Quiz President
Obasanjo and Vice-President Atiku on Corruption in Nigeria
New
York, September 17, 2006—Following
the open accusations and counter accusations between Nigerian
President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Abubakar Atiku,
their aides and cronies on whom among them is most corrupt, Africans
In America, Inc. wish to state the following:
The fact remains that Nigerian President
Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice-President Abubakar Atiku have freely
and openly accused one another of official corruption and unlawful
enrichment. Clearly, admissions of corrupt practices are the
well-established facts being communicated freely to listening
Nigerian public, at home and in the Diaspora, and the global
community at-large.
The accusations
and counter accusations by the two most powerful individuals
in the oil-rich Nigeria, which however, is totally deficient
in infrastructures, amenities and services for her impoverished
citizens provide a rare opportunity for the anti-corruption
agencies, such as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and
their affiliates worldwide, to become embolden in confronting
corruptions in the highest level of government in Nigeria.
This should be the anti-corruption agencies’ delight.
Anti-corruption agencies worldwide rejoice when two sides of
corruption decide to wash their dirty linens openly, and in public.
Just as the
family quarrel between the two wives of the deceased Director
of INEC, Pastor Timothy Olufemi Akanni gave Nigerian anti-corruption
agency – the EFCC,
the opportunity to confiscate alleged ill-gotten assets, worth
about N7 billion, these unsolicited-for, free confessions by
both the Nigerian President and Vice-President appear to be calling
for the same surgical, therapeutic approach.
This rare opportunity
will send immeasurably a loud message that there is, in-indeed,
no “sacred cow” in
the war against corruption in Nigeria.
The question, therefore, is, can the
EFCC, ICPC and NPF now boldly and genuinely turn their searchlights
on the financial activities of the President as they have done
on the financial activities of the Vice-President? Since the
President and Vice President have immunity from prosecution;
will the EFCC, ICPC and NPF probe them after leaving office to
justify their independence of the executive? Failure to do this
will simply amount to making mockery of the whole exercise of
fighting corruption in Nigeria, and that will be deceptive to
the suffering masses.
For effectiveness, anyone, regardless
of his or her position that interferes or impedes the work of
the anti-corruption agencies should be noted, and prosecuted
to the fullest extent of the law.
No sacred cow. No sacred cow. No
one is above the law of the land: the Constitution of
the land.
Transparency! Transparency!!
Transparency !!!
Nigeria, the world is watching.
