In a classic illustration of how rumours and hearsay work, Mark Twain described in his autobiography how news that a cousin was dying quickly metamorphosed into the "scoop" that Twain himself was dead. His response became instantly famous: "The report of my death was an exaggeration." Were he alive today, Twain would probably be amused to observe how, in this Internet age, celebrities and well-known figures are confronted by "news" of their own demise on a regular basis.
A premature obituary is an obituary published whose subject is not actually deceased. Such situations have various causes, such as hoaxes or mix-ups over names, and usually produce great embarrassment or sometimes more dramatic consequences. Examples range from arms manufacturer Alfred Nobel, whose premature obituary condemning him as a 'merchant of death' may have caused him to create the Nobel Prize, to Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey, whose actual death was apparently caused by reading his own obituary.
In Nigeria, we have had quite a few high –profile cases of false death rumours: Nnamdi Azikiwe, the First President of Nigeria was declared dead by Nigerian newspapers years before he actually died.
For many years now, the Nollywood actress, Sola Sobowale, popularly called Toyin Tomato has been rumoured as dead. It was said that she was arrested and beheaded in Saudi Arabia for committing drug related offences. Contrary to the rumours however, Toyin Tomato is still alive safe and sound. In fact I see her at Emukay Restaurant in London almost every weekend, the last being just last Friday. We are also constantly on the phone. She has never even been to Saudi Arabia, not to talk of being beheaded. For the past 3 years, everytime I visit Nigeria, people who know that I know Sola always ask me if the rumours were true, and I had to go to great lengths to deny this wicked rumour. Sola Sobowale is alive and well and living it up in London. Sometimes, when visitors from Nigeria visit Uncle Tunji Oyelana and his wife, Kikelomo’s (Sola’s senior sister) restaurant, Emukay in South London, I could see their unbelieving eyes when Sola saunters in and starts dancing.
About two week ago, news reports came that Maryam Babangida, Nigeria's former First Lady, is dead. The former chairperson of the Better Life for Rural Women during her husband's years in office had been hospitalised for ovarian cancer at a hospital somewhere in the US. It was said that her husband, General Babangida, the retired billionaire ex-dictator was granted a US visa on compassionate grounds to be at the bedside of his wife, till her death, because her cancer had reached an advanced stage.
The rumour turned out to be just that: rumour. Not true.
Even before Umar Yar ‘Adua became President, due to his well-known kidney problems, there had been rumours about his supposed death. This was of course not helped by his constant disappearance from the public and his many travels for medical check-ups in Saudi Arabian hospitals. During Yar ‘Adua’s campaign in Abeokuta in April 2007, the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo had, in order to douse the rumour that the PDP presidential candidate had passed on, decided to put a call to Yar'Adua in the presence of thousands of PDP faithfuls, and then theatrically proved to Nigerians that “Umaru” was not dead.
Excerpts of the telephone discussion:
Obasanjo: 'Umaru [Yar'Adua] are you dead?'
Yar'Adua: 'I am alive'
Obasanjo: 'What are you doing?'
Yar'Adua: 'I am laughing.'
The President, looking directly at the crowd: 'He is laughing ha! ha!! ha!!!'"
It was the stuff of which jokes are made, even though unkindly; especially knowing how crude Obasanjo could be when it comes to politics.
Since he became President in May 2007, rumours about Yar ‘Adua’s health has persisted and surfaced from time to time. In August 2008, another rumour of his death made the rounds until he himself dispelled it, and just this week (November 2009), another such death rumour surfaced, especially when it was announced that he had gone to for yet another medical check up in Saudi Arabia.
In Nigeria, it is usually believed that such rumours were either contrived deliberately by the subjects of the death rumour themselves or their supporters as a kind of spiritual “juju” sacrifice so that the subjects will then live longer. Sometimes, it might just be wicked, malicious rumours spread by the subject’s perceived enemies or political opponents. Whatever the case or cause might be, the subject usually lasts much longer and stronger.
Please don’t get me wrong; all over the world, history is replete with such death rumours or premature obituaries of celebrities, statesmen and women, political figures, scientists, etc. Even the Queen of England and Ronald Reagan were once subjects of such rumours, not to talk of Hollywood actors and actresses too numerous to mention. Even Hitler and Stalin had all been rumoured to be dead long before they actually succumbed to death. So was Alfred Nobel.
You may not agree with me on this, but Nigerians are still basically a very primitive and very superstitious people. Even those of us who claimed to have fully absorbed Western culture and religion ultimately succumb to inherent African very easily. When Lord Lugard described Nigerians in the 1800s in seemingly racist and less flattering terms, he was saying the truth, at least based on his own observation and experience of the African mind. There is nothing we can do about this. In the darkest corners of Nigeria, and even in the open, dark and evil deeds that in this century would seem to have been jettisoned are still going on, on a daily basis. Take the child witchcraft infanticide still being perpetrated by a questionable female “religionista”, Pastor Helen Ukpabio and others of her ilk in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, as examples, preying on peoples’ poverty and superstition and illiteracy, with her saying “witchcraft is a problem all over Nigeria”, making money from it and destroying lives in the process and still boasting about it. She could not address the major problems of corruption, poverty, bad governance, but to her, witchcraft the most important problem in Nigeria. Damn her.
We are particularly susceptible to rumours and superstition because we are a very gullible people. The rumours are even fuelled by charlatan, irresponsible and compromised news media, who chose what to write in a style to suit their paymasters. There is no respite. Nobody wants to tell or hear the truth. We also like a higher being or God to fight our fights for us, hence when Mayriam Babangida was rumoured to be dead, we were all jubilant that God had fought for us and exacted punishment on the Babangidas for their corruption and the mess they left the country.
Now, again it is being rumoured that Yar ‘Adua is dead, we just thought, all well and good, good riddance, serves him right, etc not thinking about the repercussion of his death on the Nigerian polity, all because we regard his tenure as illegal and un-progressive. We did not think we could wait for him to complete one term and then try to boot him out via the vote. We want him out now, but we want God to do it for us. As Olusegun Adeniyi, Presidential spokesman recently said, “I think the daily pre-occupation of some people is to kill the President in their imagination and if that makes them happy so be it... I am tired of responding to what has become a common pastime of some idle politicians... maybe when the President comes back I will ask him how he keeps dying and resurrecting everyday”. What we should be praying for, perhaps, is for the sickly Mr President to have the wisdom, the sense and the courage to resign or retire before he dies on the presidential seat.
But should we want Yar ‘Adua (and many of our leaders) dead? Should we wish death on fellow human being, for whatever reason? No! While these people had been short-changing and oppressing us for decades, I would rather have them behind bars serving long prison sentences with very hard labour and all their assets seized.
I often laugh when I read or hear the curses rained down on our leaders. Yes, they do deserve to be cursed and superstitious people that we are, we believe the curses will work, and that is why, for example, Maryam Babangida had ovarian cancer; or it was our curses, or prayers to God, that eventually dispatched Sanni Abacha. Well, what do I know? Maybe, maybe not. But the fact remains that God will not come to the rescue of Nigerians alone to save them from their corrupt, selfish, inconsiderate and oppressive leaders. All people of the world are God’s creation, so why should He give special favours to ungrateful and sinful Nigerians?
Compatriots, things do not work like that. Heaven can only help those who help themselves. You do not wait for manna to fall from heaven. No rumours, curses or superstition will work against our leaders. In fact, they also fuel and exploit their peoples’ superstition and rumour mongering to the fullest for their own selfish ends.
Need I say more?
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Exchange Programmes
The greatest challenge will be how to raise the standard of education in Nigeria with minimal or no government involvement. Please do not ask me why, because events in and around our educational sector has shown us how serious our government can be when it comes to improving the educational standards. Part of the reason why our “rulers” do not give education the required attention is because some of their children are studying overseas. Many are studying in nearby Ghana and other African countries. This reminds me of a suggestion that I made earlier that all government functionaries should have their children study in Nigeria while they are still in government positions. Exception should be for people on foreign services.
It should be an unpatriotic act to have your children studying abroad while you’re holding a government position. Nigerians should take this matter to the National Assembly and all states Houses of Assembly to pass a law prohibiting children of government functionaries from studying abroad while their parents are still holding government positions. Same should apply to health care. Perhaps a policy in the above direction might bring some seriousness on the part of government officials and thus usher in changes in our education and healthcare system.
Having said the above, I want to propose exchange programmes between the private universities and government universities. I want the 41 private universities, polytechnics, and other privately owned higher institutions to design an exchange programmes particularly for the students of public universities. The idea will be to cross exchange ideas, learning skills, study experiences, share books, journals etc. I want the private universities to take up the challenges of improving the standard of education, by assisting the students of public universities using the mechanism of exchange programmes. On the fallen standard of education in Nigeria, private institutions (universities, polytechnics etc) cooperation with government institutions provides a viable option that can improve the quality of education. Exchange programmes should also be encouraged between government and private owned primary and secondary schools.
A lot has gone wrong with the public schools. The lack of funding (below the UNESCO standard of 26% of annual budgets) is a big factor. The industrial disputes between the government, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) etc, has taken its toll on Nigerian students. Let us also factor in the internal university crisis, like the tussle to become the University of Benin Vice Chancellor etc. All these have negative effects on the students. Obviously, when two elephants fight, the grass will suffer. The grasses in this case are the Nigerian students who are paying the price.
As it stands, I appeal for a rescue plan from the private sector. Education is light and knowledge will forever govern ignorance. Ignorance is also a disease. I want the private sector (parents, teachers, non governmental organizations, business community, churches etc) to embark on a massive campaign to raise the culture of reading. Let the private sector do whatever it will take to get Nigerians reading. We need to read more to improve our standards. Let the Nigerian people take this as a challenge to encourage children and youths to read, as this will have a clear and positive effect on academic achievements in school and outside the school. Another fact we need to understand is that, low levels of literacy can lead to poor outcomes amongst students, which in turn can lead to high unemployment, crimes, etc.
