PRESS RELEASE: Halliburton Scandal: Let’s call a spade a spade!

DATELINE: London United Kingdom
18th April 2009

To The Great and Good People of Nigeria:

INTRODUCTION:

We, The Champions For Nigeria Organisation wish to sympathize with you for all your endurance and diligence in the face of avoidable economic hardship, socio-cultural deterioration and political despondency caused as a result of the greed, selfishness, inconsideration, mismanagement, corruption and visionless leadership of our leaders.

Looters with stolen and rigged mandates live in affluence, openly insult our collective intelligence and squander our collective resources and wealth without regard to us and the consequences, while the majority of Nigerians live in poverty, starvation, fear and great inconvenience.

Champions For Nigeria believe that corruption is arguably the major problem we have in Nigeria today that is preventing Nigeria from achieving any semblance of greatness or even socio-economic growth and development. And we know those who are perpetrating this evil monster on us; we know those who are still bent on keeping the majority of Nigerians as serfs and slaves long after colonialism – the inept ruling clique.

The recent catalogue of distressing, outrageous and profound revelations of blatant and reckless corruption and bribery, plundering of the nation’s treasury by a few clique, started during Abacha’s ignominious regime and continued into Obasanjo’s “holier-than-thou” administration and now being covered up by the lame-duck Presidency of Yar ‘Adua is a testimony yet again to the fact that despite all the noise of the war against corruption, nothing has really changed. The looters are still in charge, and actually admitting new looters everyday to join their evil enclave.

Of particular interest is the allegation of massive, unbelievable, bribery and corruption against three successive governments (Abacha, Abdulsalam and Obasanjo) and other top government officials by Halliburton, a United States-based company engaged in building Africa’s first liquefied natural gas plant in Nigeria.

Awashed with undisputable facts about the Halliburton bribery scandal, this is a true litmus test for the rule of law mantra of Yar A'dua government. The fact remains that in Nigeria's political space dogs don't eat dogs. It has been proven again and again. This is a behaviour that helps perpetuate corruption and bold-faced illegality in the dealings of individual and agents of government on behalf of Nigerians, without regard to the consequences of that behaviour and the effect on the image of Nigeria and Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Unless you are not in the good books of the government of the day, whatever action or inaction a highly placed official or representative of government takes, there is no reprimand. Halliburton scandal is going down the annals of unsolved sticky issues in Nigeria political life and the world is watching the unfolding drama once again. It is obvious that, there is a deliberate effort by the incumbent government to cover up, but the fact that this is a scandal of International dimension is what is keeping this matter in the public domain. Hence, the setting up of a lack lustre enquiry committee to look into the matter that is as plain as the broad day light.

Name and shame the culprits! That is what this scandal demands! Let the Yar A'dua Government start the rebranding programme by showing commitment to the following agenda in respect of the Scandal:

The Champions For Nigeria therefore calls for the following:

Liaise with foreign governments to determine names of bribe-takers
The Halliburton scandal is the lever for uncovering high profile corrupt practices in Nigeria and it will help to further the fight against economic and financial crimes in the country. Nigeria government must therefore liaise with the US counterpart to uncover the names of the Nigerian bribe-takers in Nigeria.

Release and publicise the names of the bribe-takers to the public.
We want the government to show transparency by naming and shaming those officials involved in this transactions and mess. When the names of the Nigerian officials, high and low, who partook in the bribe taking, are known, their names must be published immediately. This will serve as a great deterrent to future thieves and bribe-takers if they know the authorities will nit hesitate to publish and publicise their names into the public domain.

Explore known international treaties
Show cooperation with the international community in order to forestall such activities in the future. Nigeria should explore all international treaties with all the countries concerned including USA and Switzerland to ensure adequate information and evidence are available for a valid legal prosecution in Nigeria. The treaty between Nigeria and USA on Mutual Legal Assistance is one example of the treaties that must be explored and used to the advantage of Nigeria in the corruption fight.

Apply Nigerian law evenly
Allow the law to take its course and justice to prevail in line with the rule of law mantra of the government. Nobody is above the law in Nigeria. If the names of the alleged bribe-takers are known and evidence gathered, they should be arrayed before a competent court in Nigeria without preferential treatment. The successful prosecution of Nigerian bribe-takers will ensure the fight against financial corruption in Nigeria is on course.

