but the fact that even foreigners were enlisted by corrupt Nigerian officials in looting the treasury. Yet this revelation was not considered by virtually all of Nigerian media to be well highlighted. The shock of the theft of Nigeria’s billions of naira came only a day after Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, similarly revealed that Nigeria lost almost one and half trillion naira to corrupt public office holders who, among others, comprised fifteen ex-state governors, four ex-ministers, eight ex-legislators, eight bank officials, eleven businessmen and five ex-civil servants.
Somewhat unconsciously, the two ministers only succeeded in raising more vital questions. For example, in the matter of the foreign contractor, who disappeared with Nigeria’s thirty-two billion naira, why is the Federal Government assuming a posture of complete helplessness?
Accordingly, thirty-two billion naira would be lost just like that? Throughout negotiations, leading to the release of thirty-two billion naira to the foreign contractor, were his names and nationality not known to Nigerian government? If his identity was known, is it beyond the capability of Nigerian government to seek the repatriation of this foreign crook? If a Nigerian citizen were to swindle in a foreign country and fled to Nigeria, did it normally take too long before Nigerian government sent back its national to face the music in the country concerned? That was usually because the complainant country sought the extradition of the Nigerian criminal. Why then can’t Nigeria take similar measure in pursuit of the stolen thirty-two billion naira? Was it not possible that Nigerian officials employed the foreign crook as a decoy to distract attention from themselves as the chief culprits? Above all, if no action is taken on this matter, would that not be green light for these Nigerian recidivists to perpetuate the same trick?
Nine years must be long enough in any sane society within which to have taken punitive measures against any group of crooks, which fleeced the nation of almost one and half trillion naira. But this is Nigeria bedeviled by the axis of culprits, the bar and the bench. That is why rather successively, there seems no end to this perfidy. In fact, Lai Muhammed’s staggering revelation of the magnitude of the looting of national treasury is a sad reflection on law enforcement in Nigeria. The situation can only be disturbing when the supposed trial of these crooks, in return produces billionaire lawyers ever ready to be paid from the same loot the nation tries to retrieve. Is it not a national shame that state governors, who looted the treasury and converted state property variously are yet to be tried or if ever they had been tried (only one of them), were let off with huge sums accumulating to virtually over one and half trillion naira?
Ironically, many of these known culprits are back, dominating various sectors of our political and economic life. Currently, Nigerians are being entertained with a running show of the arrest and trial of fresh suspects in the looting of national treasury.
So it was nine years ago (2007). Most ridiculously, the same EFCC bragged that it had recorded hundreds of convictions on financial criminals. With the latest information that, at least, four federal ministers and fifteen ex-state governors were part of the treasury, how many of these criminals were among those the EFCC got convicted? None. Therefore, some success of the EFCC.
Equally, some eight years ago, key bank executives defrauded customers on an unprecedented scale and emerged over night billionaires, industrialists, philanthropists and entrepreneurs of some sort. Till today, these criminals are either back in control of the economy or have been set free by Nigerian law enforcement system, comprising the axis of the bench, bar and the prosecution. While the deceit was going on, the EFCC claimed it was appealing against controversial judgments, setting looters of national treasury free. How many of such appeals ever came up? Did EFCC ever appeal? If so, which any of such appeals ever came up for trial? To worsen matters, these known looters of treasury soon return as members of government delegation on foreign trips.
Nigeria is the only country in the world where these crooks openly brag of not taking a kobo loan to attain their status of billionaires, dominating vital sectors of the economy without anybody raising a question. Even the Inland Revenue Service raises no eyebrow. When public figures amass hundreds of millions and, perhaps, billions of naira in a year, can it ever be too late for the Inland Revenue to fault such fellows for false tax declaration? Or how much did these fellows pay in taxes?
The least to be said about the litany of regular government calls on innocent, poor and law-abiding Nigerians to join or even lead the war against corruption is that it is unfair and irritating. If, with all its intimidating outfits, government cannot, as of today, tender any measure of success in the trials of the suspects, what is expected of poor Nigerians? Far too long, Nigerian authorities compromise by letting off criminals or by covering them up. Not long ago, the EFCC lavishly published the names of over two hundred companies alleged to have been awarded contracts for what was supposed to be purchase of arms for the army. These companies were further directed to come forward with proof of the award of the contract, proof of registration of the company at Corporate Affairs Commission, proof of tax papers to ensure that the Inland Revenue Services was not short-changed, etc.
These are necessary essentials in the fight against corruption, the findings of which Nigerians are entitled as of right. How many of such companies came forward so far? How many of them have been found to be genuine and how many have been faulted? Even among companies found to have collected legitimate contracts, how many of them paid the subsequent tax to Inland Revenue if not deducted at source? Government owes Nigerian public the obligation to ensure those who committed crimes against the Nigerian nation duly explain themselves to the law enforcement agencies.