Nigerians need to encourage their children and the youths to read more science and technology courses. It gave me serious concern when I learnt that South African government is recruiting mathematics and sciences teachers from Nigeria. This is an area we need most. This is also another brain drain, but again they will remit foreign exchanges back home. In the absence of our oil revenue, remittances from Nigerians abroad are the second largest source of foreign exchange. Though that I will not blame any teacher that leaves Nigeria, but my advise is, let them fashion a way of transferring their foreign experiences back to Nigeria.
We need also to encourage our people to study skills acquisition in addition to their normal academic programme. We can design skills acquisition courses at the end of every academic year for our children/youths etc. This will take away their mind from crimes etc. An idle mind is a devils workshop. Let us also encourage our people to take overseas distance learning courses. Exposure to overseas distance learning might be a better way for people to experience the standards of education in the western world. Quiz competitions amongst students should be encouraged as well.
I will recommend adult education for parents and families who are not educated. There is need to educate our uneducated parents and families. I have said these because, the child’s first and most important teachers are the parents or the family members. Educated parents will likely engage in their children’s education. Better still, there could be home study programmes if parents are educated. In a report on Time Magazine of November 23 2009 edition, many Chinese students spend twice as many hours doing homework than their United State counterparts, partly due to family involvement. I will ask private educational providers to design programmes whereby tutors can visit people at their work places or business places to deliver lecture. I understand some people might be too busy to leave their offices/business to attend adult education centers, in such situation, tutors can visit such people.
I will also propose the establishment of community libraries and learning centers in every community. This project should be undertaken by the communities. It could be a room or two. Nigerian communities/villages should build community libraries the same way they established community banks. Many communities established community banks, same spirit should adopted to build community libraries. It should be equipped and managed by the communities. Nigerians at home and abroad should donate books to these libraries.
I will recommend an arrangement whereby the federal, state and local governments will grant tax waivers to private institutions in return for them to increase their yearly students’ enrolment, offer scholarships, studentships, funding, etc. Let me also propose more private sector (companies, banks etc) collaboration and funding of research projects in private universities.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
It should be an unpatriotic act to have your children studying abroad while you’re holding a government position. Nigerians should take this matter to the National Assembly and all states Houses of Assembly to pass a law prohibiting children of government functionaries from studying abroad while their parents are still holding government positions. Same should apply to health care. Perhaps a policy in the above direction might bring some seriousness on the part of government officials and thus usher in changes in our education and healthcare system.
Having said the above, I want to propose exchange programmes between the private universities and government universities. I want the 41 private universities, polytechnics, and other privately owned higher institutions to design an exchange programmes particularly for the students of public universities. The idea will be to cross exchange ideas, learning skills, study experiences, share books, journals etc. I want the private universities to take up the challenges of improving the standard of education, by assisting the students of public universities using the mechanism of exchange programmes. On the fallen standard of education in Nigeria, private institutions (universities, polytechnics etc) cooperation with government institutions provides a viable option that can improve the quality of education. Exchange programmes should also be encouraged between government and private owned primary and secondary schools.
A lot has gone wrong with the public schools. The lack of funding (below the UNESCO standard of 26% of annual budgets) is a big factor. The industrial disputes between the government, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) etc, has taken its toll on Nigerian students. Let us also factor in the internal university crisis, like the tussle to become the University of Benin Vice Chancellor etc. All these have negative effects on the students. Obviously, when two elephants fight, the grass will suffer. The grasses in this case are the Nigerian students who are paying the price.
As it stands, I appeal for a rescue plan from the private sector. Education is light and knowledge will forever govern ignorance. Ignorance is also a disease. I want the private sector (parents, teachers, non governmental organizations, business community, churches etc) to embark on a massive campaign to raise the culture of reading. Let the private sector do whatever it will take to get Nigerians reading. We need to read more to improve our standards. Let the Nigerian people take this as a challenge to encourage children and youths to read, as this will have a clear and positive effect on academic achievements in school and outside the school. Another fact we need to understand is that, low levels of literacy can lead to poor outcomes amongst students, which in turn can lead to high unemployment, crimes, etc.
Nigerians need to encourage their children and the youths to read more science and technology courses. It gave me serious concern when I learnt that South African government is recruiting mathematics and sciences teachers from Nigeria. This is an area we need most. This is also another brain drain, but again they will remit foreign exchanges back home. In the absence of our oil revenue, remittances from Nigerians abroad are the second largest source of foreign exchange. Though that I will not blame any teacher that leaves Nigeria, but my advise is, let them fashion a way of transferring their foreign experiences back to Nigeria.
We need also to encourage our people to study skills acquisition in addition to their normal academic programme. We can design skills acquisition courses at the end of every academic year for our children/youths etc. This will take away their mind from crimes etc. An idle mind is a devils workshop. Let us also encourage our people to take overseas distance learning courses. Exposure to overseas distance learning might be a better way for people to experience the standards of education in the western world. Quiz competitions amongst students should be encouraged as well.
I will recommend adult education for parents and families who are not educated. There is need to educate our uneducated parents and families. I have said these because, the child’s first and most important teachers are the parents or the family members. Educated parents will likely engage in their children’s education. Better still, there could be home study programmes if parents are educated. In a report on Time Magazine of November 23 2009 edition, many Chinese students spend twice as many hours doing homework than their United State counterparts, partly due to family involvement. I will ask private educational providers to design programmes whereby tutors can visit people at their work places or business places to deliver lecture. I understand some people might be too busy to leave their offices/business to attend adult education centers, in such situation, tutors can visit such people.
I will also propose the establishment of community libraries and learning centers in every community. This project should be undertaken by the communities. It could be a room or two. Nigerian communities/villages should build community libraries the same way they established community banks. Many communities established community banks, same spirit should adopted to build community libraries. It should be equipped and managed by the communities. Nigerians at home and abroad should donate books to these libraries.
I will recommend an arrangement whereby the federal, state and local governments will grant tax waivers to private institutions in return for them to increase their yearly students’ enrolment, offer scholarships, studentships, funding, etc. Let me also propose more private sector (companies, banks etc) collaboration and funding of research projects in private universities.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Corruption And The Death Penalty
NEWS: “SENATOR Smart Adeyemi, representing Kogi West Senatorial Constituency at the National Assembly, has called for a law prescribing death penalty for public officials found guilty of corrupt practices, saying such stiffer punishment would encourage the ongoing fight against corruption”.
Everybody knows my views on corruption in Nigeria. I totally abhor it and would do a lot of things to fight corruption. The fact realistically remains that in any society, we cannot have zero corruption, but we can have zero-tolerance to corruption. The best we can do is managing corruption and/or reducing it to a manageable level. Even the Western democracies will admit that this is what they have been doing and which has made their societies better for their people.
When I first read Senator Adeyemi’s call for the death penalty to be applied to corrupt public and political officials in Nigeria, my first instinct, being very cynical of our politicians, was to think maybe he was just playing to the gallery; maybe! I had this feeling that he was not sincere, coming from him, himself a beneficiary of a corrupt system of politics and governance. However, it was a most noble and brave call.
It is certainly a good thing to hear that a Senator in Nigeria is speaking out the frustration of the rest of us who seem neglected, ignored and unheard. The problem I see in this discussion is that there are no significant apprehension (or even attempt to apprehend and prosecute sincerely) of corrupt officials yet, and for the few so indicted (but not convicted yet), they are still roaming around free and daring the rest of us to do something about it. It is a collective slap in our faces. Senator Adeyemi certainly was highlighting the damage that goes with what public officials have made of Nigeria, and her hijacked resources. As a remedy however, the death penalty is controversial as a resolution of the problem of corruption, certainly not in a democracy, no matter how poorly we practice our own version in Nigeria.
There are punishments better than death. Death takes only a few seconds to initiate. In the 50s and 60s, sentencing to long prison terms “with hard labour” was just that – hard labour, reminiscent of the “chain-gangs” of the correctional system of the United States. Long prison sentences, naming and shaming and hard labour in prison will always be effective deterrent against corruption. Can you imagine Bode George, Tafa Balogun (and even the yet-to-be-convicted James Ibori) with cutlasses, spades and shovels working on a building site or cutting down trees on state farms under the hot sun and watchful eyes of brutal warders? Truth be told, even while I live in a country (the United Kingdom) where there is not death penalty even for the most heinous of crimes, I am a believer in the Mosaic Law of “an eye for an eye”, and will advocate the death penalty for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, terrorism, etc. But for corruption? This is against my better judgement, and I will spell out my reasons.
Death penalty may not be the appropriate punishment for corrupt officials if democracy is what we claim to practice. While we all condemn the act of corruption by any public official, enacting laws that prescribe death penalty may be an over kill. The right prescription in my view is to have them prosecuted, recover all funds stolen and then have them serve time in prison. Furthermore, this will be more effective because no court in Nigeria will condemn anyone to death for corruption even if it was the law of the land.
Capital punishment is particularly risky in Nigeria where the courts are ridden with corruption and, at times, politicking takes precedence over thorough investigations. The Nigerian judicial system has lots of problems with corruption and nepotism, so there is no guarantee that a sentence is objective. Unfortunately, it is known that the extra-judicial killings and executions by the Police have been used as a way to avoid further investigation into serious crimes.
Furthermore, prescribing the death penalty for corruption will require a social, cultural, as well as legal shift.
I have trawled through numerous comments made by Nigerians on this call, and while they are of importance to the debate, and generally favourable of very severe punishment for corruption, not many people support the death penalty for corruption.