No secrecy as case is in public interest
The Nigeria government must avoid secrecy in the legal case against any Nigerian bribe-takers because this case maintains a high public interest. Any attempt to keep secrecy in this case would be counter-productive and could lead to further abuse of public office with impunity.

No plea bargaining
The Nigeria government must avoid legal plea bargaining. Criminals must be brought to justice. If criminals are found guilty of their crimes, they must face the consequence of their actions as stipulated in the laws of Nigeria. Legal plea bargaining will allow criminals to continue their criminal intents while escaping the law and it will allow new criminals to explore more corrupt opportunities to defraud Nigeria.

Identify and confiscate assets
Repatriate the bribery funds that have already been traced to Swiss bank account (s) and disclose the identity (ies) of those having historical interactions with the account(s). All the proceeds of crime recovered from the Nigerian bribe-takers must be accounted for including their local and known international assets. The assets and all proceeds from the crime must return to the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Promulgate laws to bar bribe-takers from public office
Strengthen the regulatory laws that guide international business interactions between Nigerian government and other entity. Criminals who steal public fund in one way or another should be stopped from taking any public office in Nigeria in the future. This should include bribe-takers who collaborate with foreign firms to dupe the country, Nigeria.

Furthermore:

We call on the Authorities and Government to review all allied contracts with a view to ensure that level playing ground and meritocratic due process prevail in the ways and manner the contracts were awarded

Clean up our image in the International community by showing more transparency in the conduct of business dealings with other nations and business entities.

Let’s call a Spade a Spade...that would help reshape our brand!

"-30-"

Signed:

For and on behalf of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA Organisation.
(http://www.championsfornigeria.org )

Akintokunbo A Adejumo (UK) +44 7939 804 121 (champions@championsfornigeria.org )
Bernard Owen Imarhiagbe (UK)
Ephraim Adinlofu (UK)
Ade Adewolu (UK)
Taghogho Agarin (USA)
Olayiwola Ajileye (UK)
Odimegwu Onwumere (Nigeria)
Owolabi Dada (UK)
Dapo Williams (UK)
Adebayo Adejuwon (Canada)
Kola Afolabi (France)

Omoseye Bolaji, A Nigerian Author’s Exploits In South Africa

Every so often, we come up with unsung and unknown heroes of our land, people who have made contributions in various disciplines, putting Nigeria on the map and promoting the many positive characteristics of our people. For the sake of brevity, I need not mention names, but I am always proud to mention the names of noble Nigerian Giants of Literature like our own Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Chinua Achebe, the late Cyprian Ekwensi, TM Aluko, Ken Saro-Wiwa, etc. New Nigerian literary figures abound too.

One of the latter is Omoseye Bolaji, who has become something of a celebrity in, wait for it, The Republic of South Africa. Personally, I am proud to say that Omoseye Bolaji is a cousin of mine, an Ibadan man born to the late Chief Simeon Labanji Bolaji, my uncle and role model in the 60s and 70s, who was Managing Director of The Sketch Group of Newspapers in Ibadan in the early 70s, and my Auntie, Mrs Bolanle Bolaji, still alive. Late Chief Bolaji’s pen-name in those days was “Eselby” in the Daily Sketch and Sunday Sketch, so I am not surprised by Omoseye’s exploits in literary writing. His pedigree speaks for itself. His late father was also a member of my church society, Emmanuel Society of St Peter’s Church, Aremo, Ibadan.

As far as I know, the only accolade and honour bestowed upon this young man, Omoseye, in Nigeria was the conferment of his late father’s title, Onigegewura (Owner of the Golden Pen) of Ibadanland by the current Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Odulana, in 2008, to mark the first anniversary of his accession to the throne.