In those days of first republic, disgraced public figures bowed in shame rather than irritatingly bragging about their crime. After the army coup in 1966, the military government in the defunct western region tried and jailed public officers found to have abused their office. An ex-minister in the region, Chief J.L. Tifase, either for natural reasons or through suicide (as generally suspected), was found dead the following day in his prison cell. The man was from today’s Ondo State with Akure as the capital.
Those were the days of discipline and morals in public life. The judiciary was firm; the bar was professional and not complicit while the prosecution in virtually all cases obtained conviction. A shame for today’s axis of the bench, the bar and the prosecution.
Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, has put himself on the spot. According to him, the financial crimes of public office holders he revealed were committed between 2006 and now. Through deliberate legal encumbrances, trials of some of these fellows have been inherited by the Buhari administration. So, what will happen? The duty is inescapable. When convenient, we have been told that governance is a continuum. Outstanding trials of these crooks must be re-energised while abandoned cases must be re-activated. What is more, public grievances against corrupt public servants can be assuaged by decisive probe reports dumped in government shelves. Such reports are on probes into parastatals even under Ministry of Information. The Minister will be shocked that even in his outfit, a lot of dirt exists. He must call for probe reports for necessary action by the government.
Along this line, there are two outstanding issues, which require firm government action. The ongoing investigation and trials of suspects in the diversion of public funds to private political purposes are no excuse to allow other criminals to escape. The Information Minister in lamenting the theft of public fund by politicians and bankers said nothing about the fuel subsidy scandal, which broke out about four years ago. Even ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was outraged by the scandal more especially as many of those involved were his party members. For whatever it was worth, trials on this scandal commenced under Jonathan’s tenure. So, there cannot be any allegation of vendetta or political bias.
We must not forget that the amount involved was over two trillion naira. How much of it was legitimate as fuel subsidy? The trials commenced since that time with EFCC leading what has turned out to be ordinary fun-fare. Many of the accused were granted bail by the courts and have since escaped abroad. They are Nigerians and the government has a duty to seek their extradition from whatever part of the world they are refugees from the law.
Unfortunately, the escape of these fuel subsidy criminals from Nigeria is affecting the fate of those currently on trial for the diversion of over two billion dollars meant for purchase of arms.
Very, very stringent bail conditions are being imposed on the accused compared to the liberal bail conditions granted the fuel subsidy accused. In any case, some others on trial for the fuel subsidy fraud are in Nigeria and their prosecution must be rigorously and genuinely pursued. The deliberately poor and weak prosecution of the fuel subsidy accused with the emerging impression that they would escape any punitive measure largely accounted for the arms cash scandal. The trial of this latest scandal must not in any way drown the fuel subsidy fraud cases. In fact, government must take the EFCC to task on the fuel subsidy trial. So far, that is four years later, not a single fraud subsidy trial is concluded.
In fact, when last did any of the cases come up? As usual, Nigerians are taken for granted to forget so soon, moreso as the EFCC continues to make noise on the arms cash diversion disclosures.
What goes for the fuel subsidy trials also applies to the trials of the bankers in the large-scale fraud exposed by the Central Bank. How many had been standing trial and all the cases EFCC prosecuted, which single conviction was secured? Yet, billions of customers’ money disappeared, stolen by these bankers? Which war on corruption is the Federal Government calling on Nigerians to wage if these crooks could be allowed to escape? EFCC must be made to re-activate and pursue these prosecutions.
In fact, government must gear up the EFCC to realise that the agency does not exist only to be barking or intimidating suspects. Instead, EFCC must be made to understand that based on its performance and perception among the public so far, the tenure of EFCC leadership will be pro-rata, based on convictions of high profile accused, related to the number of trials. Enough of this deceit.
By the way, in most parts of the world where rule of law operates, even if not absolutely, some issues are very urgent and so treated accordingly. Ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, was released on bail but was instantly re-arrested for purported fresh charges, as he emerged from prison. That was about a month ago since when he lost his freedom. When he was re-arrested, facts of the charges must have been ready and if not at that time, such facts must be ready by now.
Therefore, to put any aspect of his trial for the latest fresh charges off for virtually another one month is not to portray the urgency of the issue. Meanwhile, government, be it made known, incurred the poor image of disobeying or at least, frustrating court orders. Ironically, the one month after which the case is expected to resume may be conveniently long to inconvenience the poor chap. But the surprise is that the date of next appearance in court will soon come.
What will be the next excuse? The prosecution and the court must, therefore, be ready for the trial on that day.
Why all the fuss about the handcuff on PDP’s spokesman, Olisa Metuh when he appeared in court? In the United States, anybody on trial for the huge sum for which Metuh is being tried would be in cuffs. That is the difference. Anybody. Therefore, either all on trial like Metuh be handcuffed on none of them, including Metuh should be cuffed.
SUN
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