“No stolen money or property is worth a life. Confiscation of money stolen and all other assets owned by a public fund embezzler, including commitment to many years in the prison, should be enough punishment for these kleptomaniacs”, somebody opined
One Taiye Olaniyi said “Not until we start treating corruption as a treasonable crime it will not stop. I will even go a step further in advocating in addition to the death sentence the seizure of all property they have acquired from the time they are suspected of committing the crime. This may put pressure on their family members to prevail on the criminals because they will also stand to loose. We should remember how effectively this penalty worked during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime in combating drug trafficking. Any prospective criminals will in this way look at their options, (and) of course the government must engage in nation-wide campaign to enlighten people of the consequences of corruption, something similar to the war on indiscipline campaign.
One Mr Mbuk said “If we can’t enforce the laws as they are today to prosecute suspects and jail culprits, who will enforce a new law prescribing death penalty? Does the senator know that election rigging is also corruption that deserves death?
While Marcel Okpara postulated “May God bless Senator Adeyemi. If Nigeria must march forward and become economically strong, then corruption must be dealt a heavy blow. And one strong way of discouraging corruption in public offices is to make capital punishment the punishment for offenders”.
Enyimba (NaijaPolitics) wrote “"Since death penalty does not deter Nigerians from committing crimes, I suggest longer sentence with hard labor. Make them feel the pains their crimes are causing Nigerians. Quick kill will not help."
Said a Dr Godwin of NIDOA “It will depend on how they define corruption and how it is certified by the law. They should also include rigging elections or election malpractice like dumping voting cards, disrupting voting boots, bribing election officials, vote selling, vote buying, paying election thugs, delaying election materials and failure to send voting cards as expected by the law, death or threats to political opponents, harassment and physical threats to opponents or their assistants. The worst corruption in Nigeria is that relating to elections and office ascendancy. So the senators should first atone or confess their past involvement in election frauds, rigging and vote buying”.
Advocates of capital punishment for corruption say that the death penalty is an effective means of state-driven innovation, especially against entrenched or widespread defective social structures. Its use against corruption is not in itself new, it is still applied for that reason in China. The recent expenses scandal in the United Kingdom is a reminder, that corrupt politicians are not found only in developing countries. Corruption, self-enrichment, and nepotism are part of the political culture in western democracies - so much so, that they form a major argument against democracy itself.
Furthermore, they say, the introduction of the death penalty for corruption and nepotism, is the only guaranteed effective way, to end the culture of corruption among western politicians. Widespread application of the death penalty, with low thresholds, would ultimately disable the political parties, and end recruitment to the political class. In that way, it would remove two primary sources of corruption.
Of course some people have moral objections to the death penalty. However, they are not overriding: the state is not obliged to accept the views of these people, as a universal moral norm. They are a private moral preference, at most. It is true that we recognise that the death penalty effectively deters corruption, however distaste for a society with frequent executions, is probably the main factor in rejecting the death penalty for non-violent crimes.
Corruption in China is a crime that draws capital punishment. Vietnam is another country that prescribes death for official corruption. According to Chinese Criminal Law, the death penalty applies only to those criminals committing extremely serious crimes while those who are not subject to immediate execution may be sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Specifically, embezzlement conducted with more than 100,000 yuan (US$ 12,353) is subject to no less than 10 years in prison or life imprisonment with property confiscated while those with particularly serious circumstances can be executed. The circumstances of the crimes are taken into account. In addition, capital punishment must also undergo further judicial review after first and second instance trial procedures to guarantee accurate applications of death penalties.
In the case of China, as of 2005, more than 4,000 officials fled the country, taking with them nearly US$50 billion. Since China does not have extradition agreements with most of the countries harbouring the fugitives, they cannot be always brought back to face Chinese justice. Also, many of these countries do not hand down the death penalty for corruption. So extraditing the fugitives would be tantamount to sending them to death row.
To facilitate the extradition of such criminals, (and criminals indeed are Nigerian corrupt politicians and public officials, make no mistake about that) China's legal experts have suggested abolishing the death penalty for corruption.
It's true that about half the world has abolished capital punishment altogether and the other half that still has it hands it down only for heinous crimes like murder.
So we can see that having the death penalty in place for corruption will strain our relationship with countries where these criminals normally carry their loot. However, I will admit that I have never heard of any Nigerian corrupt official being extradited from the UK, the US or any other country in the last 50 years, despite the agreements we have with such countries. The problem is that no Nigerian Government had ever asked for this important bi-lateral cooperation to be applied. And the simple reason is that no Nigerian administration, military or democratic, had ever been sincere about fighting corruption; in fact the Administration itself, in most cases, is corrupt. And it is in their interest not to seek the extradition of such criminals.
Corruption, rampant and prevalent as it is, poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s political stability and sustainable development. Hence, it warrants utmost care and sincerity in its handling, especially at a time when the government is seeking to be in good relationship with the larger world, and also with their “re-branding” efforts to position Nigeria right.
Having said these, this current Government and the ruling party, PDP, as we currently have both, are not even in the position or have the vision, capability, political and moral will to even advocate and implement a death sentence for corruption. You must be kidding me.
Again, capital punishment doesn't seem to deter "capital crimes." I remember in the early 70s when armed robbers used to be executed publicly in our cities. Have the incidents of armed robbery subsided now in the 2000s? In fact it has escalated. This of course is attributable to several social factors such as poverty, corruption itself - free-for-all looting of the treasury by the very people entrusted to look after it, government indiscipline and lack of focus and vision, unemployment, etc, brought on and exacerbated by decay in the moral and religious values of the society as a whole.
My take on this is that Nigeria, both the government and the governed have not been sincere and truthful about fighting corruption. The political will has never been there; even as we gave credit to Obasanjo for taking the first ever step to fight corruption by creating the tools: EFCC and the ICPC. The absence of this political will therefore negate the call for the death penalty to fight our endemic corruption problem.
On the other hand, we must remember how Buhari/Idiagbo sacred Nigerians shitless when they executed three drug-smugglers. Yes, Buhari scared the living daylights out of us, and the death penalty as a deterrent for drug smuggling seemed to work until he was overthrown by the so-called Evil Genius took over and practically legalise drug smuggling.
There are other social, moral and economic issues which must be addressed first before we even talk of prescribing death (much as I would love a severe punishment for these criminals); the government and the ruling party must be seen to be more sincere in fighting corruption by continuously and vigorously exposing and prosecuting criminals, and not shielding them (like the case of Ibori and the complicity of the Attorney General in the legal standstill we have today) the judiciary must be cleaned up; the Nigeria Bar Association must deal with its errant members who are stifling the corruption fight in courts, laughing all the way to the courts by employing delaying tactics; the government must also pro-actively tackle poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, etc.
Also, government or public service must not be seen as a quick route to making money, hence this “do-or-die” politics. The salaries and other remunerations of out political office holders must be pruned in such a way that only those who really want to serve will be the ones going for these positions, and when they get there, do not have easy or any access to stealing money.
Please make no mistake understanding my viewpoints. At this juncture, and with my, and most Nigerians of goodwill’s frustration, there is nothing more I would like to see than seeing certain corrupt public officials and politicians lined up against a wall and shot. I feel they would deserve it, because much as we say that no stolen money or property is worth a life, if we carefully consider the effect of their corrupt practices on our lives, wellbeing and survival, then these people have also committed genocide, directly or indirectly – millions of Nigerian people do die as a result of their misdemeanour.
However, methinks the whole idea of death penalty for corruption is fraught with danger, the danger being the application of this very severe penalty with consideration of the systemic, intrinsic corruption we have itself – the corrupt lawmakers who are going to make the law; the enforcement agencies who will investigate the crime, the corrupt judiciary who will try the corrupt criminal; the corrupt and opportunistic lawyers who will defend or prosecute the case, and, you might not believe it, the corrupt society itself.
Yes, we, the public. We cannot exonerate anybody. We are all complicit in the making and spread of the corruption problems of Nigeria. There must be a bribe giver to have a bribe taker. Also, it stands to reason that you cannot be a part of the problem and at the same time be part of the solution.
Akintokunbo Adejumo is the Global Coordinator of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA (www.championsfornigeria.org), an organisation devoted to celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and the people of Nigeria.
Everybody knows my views on corruption in Nigeria. I totally abhor it and would do a lot of things to fight corruption. The fact realistically remains that in any society, we cannot have zero corruption, but we can have zero-tolerance to corruption. The best we can do is managing corruption and/or reducing it to a manageable level. Even the Western democracies will admit that this is what they have been doing and which has made their societies better for their people.
When I first read Senator Adeyemi’s call for the death penalty to be applied to corrupt public and political officials in Nigeria, my first instinct, being very cynical of our politicians, was to think maybe he was just playing to the gallery; maybe! I had this feeling that he was not sincere, coming from him, himself a beneficiary of a corrupt system of politics and governance. However, it was a most noble and brave call.
It is certainly a good thing to hear that a Senator in Nigeria is speaking out the frustration of the rest of us who seem neglected, ignored and unheard. The problem I see in this discussion is that there are no significant apprehension (or even attempt to apprehend and prosecute sincerely) of corrupt officials yet, and for the few so indicted (but not convicted yet), they are still roaming around free and daring the rest of us to do something about it. It is a collective slap in our faces. Senator Adeyemi certainly was highlighting the damage that goes with what public officials have made of Nigeria, and her hijacked resources. As a remedy however, the death penalty is controversial as a resolution of the problem of corruption, certainly not in a democracy, no matter how poorly we practice our own version in Nigeria.