Omoseye Bolaji, is an award winning black African writer who over the years has contributed phenomenally to the growth of Black Literature at grassroots level in South Africa, especially in the Free State. Bolaji is a novelist, short story writer, playwright, poet, literary critic, biographer, editor and journalist.
Work

Omoseye Bolaji's published fiction is renowned for its unexpected, often shattering endings. His published works of fiction are The Termagant (1988), They Never Say When (1994), Impossible Love (2000), Tebogo Investigates (2000), The ghostly Adversary (2001), The Guillotine (2001) Tebogo's spot of bother (2001), Tebogo Fails (2003), People of the Townships (2003), Ask Tebogo (2004), Tebogo and the Haka (2008), and Tebogo and the epithalamion (2009). He has also published a play, The Subtle Transgressor (2006.) His poems are collected under Snippets (1998) and Reverie (2006). His other general works include Eagles at USA 94 (1994), The story of Collins Mokhotho (2000), Fillets of Plaice (2000),Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002) Molebogeng Alitta Mokhuoa (2004), and, My Opinion (2005). In 2007 Omoseye Bolaji published Poems from Mauritius (ISBN 978 0 9584556 9 5) and My life and literature.

Analysts of Bolaji's books (in some of the published studies referred to, below) point out that he has been heavily influenced by writers like Sidney Sheldon, Dick Francis, and Agatha Christie who highlight the unexpected in their work. For examples in Impossible Love, an intriguing gentleman suddenly finds himself inadvertently in love with his own daughter; in People of the Townships, a young man readers have come to empathise with is ultimately exposed as a cold-blooded murderer; and in Tebogo Investigates, a charming, amiable young lady turns out to be a ruthless killer.

Bolaji has been editor of South African publications such as Free State News, Kopanang magazine, E and E magazine, and is now editor of CHOICE magazine.

Omoseye Bolaji's awards and honours include the following: Sports Writer of the Year (2000) courtesy of the Eclectic Writers Club of Bloemfontein; recipient of the Community Publishing Project (CPP) grant (2003) from Cape Town's Centre for the Book; Free State Author of the Year (2003) for his novel, People of the Townships; Certificate for penning enthralling Fiction (2006), courtesy of Phoenix Literary Club, Ladybrand; and the "Lifetime Achievement Award" (2007) from the Free State Department of Sport, Art and Culture. In September 2007, the University of the Free State conferred the Chancellor's Medal on Omoseye Bolaji, in appreciation of his contributions to grassroots literacy and literature. ]Bolaji was also conferred with a Chieftaincy title by the Olubadan (King) of Ibadanland in Nigeria, again thanks to his contributions to African literature.

Studies (books) already published on Omoseye Bolaji's literary work are: Omoseye Bolaji:His writings/his role as a catalyst for FS Writing. By Pule Lebuso (2001); Omoseye Bolaji: Perspectives on his literary work. By Flaxman Qoopane (2003); Omoseye Bolaji: Channelling one's thoughts onto paper. By Charmaine Kolwane (2005); Tebogo on the prowl: a study of Omoseye Bolaji's series of books based on private sleuth, Tebogo Mokoena. By Petro Schonfeld (2006). A recent book, The Triumph (2007) ISBN 978 - 0 - 620 - 38207 - 6 written by Urbain Tila, details the events at the gala night where Omoseye Bolaji received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Further reading
• The growth of Free State Black Writing (a collection of essays on Bolaji, Qoopane, Lebuso, and Thaisi). 2002. By Bareng Mogorosi. Published by Bareng Book Enterprises. Mangaung.
• Free State Writers Talking. (2002). Edited by Molebogeng A Mokhuoa. Published by Qoopane Literary Services. Bloemfontein.
• Four Free State Authors. (2005) By Pule Lechesa. Eclectic Writers Club. Bloemfontein.
• Omoseye Bolaji...on awards, authors, literature. (2007). Edited by Pule Lechesa. Phoenix Press. Ladybrand
• EMINENT journal (West Africa). August 2008 edition. "Profile of Omoseye Bolaji, the new Ibadan Chief". Page 18.
• THE CREST (Omoseye Bolaji honoured in Nigeria). (2008). By Flaxman Qoopane. Qoopane Literary Services. Bloemfontein.

References
1. Omoseye Bolaji receives Lifetime Achievement Award (South African Small Publishers' Blog, retrieved on Jan 9, 2008)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omoseye_Bolaji"

Bolaji and his works
By Kgang Abel Motheane
* Published in MAFUBE NEWS, Feb 2005 edition

This piece is intended as a sort of introduction to Omoseye Bolaji’s ever increasing literary output. Many people can not reconcile his prodigious contributions to journalism - e.g. the fact that Bolaji has written for so many major South African publications including Drum; or recently his hundreds of articles for Daily Sun - but in this article we are focusing on most of his books.

