How Judges Weaken Anti-Corruption Laws (2)

By  Ojelimafe Anthony

Ayo Fayose, former governor of Ekiti State is being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a 51-count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N1.2 billion. He contested the Ekiti Central Senatorial district on the platform of the Labour Party and lost. Now, he has been celebrated back to PDP.

Dimeji Bankole the Speaker of the House of Representatives is being investigated by the EFCC at the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, over contract scam to the tune of over N9 billion. He lost in Abeokuta Federal Constituency election on the platform of PDP to Segun Williams of ACN.

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, PDP, former Chairman, Senate Committee on Health and daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was also being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 56-count charge of N10 million unspent budget of the ministry of health. She lost to Gbenga Obadara of ACN in the Ogun Central Senatorial district.

Nicholas Ukachukwu is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside former governor Abdullahi Adamu on a 149-count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N15 billion at the Federal High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa state. He contested the Anambra West Senatorial South seat under the platform of the PDP. Though the PDP won the senatorial district, INEC gave victory to Andy Uba of PDP.

Senator Nicholas Ugbane contested for the Kogi state governorship primary under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and lost. He is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside eight others at the high Court of the FCT, Abuja, on a 65-count charge of corruption and fraudulent embezzlement to the tune of N5.2 billion in the Rural Electrification Agency, REA scam.

Usman Bayero Nafada,former Deputy Speaker, House Of Representatives, whose case is before the FCT High court, Abuja, was arraigned on 17-count charge for criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and theft on 13 June, 2011 to the tune of N37.7 billion.

Paulinus Igwe. former member of the House of Representatives is facing trial over the Rural Electrification Agency scam involving a serving Senator, 3 serving members of the House of Representatives, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and other high profile public officers. The case is before the FCT High Court, Abuja. He and others were arraigned on 158-count charge.

Ndudi Elumelu is also involved in the Rural Electrification Agency scam along with a serving Senator, 3 serving members of the House of Representatives, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and other high profile public officers. The case is before the FCT High Court Abuja. He was arraigned on 158-count charge.

Mohammed Jibo is also part of the Rural Electrification Agency scam involving a serving Senator, 3 serving members of the House of Representatives, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and other high profile public officers. FCT High Court, Abuja is handling the matter. He was arraigned on 158-count charge.

Senator Bala Mohammed of Bauchi Mohammed was number 45 on the list of the EFCC candidates of indicted politicians. He nevertheless won the Senatorial ticket of Bauchi state under the banner of the ANPP. He was nominated for a ministerial appointment by the ruling PDP and was endorsed by the Senate. He then decamped to the PDP. He is today the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Abbass Braimoh Edo: The Edo state-born politician was indicted as corrupt by EFCC and subsequently unfit to contest election in 2007. He was 37 on the list. He however contested and won his election as a member of the Federal House of Representatives.

Many, including Senator Smart Adeyemi, have advocated the death penalty option as penalty for corruption and economic crimes, but who will pass the bill into a law when the majority of the lawmakers have tainted records? Read what Senator Adeyemi said in an interview in 2010 with Zero Tolerance, a quarterly publication of the EFCC:

“I have the feeling that after fifty years of independence there must be radical approach in solving our problems, notwithstanding the opinion of the international community. In the last 48 to 49 years we have been fighting corruption in Nigeria, I don’t know if you are aware that even in the 1960s there were cases of corruption against some ministers in the first republic, I don’t want to mention names. Some of their children are today occupying sensitive positions. I have taken time to read the history of Nigeria, and I have read so much about what happened in the first republic. There were a lot of panels that were set up in the 1960s and in the early 1970s nothing happened. Those panels never saw the light of the day. I am not saying they are guilty, I am only saying that corruption is not a problem that emanated today. If we have started fighting corruption for the past 45 to 49 years, we must start looking for other alternatives in the fight, we must consider other options. Great nations of the world are great today because at a particular period in the history of such nations, they took radical decisions. They all reasoned and said we need a turning point, there is a need for a turning point in the way and manner we manage our affairs in Nigeria”. But who will bell the cat?

•Anthony, a public affairs commentator, wrote from Abuja.