There are punishments better than death. Death takes only a few seconds to initiate. In the 50s and 60s, sentencing to long prison terms “with hard labour” was just that – hard labour, reminiscent of the “chain-gangs” of the correctional system of the United States. Long prison sentences, naming and shaming and hard labour in prison will always be effective deterrent against corruption. Can you imagine Bode George, Tafa Balogun (and even the yet-to-be-convicted James Ibori) with cutlasses, spades and shovels working on a building site or cutting down trees on state farms under the hot sun and watchful eyes of brutal warders? Truth be told, even while I live in a country (the United Kingdom) where there is not death penalty even for the most heinous of crimes, I am a believer in the Mosaic Law of “an eye for an eye”, and will advocate the death penalty for crimes such as murder, armed robbery, terrorism, etc. But for corruption? This is against my better judgement, and I will spell out my reasons.
Death penalty may not be the appropriate punishment for corrupt officials if democracy is what we claim to practice. While we all condemn the act of corruption by any public official, enacting laws that prescribe death penalty may be an over kill. The right prescription in my view is to have them prosecuted, recover all funds stolen and then have them serve time in prison. Furthermore, this will be more effective because no court in Nigeria will condemn anyone to death for corruption even if it was the law of the land.
Capital punishment is particularly risky in Nigeria where the courts are ridden with corruption and, at times, politicking takes precedence over thorough investigations. The Nigerian judicial system has lots of problems with corruption and nepotism, so there is no guarantee that a sentence is objective. Unfortunately, it is known that the extra-judicial killings and executions by the Police have been used as a way to avoid further investigation into serious crimes.
Furthermore, prescribing the death penalty for corruption will require a social, cultural, as well as legal shift.
I have trawled through numerous comments made by Nigerians on this call, and while they are of importance to the debate, and generally favourable of very severe punishment for corruption, not many people support the death penalty for corruption.
“No stolen money or property is worth a life. Confiscation of money stolen and all other assets owned by a public fund embezzler, including commitment to many years in the prison, should be enough punishment for these kleptomaniacs”, somebody opined
One Taiye Olaniyi said “Not until we start treating corruption as a treasonable crime it will not stop. I will even go a step further in advocating in addition to the death sentence the seizure of all property they have acquired from the time they are suspected of committing the crime. This may put pressure on their family members to prevail on the criminals because they will also stand to loose. We should remember how effectively this penalty worked during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime in combating drug trafficking. Any prospective criminals will in this way look at their options, (and) of course the government must engage in nation-wide campaign to enlighten people of the consequences of corruption, something similar to the war on indiscipline campaign.
One Mr Mbuk said “If we can’t enforce the laws as they are today to prosecute suspects and jail culprits, who will enforce a new law prescribing death penalty? Does the senator know that election rigging is also corruption that deserves death?
While Marcel Okpara postulated “May God bless Senator Adeyemi. If Nigeria must march forward and become economically strong, then corruption must be dealt a heavy blow. And one strong way of discouraging corruption in public offices is to make capital punishment the punishment for offenders”.
Enyimba (NaijaPolitics) wrote “"Since death penalty does not deter Nigerians from committing crimes, I suggest longer sentence with hard labor. Make them feel the pains their crimes are causing Nigerians. Quick kill will not help."
Said a Dr Godwin of NIDOA “It will depend on how they define corruption and how it is certified by the law. They should also include rigging elections or election malpractice like dumping voting cards, disrupting voting boots, bribing election officials, vote selling, vote buying, paying election thugs, delaying election materials and failure to send voting cards as expected by the law, death or threats to political opponents, harassment and physical threats to opponents or their assistants. The worst corruption in Nigeria is that relating to elections and office ascendancy. So the senators should first atone or confess their past involvement in election frauds, rigging and vote buying”.
Advocates of capital punishment for corruption say that the death penalty is an effective means of state-driven innovation, especially against entrenched or widespread defective social structures. Its use against corruption is not in itself new, it is still applied for that reason in China. The recent expenses scandal in the United Kingdom is a reminder, that corrupt politicians are not found only in developing countries. Corruption, self-enrichment, and nepotism are part of the political culture in western democracies - so much so, that they form a major argument against democracy itself.
Furthermore, they say, the introduction of the death penalty for corruption and nepotism, is the only guaranteed effective way, to end the culture of corruption among western politicians. Widespread application of the death penalty, with low thresholds, would ultimately disable the political parties, and end recruitment to the political class. In that way, it would remove two primary sources of corruption.
Of course some people have moral objections to the death penalty. However, they are not overriding: the state is not obliged to accept the views of these people, as a universal moral norm. They are a private moral preference, at most. It is true that we recognise that the death penalty effectively deters corruption, however distaste for a society with frequent executions, is probably the main factor in rejecting the death penalty for non-violent crimes.
Corruption in China is a crime that draws capital punishment. Vietnam is another country that prescribes death for official corruption. According to Chinese Criminal Law, the death penalty applies only to those criminals committing extremely serious crimes while those who are not subject to immediate execution may be sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve. Specifically, embezzlement conducted with more than 100,000 yuan (US$ 12,353) is subject to no less than 10 years in prison or life imprisonment with property confiscated while those with particularly serious circumstances can be executed. The circumstances of the crimes are taken into account. In addition, capital punishment must also undergo further judicial review after first and second instance trial procedures to guarantee accurate applications of death penalties.
In the case of China, as of 2005, more than 4,000 officials fled the country, taking with them nearly US$50 billion. Since China does not have extradition agreements with most of the countries harbouring the fugitives, they cannot be always brought back to face Chinese justice. Also, many of these countries do not hand down the death penalty for corruption. So extraditing the fugitives would be tantamount to sending them to death row.
To facilitate the extradition of such criminals, (and criminals indeed are Nigerian corrupt politicians and public officials, make no mistake about that) China's legal experts have suggested abolishing the death penalty for corruption.
It's true that about half the world has abolished capital punishment altogether and the other half that still has it hands it down only for heinous crimes like murder.
So we can see that having the death penalty in place for corruption will strain our relationship with countries where these criminals normally carry their loot. However, I will admit that I have never heard of any Nigerian corrupt official being extradited from the UK, the US or any other country in the last 50 years, despite the agreements we have with such countries. The problem is that no Nigerian Government had ever asked for this important bi-lateral cooperation to be applied. And the simple reason is that no Nigerian administration, military or democratic, had ever been sincere about fighting corruption; in fact the Administration itself, in most cases, is corrupt. And it is in their interest not to seek the extradition of such criminals.
Corruption, rampant and prevalent as it is, poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s political stability and sustainable development. Hence, it warrants utmost care and sincerity in its handling, especially at a time when the government is seeking to be in good relationship with the larger world, and also with their “re-branding” efforts to position Nigeria right.
Having said these, this current Government and the ruling party, PDP, as we currently have both, are not even in the position or have the vision, capability, political and moral will to even advocate and implement a death sentence for corruption. You must be kidding me.
Again, capital punishment doesn't seem to deter "capital crimes." I remember in the early 70s when armed robbers used to be executed publicly in our cities. Have the incidents of armed robbery subsided now in the 2000s? In fact it has escalated. This of course is attributable to several social factors such as poverty, corruption itself - free-for-all looting of the treasury by the very people entrusted to look after it, government indiscipline and lack of focus and vision, unemployment, etc, brought on and exacerbated by decay in the moral and religious values of the society as a whole.
My take on this is that Nigeria, both the government and the governed have not been sincere and truthful about fighting corruption. The political will has never been there; even as we gave credit to Obasanjo for taking the first ever step to fight corruption by creating the tools: EFCC and the ICPC. The absence of this political will therefore negate the call for the death penalty to fight our endemic corruption problem.
On the other hand, we must remember how Buhari/Idiagbo sacred Nigerians shitless when they executed three drug-smugglers. Yes, Buhari scared the living daylights out of us, and the death penalty as a deterrent for drug smuggling seemed to work until he was overthrown by the so-called Evil Genius took over and practically legalise drug smuggling.
There are other social, moral and economic issues which must be addressed first before we even talk of prescribing death (much as I would love a severe punishment for these criminals); the government and the ruling party must be seen to be more sincere in fighting corruption by continuously and vigorously exposing and prosecuting criminals, and not shielding them (like the case of Ibori and the complicity of the Attorney General in the legal standstill we have today) the judiciary must be cleaned up; the Nigeria Bar Association must deal with its errant members who are stifling the corruption fight in courts, laughing all the way to the courts by employing delaying tactics; the government must also pro-actively tackle poverty, unemployment and illiteracy, etc.
Also, government or public service must not be seen as a quick route to making money, hence this “do-or-die” politics. The salaries and other remunerations of out political office holders must be pruned in such a way that only those who really want to serve will be the ones going for these positions, and when they get there, do not have easy or any access to stealing money.
Please make no mistake understanding my viewpoints. At this juncture, and with my, and most Nigerians of goodwill’s frustration, there is nothing more I would like to see than seeing certain corrupt public officials and politicians lined up against a wall and shot. I feel they would deserve it, because much as we say that no stolen money or property is worth a life, if we carefully consider the effect of their corrupt practices on our lives, wellbeing and survival, then these people have also committed genocide, directly or indirectly – millions of Nigerian people do die as a result of their misdemeanour.
However, methinks the whole idea of death penalty for corruption is fraught with danger, the danger being the application of this very severe penalty with consideration of the systemic, intrinsic corruption we have itself – the corrupt lawmakers who are going to make the law; the enforcement agencies who will investigate the crime, the corrupt judiciary who will try the corrupt criminal; the corrupt and opportunistic lawyers who will defend or prosecute the case, and, you might not believe it, the corrupt society itself.