Impossible Love (2000) is Bolaji’s most famous novel, a hit with readers, male and female, and a popular read at libraries across the country. The stunning story of a gentleman who somehow found himself later falling in love with his own daughter (!) is one that will always fascinate.

After the publication of The Ghostly Adversary (2001) Bolaji’s reputation as a skilled, fascinating African novelist was assured, whether he published other works or not. In this highly readable book that "no true reader would be able to put down" we are cleverly guided through a series of well planned, sustained violence and mystery with the pivotal "Mr Tortoise’ an enigmatic person” till the end of the book.

The "Tebogo mystery" series of books was born in 2000 when Bolaji published Tebogo Investigates in which he introduces the "detective" Tebogo Mokoena. The first book, now in retrospect, does not look as impressive as it once was, but the initial party scene in that first adventure is still etched in the mind.

Tebogo’s spot of bother (2001), the second of the series, was a real triumph with a double or triple gripping twist at the end of the book that would bring any reader of the book out in sweat. It was also when Bolaji began to write the detective series in the first person, bringing Tebogo closer to our hearts

Tebogo Fails (2003) maintained the puzzling nature of the Tebogo novelettes. In this story set in Botshabelo, the thing that strikes one most is that Tebogo goes on to fall in love! "the type of romantic love in Impossible love on a minuscule scale " as Flaxman Qoopane commented. Yet he still solves the baffling mystery in the end.

The previous "Tebogo" work, Ask Tebogo (2004) is the longest, and reveals what seems like Bolaji’s current pessimistic approach to most of his writings (a follow up to People of the Townships). He introduces essays into the story,(mystery) in the latest of the Tebogo series.

In his latest “Tebogo” work Tebogo and the Epithalamion (2009), a charming young woman mysteriously disappears at an absorbing ceremony that forms the prelude to her wedding, and sleuth Tebogo Mokoena is inadvertently sucked into another baffling investigation. He has to meticulously scrape through the veneer of outward appearances and adopt unconventional methods to prevent a torrid tragedy.

By the time Bolaji published People of The Townships (2003) the reading public had come to expect the invariable startling conclusion to his books, and he did not disappoint. People of the Townships attracted the Community Publishing Project grant from Cape Town. The book and its denouement remind one in particular of the skill employed in Agatha Christie’s mystery books. But we must also note the social commentary, "moral" exhortations, in the work.

As for Bolaji’s short stories, You never know with women (2002) and The Quack of Qwaqwa (2003) are too slim for any analysis in an article of this nature. In his book, The Guillotine (10 short stories by Bolaji) most of the stories grip us; none more so than The narrow escape.

But Bolaji has not written and published fiction only. In Fillets of Plaice (1999) Bolaji gives us glimpses into the world of journalism essentially. In Thoughts on Free State Writing (2002) - his own contribution to literary essays - we see how well-read Bolaji himself is, with a somewhat comprehensive taste. The Story of Collins Mokhoto (2000) is biographical.

Snippets (1998, 2002, 2004 editions) contains Bolaji’s poems, and if they are not as simple as we would want them to be, perhaps it is no surprise that he is hardly regarded as a popular poet. 2005 has opened with Bolaji publishing My Opinion, a collection of some of Bolaji’s popular columns in the Free State News - "Opinion"
Of course with such a prolific author like Bolaji, one can only but touch the surface of the man’s writings, as I have tried to do here...