Yes, we, the public. We cannot exonerate anybody. We are all complicit in the making and spread of the corruption problems of Nigeria. There must be a bribe giver to have a bribe taker. Also, it stands to reason that you cannot be a part of the problem and at the same time be part of the solution.
Akintokunbo Adejumo is the Global Coordinator of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA (www.championsfornigeria.org), an organisation devoted to celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and the people of Nigeria.
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Kidnapping As A Business
For the past half-century years of my life, I never knew I was wasting my time in this world, or maybe as a Nigerian. My parents spent time, energy money etc on me to have a very good education so that I may get a very good job and be useful to my family, my community, my people and my country.
Fifty three years later, I have been in different jobs, made very little money and still trying to find the right job that will adequately feed my family. Now, at this stage, I should not even start thinking of helping my people and country, because I really should be thinking of my own, and my family’s survival.
I did not realise it, but I was banging my head against brick walls. After 1999, on the advent of the so-called “democratic dispensation” in Nigeria, I realised I was in the wrong racket, the wrong business, the wrong career move, perhaps. I had read and read till I could read no more. I had worked and worked, mostly for the white man in the white man’s countries that I could work no more. I just wake up reluctantly these days and trudge off to a dead-end job, I no longer like.
I used to like my job or career. I am considered a professional, in fact, in the UK, I am something of an expert in my chosen profession (at least, that is what employers and head-hunters say to me). I am in the dark here, somebody open the windows for me!!
Then I realised I could have been very good in other professions which might definitely raise the eyebrows, but knowing how well these businesses are booming and in fact for some of the participants, “crime does pay”, I could really do well.
I have several choices: I could be a drug-smuggler; I could be a political thug or I could be a politician or finally, I could choose to be a kidnapper. I will not even consider armed robbery – too dangerous for my health.
The problem with all these is that they carry certain risks, but of course, as we know, the one with the least hazard is that of a Politician. I stand to make (steal) a lot of money, and with a 99% chance of getting away with it. Politics is the only thriving industry in our comatose economy. That is why people do or die to get in there. They know once they get there they can never go wrong. It has its own hazards too, such as political assassinations, oath takings and juju, but relatively, it is safe as houses.
A drug smuggler? Not in the days of Buhari/Idiagbon, but could have made it during the IBB days when the rules were very much relaxed, but then the thought of swallowing numerous packets of cocaine scares me stiff and silly.
Political thug? The work is dangerous, but the rewards enormous if you are good at it. But, I don’t think I will ever be good at killing people with guns or machetes. It is against my nature. I also can’t take in marijuana and other drugs to make me feel high whilst running around the town killing on behalf of a politician.
Kidnapping is certainly a crime, but in our country, who cares? Corruption is a crime too, at least in most countries of the world, except our dear own country, where it is even seen as a necessity or a certain way of life, a political requisite, or business perquisite. In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against the person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This may be done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime.
Kidnapping is a common law offence requiring:
1. that one person takes and carries a minor away;
2. by force or fraud;
3. without the consent of the person taken; and
4. without lawful excuse.
It would be difficult to kidnap without also committing false imprisonment, which is the common-law offence of intentionally or recklessly detaining the victim without lawful authority. The use of force to take and detain will also be regarded as an assault, and other, related offences may also be committed before, during, or after the detention.
In the terminology of the common law in many jurisdictions (according to Black's Law Dictionary), the crime of kidnapping is labelled abduction when the victim is a woman.
I think for me, kidnapping is the safest option, if I want to go criminal and make money. It is certainly lucrative, especially in the South-South and South –East of the country, where the crime was initially introduced by the Niger Delta militants (and I do support them in view of the decades of injustice in that part of Nigeria; they are rightly aggrieved), until one thing led to the other, and kidnapping got out of hand – everybody that has a gun and smoked a few weeds of marijuana can kidnap, and also politicians were using it as a tool against opponents.
As a humane person, I hate to say this, but when I hear that this politician’s mother or father has been kidnapped, or a Niger Delta Chief’s son has been kidnapped, I tend to think “It serves him right”. I am even happy that kidnapping has now moved out of the Niger Delta area and now reached as far north as Kaduna and Maiduguri, whilst not leaving Lagos out. “Them what has gets”.
With ransom money in the regions of hundreds of millions, to be shared by the kidnapper, who says it is not a lucrative business. And how many of them have you heard or read have been arrested by our Nigeria Police? See? It is a safe crime. Will Soludo’s father’s kidnappers ever be arrested? I doubt even if the Nigeria Police Force is conducting an investigation into it – there are too many kidnapping cases to be investigated.
And even as I write, I read in the papers of at least three new kidnappings: Federal deputy director, driver kidnapped in Edo - No trace of kidnapped Niger perm sec (Nigerian Tribune, Wednesday 11/11/09); A Deputy Director in the Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Alhaji Abubakar, on his way to represent Health Minister, Babatunde Osotimehin, had been kidnapped by gunmen (THISDAY, 11/1/09); There is rise in kidnapping in the South-East after Nollywood star actor and comedian, Nkem Owoh was kidnapped.(Vanguard, 11/11/09); Cross River State has witnessed its first kidnap incident, as kidnappers stormed Igoli in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state and abducted Mrs. Victoria Idiege, one of the wives of a member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Signor Idiege.(Nigerian Tribune, 12/11/09)
Who says kidnapping is not lucrative and safe in Nigeria? Anybody can be kidnapped, and anybody can kidnap. No special skills or experience needed, however, being a former Niger Delta militant will improve your chances.
On the return of Soludo’s father, after ransome of between N200 and N500 million (who really knows?) has been paid, The Guardian’s Reuben Abati had this to say: “His kidnappers dropped him off around 11 pm on Wednesday. The Soludos will not tell whether any ransom was paid or not. They have been busy however jubilating and thanking God. We always have a way of dragging God into every man-made problem in this country! The celebration in the home of the Soludos is so infectious that even the police have joined the alleluia chorus. Except that, that is not the job of the police.
We expect the police not to close the Simeon Soludo file. He may have survived the ordeal but the crime should be addressed. The Police must seek out Pa Soludo's kidnappers and ensure that the law takes its course. Otherwise, these and other kidnappers will be further emboldened to wreak greater havoc in the future. The Soludo brothers have now arranged very heavy security around their father, nobody is allowed to go near him or talk to him about his ordeal. It will be most unfair to turn the old man into a prisoner in his own house just because he has a son who wants to be Governor. He should be allowed to co-operate with the Police in all ways possible. He has a story to tell and it should be told”.
There certainly is more than meets the eye in this Soludo kidnapping saga. The Police said five suspects have been caught; the Soludo family said no ransom was paid (what is the point in the kidnapping then?) The Soludo father was dumped at Uga, a neighbouring area to his Isuofia community in Aguata Local council and later picked up by a police team, (How very convenient and lucky?)
Knowing what I know of many such incidents in Nigeria, was the whole thing a hoax to seek public sympathy for Soludo’s gubernatorial ambition in Anambra State? Or was the kidnapping used to raise money for his election campaign?
I have to go into this kidnapping business, believe me.
I am being cynical here. At the height of the Obasanjo administration, kidnapping was at its best and very vicious. Foreign oil workers were the initial targets by the Niger Delta militants. This later turned into a business. It is well known that after a while, some foreign oil workers from certain countries were actually initiating and orchestrating their own kidnap, in collaboration with the kidnappers. They therefore bilk their own employers and share the ransom with the kidnapper.
Then the Niger Delta politicians (of the Obasanjo era) waded in. Now I have to be careful here. These politicians, including the now ex-governors, were using the militants for their political ends, and after they get want they wanted, they tended to abandon the militants. The militants, not having any source of income, then turned to kidnapping. Initially, they would kidnap either the politicians or the politicians relatives, and demand a ransom, the ransom in this case, usually what the politician initially promised to pay for their services to help him get into power.
It was so bad, that the politicians in the South-South started relocating their families abroad and to other areas in Nigeria.
However the best scenario was that when the kidnapping of foregners was becoming really embarrassing to Obasanjo, he begged the Niger Delta Governors to do something. Here comes a big opportunity to be heroic. Some of these Governors became the Chief Negotiator of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Niger Delta Militants, but as usual, they did not do it for nothing. They have to line their own pocket, because, as they saw it, it was a risky job. They themselves might get kidnapped.
So what happened? Let’s say the kidnappers demand $500,000. The Chief Negotiator, that is, the State Governor, will collect this money from the Oil Company, but share it with the militant, with him taking the larger share, the kidnappers being simple minded people. Also the money that the Federal Government is sending to keep the militants and kidnappers quiet ends up in the pocket of the Governor.
Very good business for the now-billionaire Niger Delta ex-Governors; and you wonder where they got all that money from. If they tell you they did not steal from their State’s treasury, maybe they are right. There was a more lucrative way of making money, and the oil companies were paying in dollars, not naira.
This article is intended for you to make your own conclusions, or to stimulate your imagination or your conscience.
I rest my pen
Let the truth be told always.
Fifty three years later, I have been in different jobs, made very little money and still trying to find the right job that will adequately feed my family. Now, at this stage, I should not even start thinking of helping my people and country, because I really should be thinking of my own, and my family’s survival.
I did not realise it, but I was banging my head against brick walls. After 1999, on the advent of the so-called “democratic dispensation” in Nigeria, I realised I was in the wrong racket, the wrong business, the wrong career move, perhaps. I had read and read till I could read no more. I had worked and worked, mostly for the white man in the white man’s countries that I could work no more. I just wake up reluctantly these days and trudge off to a dead-end job, I no longer like.
I used to like my job or career. I am considered a professional, in fact, in the UK, I am something of an expert in my chosen profession (at least, that is what employers and head-hunters say to me). I am in the dark here, somebody open the windows for me!!
Then I realised I could have been very good in other professions which might definitely raise the eyebrows, but knowing how well these businesses are booming and in fact for some of the participants, “crime does pay”, I could really do well.
I have several choices: I could be a drug-smuggler; I could be a political thug or I could be a politician or finally, I could choose to be a kidnapper. I will not even consider armed robbery – too dangerous for my health.
The problem with all these is that they carry certain risks, but of course, as we know, the one with the least hazard is that of a Politician. I stand to make (steal) a lot of money, and with a 99% chance of getting away with it. Politics is the only thriving industry in our comatose economy. That is why people do or die to get in there. They know once they get there they can never go wrong. It has its own hazards too, such as political assassinations, oath takings and juju, but relatively, it is safe as houses.
A drug smuggler? Not in the days of Buhari/Idiagbon, but could have made it during the IBB days when the rules were very much relaxed, but then the thought of swallowing numerous packets of cocaine scares me stiff and silly.
Political thug? The work is dangerous, but the rewards enormous if you are good at it. But, I don’t think I will ever be good at killing people with guns or machetes. It is against my nature. I also can’t take in marijuana and other drugs to make me feel high whilst running around the town killing on behalf of a politician.
Kidnapping is certainly a crime, but in our country, who cares? Corruption is a crime too, at least in most countries of the world, except our dear own country, where it is even seen as a necessity or a certain way of life, a political requisite, or business perquisite. In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against the person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This may be done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime.
Kidnapping is a common law offence requiring:
1. that one person takes and carries a minor away;
2. by force or fraud;
3. without the consent of the person taken; and
4. without lawful excuse.
It would be difficult to kidnap without also committing false imprisonment, which is the common-law offence of intentionally or recklessly detaining the victim without lawful authority. The use of force to take and detain will also be regarded as an assault, and other, related offences may also be committed before, during, or after the detention.
In the terminology of the common law in many jurisdictions (according to Black's Law Dictionary), the crime of kidnapping is labelled abduction when the victim is a woman.
I think for me, kidnapping is the safest option, if I want to go criminal and make money. It is certainly lucrative, especially in the South-South and South –East of the country, where the crime was initially introduced by the Niger Delta militants (and I do support them in view of the decades of injustice in that part of Nigeria; they are rightly aggrieved), until one thing led to the other, and kidnapping got out of hand – everybody that has a gun and smoked a few weeds of marijuana can kidnap, and also politicians were using it as a tool against opponents.
As a humane person, I hate to say this, but when I hear that this politician’s mother or father has been kidnapped, or a Niger Delta Chief’s son has been kidnapped, I tend to think “It serves him right”. I am even happy that kidnapping has now moved out of the Niger Delta area and now reached as far north as Kaduna and Maiduguri, whilst not leaving Lagos out. “Them what has gets”.
With ransom money in the regions of hundreds of millions, to be shared by the kidnapper, who says it is not a lucrative business. And how many of them have you heard or read have been arrested by our Nigeria Police? See? It is a safe crime. Will Soludo’s father’s kidnappers ever be arrested? I doubt even if the Nigeria Police Force is conducting an investigation into it – there are too many kidnapping cases to be investigated.
And even as I write, I read in the papers of at least three new kidnappings: Federal deputy director, driver kidnapped in Edo - No trace of kidnapped Niger perm sec (Nigerian Tribune, Wednesday 11/11/09); A Deputy Director in the Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Alhaji Abubakar, on his way to represent Health Minister, Babatunde Osotimehin, had been kidnapped by gunmen (THISDAY, 11/1/09); There is rise in kidnapping in the South-East after Nollywood star actor and comedian, Nkem Owoh was kidnapped.(Vanguard, 11/11/09); Cross River State has witnessed its first kidnap incident, as kidnappers stormed Igoli in Ogoja Local Government Area of the state and abducted Mrs. Victoria Idiege, one of the wives of a member of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Signor Idiege.(Nigerian Tribune, 12/11/09)
Who says kidnapping is not lucrative and safe in Nigeria? Anybody can be kidnapped, and anybody can kidnap. No special skills or experience needed, however, being a former Niger Delta militant will improve your chances.
On the return of Soludo’s father, after ransome of between N200 and N500 million (who really knows?) has been paid, The Guardian’s Reuben Abati had this to say: “His kidnappers dropped him off around 11 pm on Wednesday. The Soludos will not tell whether any ransom was paid or not. They have been busy however jubilating and thanking God. We always have a way of dragging God into every man-made problem in this country! The celebration in the home of the Soludos is so infectious that even the police have joined the alleluia chorus. Except that, that is not the job of the police.
We expect the police not to close the Simeon Soludo file. He may have survived the ordeal but the crime should be addressed. The Police must seek out Pa Soludo's kidnappers and ensure that the law takes its course. Otherwise, these and other kidnappers will be further emboldened to wreak greater havoc in the future. The Soludo brothers have now arranged very heavy security around their father, nobody is allowed to go near him or talk to him about his ordeal. It will be most unfair to turn the old man into a prisoner in his own house just because he has a son who wants to be Governor. He should be allowed to co-operate with the Police in all ways possible. He has a story to tell and it should be told”.
There certainly is more than meets the eye in this Soludo kidnapping saga. The Police said five suspects have been caught; the Soludo family said no ransom was paid (what is the point in the kidnapping then?) The Soludo father was dumped at Uga, a neighbouring area to his Isuofia community in Aguata Local council and later picked up by a police team, (How very convenient and lucky?)
Knowing what I know of many such incidents in Nigeria, was the whole thing a hoax to seek public sympathy for Soludo’s gubernatorial ambition in Anambra State? Or was the kidnapping used to raise money for his election campaign?
I have to go into this kidnapping business, believe me.
I am being cynical here. At the height of the Obasanjo administration, kidnapping was at its best and very vicious. Foreign oil workers were the initial targets by the Niger Delta militants. This later turned into a business. It is well known that after a while, some foreign oil workers from certain countries were actually initiating and orchestrating their own kidnap, in collaboration with the kidnappers. They therefore bilk their own employers and share the ransom with the kidnapper.
Then the Niger Delta politicians (of the Obasanjo era) waded in. Now I have to be careful here. These politicians, including the now ex-governors, were using the militants for their political ends, and after they get want they wanted, they tended to abandon the militants. The militants, not having any source of income, then turned to kidnapping. Initially, they would kidnap either the politicians or the politicians relatives, and demand a ransom, the ransom in this case, usually what the politician initially promised to pay for their services to help him get into power.
It was so bad, that the politicians in the South-South started relocating their families abroad and to other areas in Nigeria.
However the best scenario was that when the kidnapping of foregners was becoming really embarrassing to Obasanjo, he begged the Niger Delta Governors to do something. Here comes a big opportunity to be heroic. Some of these Governors became the Chief Negotiator of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Niger Delta Militants, but as usual, they did not do it for nothing. They have to line their own pocket, because, as they saw it, it was a risky job. They themselves might get kidnapped.
So what happened? Let’s say the kidnappers demand $500,000. The Chief Negotiator, that is, the State Governor, will collect this money from the Oil Company, but share it with the militant, with him taking the larger share, the kidnappers being simple minded people. Also the money that the Federal Government is sending to keep the militants and kidnappers quiet ends up in the pocket of the Governor.
Very good business for the now-billionaire Niger Delta ex-Governors; and you wonder where they got all that money from. If they tell you they did not steal from their State’s treasury, maybe they are right. There was a more lucrative way of making money, and the oil companies were paying in dollars, not naira.
This article is intended for you to make your own conclusions, or to stimulate your imagination or your conscience.
I rest my pen
Let the truth be told always.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Speed Limits.
Ever since I wrote my article on: Alcohol And Road Accidents In Nigeria, published on my blog (http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com) and other national and international media outlets, many road accidents have occurred. Thisday newspaper of 10th October 2009 online version, reported that about 70 people were killed in a multiple road accident that occurred at Umunya junction in Oyi local government area of Anambra State . The bigger picture came when Thisday newspaper of 24th October 2009 online version, reported the total number of road accidents in Nigeria as obtained from the Federal Road Safety Commission (F.R.S.C.).
Quoting Thisday newspaper (online version) of 24th October 2009, “The number of reported cases of road accidents on the country's highways has reached 8,553 between January and first week of October. According to a road traffic situation update obtained by THISDAY from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja, about 4,120 persons lost their lives while 20,975 other were seriously injured in the fatal accidents that involved 11,031 vehicles across the nations”. By any standard or measurements, these figures are too high. I am not sure that our country can sustain this number of deaths occasioned by road accidents. Therefore, this is a drastic situation that needs drastic action. Nigerians, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, private and commercial transport companies, and all road users have a role to play to minimize road accidents. But the Federal Road Safety Commission has more roles to play.
As a suggestion and armed with figures above on death caused by road accidents, the Federal Road Safety Commission should push for legislation that will set up approved speed limits in urban roads, rural road, and high ways/express ways. The same legislation should outline stiff penalties on offenders and authorize the Federal Road Safety Commission to use speed cameras and other means to catch offenders. Then the next stage should be enforcement. As a starting point, the Federal Road Safety Commission should introduce the use of mobile speed cameras.
There are many types of mobile speed cameras that could be fixed on the road safety vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission should combine this process with massive awareness campaign on the introduction of these devices. They can mount these cameras on both unmarked vehicles and marked vehicles. This is a highly effective method to control speeding by motorists. Speed camera was originally invented by Maurice Gatsonides in the 1950,s as a technology for automatic speed measurement of vehicles. This was hijacked for speed control purposes by the authorities in Netherlands .