Bolaji’s Books
• They Never Say When. 1994
• The Golden Pen of Eselby.(Ed) 1994
• Snippets. 1998
• Fillets of Plaice. 2000
• Impossible Love. 2000
• Tebogo Investigates. 2000
• The Story of Collins Mokhotho. 2000
• The Ghostly Adversary. 2001
• The Guillotine. 2001
• Gilbert Modise: the man and the myth (with F Qqoopane). 2001
• Tebogo’s spot of bother. 2001
• Thoughts on Free state Writing. 2002
• You Never know with women. 2002
• Tebogo Fails. 2003
• The Quack of Qwaqwa (Ed). 2003
• People of the Townships. 2003
• Molebogeng Alitta Mokhuoa. 2004
• My Opinion. 2005
• Tebogo and the Epithalamion 2009

Books on Bolaji’s Works
• Omoseye Bolaji: His writings/his role as a catalyst for FS Writing. By Pule Lebuso. Published by Image Promotions. 2001
• Omoseye Bolaji: Perspectives on his literary work. By Flaxman Qoopane. Qoopane Literary Services. 2003

Supplementary
• Free State Writers Talking (2002, 2004)Ed M.A Mokhuoa
• FOUR FREE STATE AUTHORS (2005). By Pule Lechesa
• The growth of Free State Black Writing (2005). Ed Peter Moroe

When it comes to fiction (written in English) OMOSEYE BOLAJI is in a class of his own. His novel Impossible love continues to stun those who read it, and can be described as "a love story with quite a twist in the tail". Bolaji's novella, Tebogo investigates has also been hailed as a superb mystery/detective story of local colour.

Recently, his latest novel, The Ghostly adversary was published, and it manages to be even more exciting and suspenseful than his earlier works. Another thing worthy of praise is Bolaji’s versatility. He wrote the biographical book, The story of Collins Mokhotho (a Free State traditional dancer) and a book on journalism, Fillets of Plaice.

The Subtle Transgressor, a superb play based on the Mangaung townships had its premiere at Uitenhage in Port Elizabeth in late March (2006). The play, written by novelist, poet and essayist Omoseye Bolaji drew many audiences from the townships as it was brought to life courtesy of the Gladman Theatre. The youthful cast did themselves proud.

A didactic, yet gripping play, The subtle transgressor focuses on the abuse of youngsters, especially girls. It brings together the complicated relationships between the father, Job, the daughter Kate and peer pressure in general. Kate’s friends, Maria and Violet also loom rather large in the drama.

Questions that arise from the play include: what type of pressures do young women face nowadays; what makes them tick? How do they relate to their parents; how does their background fashion, and later reflect on what happens to them in future? How far can a parent go in trying to “discipline” their children?

Meanwhile in Mangaung (Free State) itself, some writers and artist expressed disappointment that the play was first put on stage away in Port Elizabeth. Pule Lechesa, the well known author said: “Bolaji wrote the play based on Mangaung here, and in the text we have references to areas in the Bloemfontein townships. Why could it not have been premiered in the Mangaung townships? Maybe the lesson is that we should get our arts and theatre here in order.”

Bolaji's main weakness is a lack of motivation and encouragement that could make him into a real "great" in writing fiction, despite his achievements so far. It is common knowledge in Mangaung townships that Bolaji announced a "complete retirement from writing in 2001". This announcement, it is gathered, was caused by an extraordinary run of bad luck in getting remuneration for his work, and alleged betrayal by close aides who profited from his writing talents.

Chief Omoseye Bolaji, the Onigegewura of Ibadanland is a true Champion for Nigeria, and should be better recognised in his own country.

Akintokunbo A Adejumo is the Codewit Global Network Favourite Author of March 2009

Akintokunbo Adejumo is the Global Coordinator of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA, (www.championsfornigeria.org ) an organisation devoted to tackling corruption, promoting good governance and celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and the people of Nigeria. He is also the Chief Writer and Consultant for African Entrepreneur LLC, a US-based, Nigerian-owned media and marketing firm

Do Our Leaders Know The Constitution?

I have always suspected and held the belief that our political leaders, all classes of them, appear to be charlatans, novices, greenhorns and pretenders. This is no longer surprising nor should be taken for granted. In our current nascent democracy, I suppose we should expect some kind of experimentation for a while until we finally get it right; however, unfortunately, since this form of governance has a very important impact on the lives of 140 million people, there really is no room for mistakes.

Actually, since we got our independence from Great Britain in 1960, any form of government which we have tried our hands on have always been a mix of trials and errors, more like our roadside mechanics, not versed in the theoretical and educational aspect of their job, but relying mostly on trying out procedures and processes and poking about in your car’s engine until they finally get it right, even if briefly and unsustainable.