The mobile speed cameras are portable, such that it could be moved from one point to another. It can be hidden behind a parked vehicle or inside a vehicle. Other types of mobile speed cameras can also be carried by hand. All that the road safety officers need to do is to mount this camera and station their officers few meters away to stop any one caught over speeding. This is not rocket science. It is a very simple technology used by all developed and developing countries. Nigerians should ask for these devices to enforce speed limits. Accidents can kill and devastate people. I understand that speeding alone is not the only cause of road accidents in Nigeria . But if we can enforce speed limits and apply the recommendations on my article on; Alcohol And Road Accidents In Nigeria then we might see some reductions on road mishaps.
It is very much in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians that speeding is controlled on all roads. The whole idea will be to reduce to the lowest minimum, the rates of road accidents. Private and commercial transporters should enforce speed limits. I remember traveling on ABC Transport and on stopping at Benin , we were giving questionnaires to answer if the driver was speeding and how he drove. This practice should be sustained. Let other transporters device a means of enforcing speed limits on their drivers. Firstly, let passengers know that there is a speed limit applicable. This might help reduce pressure from passengers asking drivers to go faster.
Next advice to the Federal Road Safety Commission should be to ask all driving instructors in Nigeria to register with them. Refresher courses and leaflets should be handed to them. Fitness test should be carried out on them. The Federal Road Safety Commission should produce an updated driving code which every driving instructor should buy. All vehicles for driving schools should be examined and certified by road safety officials. All driving schools should be registered and recognized by the road safety commission. All new drivers should undergo health checks, theory test, and practical test before being allowed to drive. As a way to avoid manipulation, I suggest that the theory test should be online so that the road safety officials will not have a control over it. The practical test should be examined by road safety officials to be randomly selected through balloting. A candidate should be expected to pass all three tests (health checks, theory and practical tests). All parts of the driving test should carry equal marks.
I know that the Federal Road Safety Commission has enough personnel to undertake the above tasks. Otherwise they can call for volunteers whom they should be able to give references as having acquired a working experience from them. Alternatively, the road safety commission can contract out some of these responsibilities to reputable Nigerian companies. I suggest a change of our driving license to a bio-metric system, whereby people should give their finger prints and complete details. The same methods that, the immigration is using to issue the new international passport. The Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other law enforcement agencies can share date base together.
The idea of bio-metric driving license is to avoid obtaining driving licenses by proxy. It will make it easier to track road traffic offenders. It will also help to fight other types of crime. This takes me to another article that I wrote; Reforming Police and Policing Reforms, in that article, I argued for the police to start taking finger prints of suspects. I wish to quote a part of the article here; “DNA fingerprinting will be a valuable tool in the fight against crimes in Nigeria . It will help in investigating cases. Similar technology has been deployed before by the Nigerian government during the registration of ID card scheme. The current e-passport system in Nigeria takes our finger prints. So what the government needs to do is to transfer the national database to the police or the police can share this data base with all relevant government departments. So as soon as a suspect is caught, the DNA fingerprinting should be taken and stored or checked with the ones already in the system”.
Let’s remember that DNA samples are very useful to identify the culprits and the guilty. It also helps to exonerate the innocent. The road safety commission should not forget to come up with vehicle carbon emission level in Nigeria . They (FRSC) should turn the above information with others into decisions. With will, determination, and vision, the road safety commission can accomplish this project. We should remember that no society or country will develop without making efforts. If we don’t do anything, we have to accept what happens. But if we act, we have a chance to improve things.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria .
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Quoting Thisday newspaper (online version) of 24th October 2009, “The number of reported cases of road accidents on the country's highways has reached 8,553 between January and first week of October. According to a road traffic situation update obtained by THISDAY from the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja, about 4,120 persons lost their lives while 20,975 other were seriously injured in the fatal accidents that involved 11,031 vehicles across the nations”. By any standard or measurements, these figures are too high. I am not sure that our country can sustain this number of deaths occasioned by road accidents. Therefore, this is a drastic situation that needs drastic action. Nigerians, the Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, private and commercial transport companies, and all road users have a role to play to minimize road accidents. But the Federal Road Safety Commission has more roles to play.
As a suggestion and armed with figures above on death caused by road accidents, the Federal Road Safety Commission should push for legislation that will set up approved speed limits in urban roads, rural road, and high ways/express ways. The same legislation should outline stiff penalties on offenders and authorize the Federal Road Safety Commission to use speed cameras and other means to catch offenders. Then the next stage should be enforcement. As a starting point, the Federal Road Safety Commission should introduce the use of mobile speed cameras.
There are many types of mobile speed cameras that could be fixed on the road safety vehicles. The Federal Road Safety Commission should combine this process with massive awareness campaign on the introduction of these devices. They can mount these cameras on both unmarked vehicles and marked vehicles. This is a highly effective method to control speeding by motorists. Speed camera was originally invented by Maurice Gatsonides in the 1950,s as a technology for automatic speed measurement of vehicles. This was hijacked for speed control purposes by the authorities in Netherlands .
The mobile speed cameras are portable, such that it could be moved from one point to another. It can be hidden behind a parked vehicle or inside a vehicle. Other types of mobile speed cameras can also be carried by hand. All that the road safety officers need to do is to mount this camera and station their officers few meters away to stop any one caught over speeding. This is not rocket science. It is a very simple technology used by all developed and developing countries. Nigerians should ask for these devices to enforce speed limits. Accidents can kill and devastate people. I understand that speeding alone is not the only cause of road accidents in Nigeria . But if we can enforce speed limits and apply the recommendations on my article on; Alcohol And Road Accidents In Nigeria then we might see some reductions on road mishaps.
It is very much in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians that speeding is controlled on all roads. The whole idea will be to reduce to the lowest minimum, the rates of road accidents. Private and commercial transporters should enforce speed limits. I remember traveling on ABC Transport and on stopping at Benin , we were giving questionnaires to answer if the driver was speeding and how he drove. This practice should be sustained. Let other transporters device a means of enforcing speed limits on their drivers. Firstly, let passengers know that there is a speed limit applicable. This might help reduce pressure from passengers asking drivers to go faster.
Next advice to the Federal Road Safety Commission should be to ask all driving instructors in Nigeria to register with them. Refresher courses and leaflets should be handed to them. Fitness test should be carried out on them. The Federal Road Safety Commission should produce an updated driving code which every driving instructor should buy. All vehicles for driving schools should be examined and certified by road safety officials. All driving schools should be registered and recognized by the road safety commission. All new drivers should undergo health checks, theory test, and practical test before being allowed to drive. As a way to avoid manipulation, I suggest that the theory test should be online so that the road safety officials will not have a control over it. The practical test should be examined by road safety officials to be randomly selected through balloting. A candidate should be expected to pass all three tests (health checks, theory and practical tests). All parts of the driving test should carry equal marks.
I know that the Federal Road Safety Commission has enough personnel to undertake the above tasks. Otherwise they can call for volunteers whom they should be able to give references as having acquired a working experience from them. Alternatively, the road safety commission can contract out some of these responsibilities to reputable Nigerian companies. I suggest a change of our driving license to a bio-metric system, whereby people should give their finger prints and complete details. The same methods that, the immigration is using to issue the new international passport. The Federal Road Safety Commission, the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other law enforcement agencies can share date base together.
The idea of bio-metric driving license is to avoid obtaining driving licenses by proxy. It will make it easier to track road traffic offenders. It will also help to fight other types of crime. This takes me to another article that I wrote; Reforming Police and Policing Reforms, in that article, I argued for the police to start taking finger prints of suspects. I wish to quote a part of the article here; “DNA fingerprinting will be a valuable tool in the fight against crimes in Nigeria . It will help in investigating cases. Similar technology has been deployed before by the Nigerian government during the registration of ID card scheme. The current e-passport system in Nigeria takes our finger prints. So what the government needs to do is to transfer the national database to the police or the police can share this data base with all relevant government departments. So as soon as a suspect is caught, the DNA fingerprinting should be taken and stored or checked with the ones already in the system”.
Let’s remember that DNA samples are very useful to identify the culprits and the guilty. It also helps to exonerate the innocent. The road safety commission should not forget to come up with vehicle carbon emission level in Nigeria . They (FRSC) should turn the above information with others into decisions. With will, determination, and vision, the road safety commission can accomplish this project. We should remember that no society or country will develop without making efforts. If we don’t do anything, we have to accept what happens. But if we act, we have a chance to improve things.
Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria .
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
Sunday, 1 November 2009
George And Judgement.
This was another “celebrity case” and what I may call another “celebrity sentence”. In Nigeria, it is becoming a norm to give “high profile people/politicians” a soft sentence, for example Tafa Balogun (former Inspector General of Police). This is not the first time neither shall it be the last. Our dear George was given only two and half years imprisonment for his disservice (N85 billion naira fraud) to his motherland. I am sure that if it’s an ordinary Nigerian that committed this crime, he might be given a very long sentence. So sure also that, some people who have spent more than two and half years or more in detention or awaiting trial did not steal up to N1 million naira, but someone that embezzled N85 billion was given only two and half years. This is an indication that, laws are like cobwebs, strong enough to detain the weak and too weak to hold the strong.
I will not question the wisdom of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole in giving two and half years as the punishment for Olabode George, but as an ordinary person, I think that only two and half years might be too small for an offence of this magnitude. I also think that this judgement might be counter productive in that people might not be deterred enough from such offences in the future, knowing that the penalty will not be much. We have to remember that the greatest incitement to crime is the hope of escaping punishment. Also the actions of people like our Olabode George runs contrary to what the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo said, “Don’t enjoy in public office what you cannot legitimately enjoy in your private life” He abused office and public trust.