People always think politics is a game, but I always beg to differ. It is no longer a game when politicians make political decisions which affect the lives of millions of people for which they are responsible; which determines their standard of living; their daily livelihood, their health and wellbeing, their security and in fact the very essence of their being alive.

Thus, since 1999, we see all our political leaders in the three arms of government thrashing wildly about in ignorance, or maybe deliberate abuse, of our constitution. Ex-President Obasanjo was very notorious for disregarding the Constitution in all aspects, forgetting that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is greater than anybody in Nigeria. The Senate and the House of Representative routinely disregard the Constitution; in fact they abuse it, failing to follow laid-down rules of the House and the Senate, and most times, resort to violence to sort problems out. The same applied, and still applies to the States’ chief executive officers, States Houses of Assembly, comprising mostly thuggish, crooked and unsavoury characters and the local government Chairmen and their mostly ill-educated, half-baked councillors. (Please, I have done my homework very well on the human constitution of our legislative houses, so I am sure of what I am talking about, and not just passing insults).

My fears were somehow confirmed, and I was mildly surprised when I read that the newly judicially-installed Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, as one of his first decision on assuming office, decided to “sack” all the state’s local government chairmen and councillors, in apparent ignorance of the Constitutional provisions for doing so. I was surprised because of many reasons: Dr Mimiko is a highly educated man, and experienced politician, who should know the provisions of the Constitution before acting so hastily; secondly, he rode to office on the back of a lot of goodwill after all he had been through, and I would have expected him to settle down first and face the task of re-building Ondo State before he can even consider “sacking” the local governments. Thirdly, and this is also tied to constitutional provisions, he failed to refer to the State House of Assembly before his peremptory dissolution of the local governments.

I was one of millions of Nigeria who rejoiced on the ousting of the inept and corrupt Dr Olusegun Agagu (my former lecturer at the University of Ibadan) from the Ondo State Government House, and the subsequent judicial victory of Dr Mimiko. I wish him well very much and hope he will do for Ondo State what Agagu, in all his wisdom, refused to do for the people of Ondo State for almost 7 years. A lot of Nigerians have since counselled him that he should focus his attention on good governance, accountability, responsibility and rule of law.

However, Dr Mimiko, with the benefit of hindsight, must realise that his very first move was very wrong. So he has started off on a very wrong footing with this “sacking”. Agreed that the elections, which were hastily conducted, after ignoring a court order not to do so, by his predecessor that brought in the current local government chairmen and councillors was another breach of the law of the land, Dr Mimiko could have sought constitutional and legal advice before proceeding on this disastrous route.

Now, having been advised rightly, Dr Mimiko is now having to eat his hat, and is now belatedly doing what he should have done in the first place – go to the court and determine whether the elections that brought the “sacked” councillors in were conducted validly and lawfully.

I wish him the best in the governance of Ondo State, but he should really go and study the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and adhere to it as fully as he can. This will be part of standards by which he will be judged at the end of his tenure.

Having said all these, the actions of the Nigeria Police, in form of the Inspector General of Police, presumably at the behest of the President, in escorting the “sacked” local government officials to their offices was the cap in the unfolding farce. It again showed either a lack of respect for the Constitution or an ignorance of it, or both. The Governor of a state of the federation id the chief executive officer and chief security officer of his/her state, and as such, the federal police owe him a high degree of accountability. That is why he has a Commissioner of Police reporting to him (as well as to his Inspector General). This fact alone subjugates the police command of each state to the executive officer, the Governor, even though, he is appointed by the Inspector General. The role of the police command is therefore, not only to keep the peace and ensure security in their state, but also to take certain orders from the Governor, in order to carry out their primary objectives mentioned above.

So what are the federal police doing escorting local government officials to their offices? According to the constitution, the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of local governments is the preserve of a state government, therefore, any intervention by the federal police in cogently reinstating the sacked chairmen and councillors is tantamount to undue and unhealthy interference in the affairs of a state, unless in the case of a state of emergency.
According to the IGP, Mike Okiro, answering questions as to why he thought it expedient or proper to use his policemen to undo what the Governor did, "what the police have done was to make sure that nobody was unduly cheated and we did our best to prevent a break-down of law and order..."
This is where we see another breach of constitutional provisions, whether by ignorance or deliberately. It is not the responsibility of the police to correct or deal with an errant governor for his mistakes. I know a certain section of the 1999 Constitution takes care of that.