Nigerians will like to see the plans made by the court to recover the money, because this amount (N85 billion naira) can do a lot in terms of generating electricity or providing direct employment. On the other hand, N85 billion can deny and deprive millions of Nigerians what would have been their means of survival. One wonders why many of our people have taken to crime etc as a means of survival. Many people (Olabode George & Co) are actually responsible for the sufferings of Nigerian masses. He (Olabode George) has nothing to loose. He has retired from the Nigerian Navy and a former governor of Ondo State. Became the deputy national chairman (South West) of Peoples Democratic Party and later chairman of board of directors of Nigerian Ports Authority where the abuse of office took place. Simply speaking, this imprisonment will be a good way for him to start his over due retirement.
This now throws a big challenge to Nigerians, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), our judiciary and our government. Nigerians should keep pressure on the government to be serious with her fight against corruption. I understand the frustration encountered by many people who do not see any serious commitment on the part of the authorities to tackle corruption. Nigerians should never, never give up but rather think of how we as individuals or groups can contribute to the fight against corruption. People should volunteer any information that will support the fight against corruption. Though that majority of corrupt cases emanates from top government offices, Nigerians can still do a lot in this struggle against corruption.
The present situation at home (bad roads, unemployment, fallen educational standards, irregular power supply, high crime rates, etc) should be a recipe for all of us to join the fight against corruption. We should realize that these societal problems mentioned above, have direct or indirect linkages to embezzlement of funds. Do we fold our hands and watch while the country collapses? My answer will be no. Lets say no and continue to say no to corrupt officials. I also understand that Nigerian authorities are partially deaf, that means we have to shout out louder till our voices are heard. Let us also take our case to our law makers and our representatives. Who is representing us/our constituency at the House of Representatives? Does he have any contact address (constituency office, telephone, fax, web addresses etc) it might be a good idea to engage our representatives, perhaps put pressure through them. Good people will emerge or bad ones might be converted through our actions.
Things must work in Nigeria because the alternative will be worst than disaster. Every one has a role to play. Politicians must constantly be reminded not to mess about with the future of millions of Nigerians. Each stolen national wealth sends Nigeria and Nigerians backward. I need to remind Nigerians that there is nothing the civil society cannot do, more especially now that we are in civilian rule in Nigeria. With our join efforts, a lot could be achieved.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) owe Nigerians a duty to seriously and honestly fight crime, irrespective of who is involved. EFCC should strengthen their commission and be able to catch the big fishes. I need to remind them of what President Obama said in Ghana, that Africa needs strong institutions and not strong men. They (EFCC) are trying but Nigerians expects more considering the level of our decay. Without doubts, the EFCC has the resources to carry out their jobs, but they also need the support of Nigerians. But the problem might be on the will power of their leadership. As it is, the EFCC will have no other excuses to give especially now, that our president has promised not to interfere with their duties.
As a way forward, I will suggest the EFCC to increase their surveillance over banks and other financial institutions. The emphasis should be on crime prevention. As you will agree with me that, prevention is better than cure. The EFCC should infiltrate the financial institutions overtly and covertly. The EFCC should initiate legislation were necessary to boost their operations. The law requiring banks to declare certain amount of monetary transactions should be strictly enforced. Nigerians should try as much as possible to volunteer information to the law enforcement agencies. The authorities cannot do their work very well without the public participation and support. I will suggest that the EFCC should undertake training in China as to how best to fight corruption. Chinese experiences might be a useful one.
The Nigerian judiciary remains the last hope of common people. The efforts of our judiciary have gone a long way towards saving our democracy. Examples include judgement that restored Peter Obi (Anambra State governor), Amaechi (Rivers State governor), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State) etc. Nigerians will appreciate if the same spirit could be applied to deliver judgements on several corrupt cases against former leaders who looted the national treasury. Justice delay is justice denied. In future, let the Nigerian judges draw lessons from how Justice Olubunmi Oyewole discharged Olabode George’s case in record time (14 months), compared to other Nigerian cases. The Nigerian judiciary should also look at how the American judiciary sentenced Bernard Madoff. He was given over hundred years to serve in prison. This will obviously deter people from committing such crimes in future.
The Nigerian government should listen to the yearnings of the people to make corruption a capital offence. Also the Nigerian government should realize that there is one way to restore the confidence of Nigerian people, and that is through political will and absolute determination to get things done. Former British Prime Minister (Margaret Thatcher) is an example of a leader whose determination transformed the United Kingdom. Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
I will not question the wisdom of Justice Olubunmi Oyewole in giving two and half years as the punishment for Olabode George, but as an ordinary person, I think that only two and half years might be too small for an offence of this magnitude. I also think that this judgement might be counter productive in that people might not be deterred enough from such offences in the future, knowing that the penalty will not be much. We have to remember that the greatest incitement to crime is the hope of escaping punishment. Also the actions of people like our Olabode George runs contrary to what the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo said, “Don’t enjoy in public office what you cannot legitimately enjoy in your private life” He abused office and public trust.
Nigerians will like to see the plans made by the court to recover the money, because this amount (N85 billion naira) can do a lot in terms of generating electricity or providing direct employment. On the other hand, N85 billion can deny and deprive millions of Nigerians what would have been their means of survival. One wonders why many of our people have taken to crime etc as a means of survival. Many people (Olabode George & Co) are actually responsible for the sufferings of Nigerian masses. He (Olabode George) has nothing to loose. He has retired from the Nigerian Navy and a former governor of Ondo State. Became the deputy national chairman (South West) of Peoples Democratic Party and later chairman of board of directors of Nigerian Ports Authority where the abuse of office took place. Simply speaking, this imprisonment will be a good way for him to start his over due retirement.
This now throws a big challenge to Nigerians, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), our judiciary and our government. Nigerians should keep pressure on the government to be serious with her fight against corruption. I understand the frustration encountered by many people who do not see any serious commitment on the part of the authorities to tackle corruption. Nigerians should never, never give up but rather think of how we as individuals or groups can contribute to the fight against corruption. People should volunteer any information that will support the fight against corruption. Though that majority of corrupt cases emanates from top government offices, Nigerians can still do a lot in this struggle against corruption.
The present situation at home (bad roads, unemployment, fallen educational standards, irregular power supply, high crime rates, etc) should be a recipe for all of us to join the fight against corruption. We should realize that these societal problems mentioned above, have direct or indirect linkages to embezzlement of funds. Do we fold our hands and watch while the country collapses? My answer will be no. Lets say no and continue to say no to corrupt officials. I also understand that Nigerian authorities are partially deaf, that means we have to shout out louder till our voices are heard. Let us also take our case to our law makers and our representatives. Who is representing us/our constituency at the House of Representatives? Does he have any contact address (constituency office, telephone, fax, web addresses etc) it might be a good idea to engage our representatives, perhaps put pressure through them. Good people will emerge or bad ones might be converted through our actions.
Things must work in Nigeria because the alternative will be worst than disaster. Every one has a role to play. Politicians must constantly be reminded not to mess about with the future of millions of Nigerians. Each stolen national wealth sends Nigeria and Nigerians backward. I need to remind Nigerians that there is nothing the civil society cannot do, more especially now that we are in civilian rule in Nigeria. With our join efforts, a lot could be achieved.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) owe Nigerians a duty to seriously and honestly fight crime, irrespective of who is involved. EFCC should strengthen their commission and be able to catch the big fishes. I need to remind them of what President Obama said in Ghana, that Africa needs strong institutions and not strong men. They (EFCC) are trying but Nigerians expects more considering the level of our decay. Without doubts, the EFCC has the resources to carry out their jobs, but they also need the support of Nigerians. But the problem might be on the will power of their leadership. As it is, the EFCC will have no other excuses to give especially now, that our president has promised not to interfere with their duties.
As a way forward, I will suggest the EFCC to increase their surveillance over banks and other financial institutions. The emphasis should be on crime prevention. As you will agree with me that, prevention is better than cure. The EFCC should infiltrate the financial institutions overtly and covertly. The EFCC should initiate legislation were necessary to boost their operations. The law requiring banks to declare certain amount of monetary transactions should be strictly enforced. Nigerians should try as much as possible to volunteer information to the law enforcement agencies. The authorities cannot do their work very well without the public participation and support. I will suggest that the EFCC should undertake training in China as to how best to fight corruption. Chinese experiences might be a useful one.
The Nigerian judiciary remains the last hope of common people. The efforts of our judiciary have gone a long way towards saving our democracy. Examples include judgement that restored Peter Obi (Anambra State governor), Amaechi (Rivers State governor), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo State) etc. Nigerians will appreciate if the same spirit could be applied to deliver judgements on several corrupt cases against former leaders who looted the national treasury. Justice delay is justice denied. In future, let the Nigerian judges draw lessons from how Justice Olubunmi Oyewole discharged Olabode George’s case in record time (14 months), compared to other Nigerian cases. The Nigerian judiciary should also look at how the American judiciary sentenced Bernard Madoff. He was given over hundred years to serve in prison. This will obviously deter people from committing such crimes in future.
The Nigerian government should listen to the yearnings of the people to make corruption a capital offence. Also the Nigerian government should realize that there is one way to restore the confidence of Nigerian people, and that is through political will and absolute determination to get things done. Former British Prime Minister (Margaret Thatcher) is an example of a leader whose determination transformed the United Kingdom. Finally, I wish to appeal to Nigerians to participate and join the fight against global warming. Turn off your electrical appliances/lights when not in use. Plant a tree or sponsor one to plant on your behalf. Government and companies should send less paper work and do more email, telephone, and sms. May God bless Nigeria.
Chinedu Vincent Akuta
An activist and leader of “Support Option A4 Group” Leicester-UK
akutachinedu@yahoo.com
http://briefsfromakuta.blogspot.com/
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