The above flies in the face of President Yar ‘Adua’s posture of rule of law and due process, much as his government’s arrests of some journalists last year was. Therefore both Mimiko’s “sacking” of chairmen and councillors without consulting his state House of Assembly and federal police interference in “reinstating” them are unconstitutional, undemocratic, unlawful and does not augur well for a growing and healthy democracy. Rather, it undermines democracy.
In the end, both are wrong, and their actions are likely to heat up the political landscape in Ondo State. If you do not know, always ask those who know. Executive powers do not translate to executive abuse and force, and Presidential and police powers must also not be abused under the guise of protectionism.

An Abject Abdication Of Responsibility (2)

I had written some time ago that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was guilty of not taking responsibility for anything (An Abject Abdication of Responsibility – www.nigeriavillagesquare.com 23.07.2008) I have been proven right almost a year later, with his now famous self-righteous and indignant response to BBC’s Hard Talk interview where he was visibly angry and exasperated by the questions thrown mercilessly at him to explain himself on allegations of his government’s, and himself being very corrupt.
In a way, I really feel sorry for Obasanjo, because he will go down in history as a leader who refused to take responsibility for his actions or inactions; a man who abdicated his responsibility for 140 million people; a man who, despite any experience, intelligence and education he might possess, refused to acknowledge that as a leader of a people, he MUST assume responsibility for them. If he is shy of being responsible, or does not want that onus imposed on him, he should never have tried to be a leader. Even if it turns out that Obasanjo was not personally corrupt, he is still guilty of not acknowledging that he was, for eight years, responsible for his people, their lives, their sufferings, their hopes, their security, their well-being and their overall governance in all its ramifications.
There goes his quest to be regarded as a Statesman out of the window. Neither will he ever be regarded as a great leader of his people. This is a waste of a lifetime and lost opportunity to redeem himself.
However, we must accept one thing from his utterances, and this is something every one of us will be guilty of: I do not expect anybody, any leader of any country, to go in front of the world press and admit to being corrupt. Unless such person has a gun pointed at him or her. That is a fact.
My issue with Obasanjo then is his abject abdication of responsibility and refusal to take the blame, as a good and great leader should do. If he himself was not corrupt and members of his family, his party, his government and even ordinary Nigerians were corrupt, then, as the leader, he was corrupt. In his interview, he practically admitted that people in his government were corrupt, but tried desperately to absolve himself of any blame. This in itself was corruption, because he knew about their complicity in the corrupt practices and murderous games that they were involved in, and he never took adequate action. This is not simply a matter of passing the buck, but totally refusing to be accountable.
There are different kinds of responsibility, and I will only mention those apropos to this issue.
Collective responsibility is a concept or doctrine, according to which individuals are to be held responsible for other people's actions by tolerating, ignoring, or harboring them, without actively collaborating in these actions.
Moral responsibility can refer to two different but related things. First, a person has 'moral responsibility' for a situation if that person has an obligation to ensure that something happens. Second, a person has moral responsibility for a situation when it would be correct to morally praise or blame that person for the situation. People who have moral responsibility for an action are usually called moral agents. Agents are creatures that are capable of reflecting on their situation, forming intentions about how they will act, and then carrying out that action.
Social responsibility is an ethical or ideological theory that an entity whether it is a government, corporation, organization or individual has a responsibility to society but this responsibility can be "negative." In that it is a responsibility to refrain from acting (resistance stance) or it can be "positive," meaning there is a responsibility to act (proactive stance).
The synonyms of responsibility include accountability, answerability, burden, liability, duty, conscientiousness.
A leader must always take responsibility; otherwise, he’s not a leader. This is the bottom line. I have already written about his culpability (The Trials and Tribulations Of A Leader – several publications, 21 march 2009), so there is no need to mention this again, except to reaffirm Obasanjo’s culpability.
No matter how ex-President Obasanjo tried to absolve himself of corruption, and therefore, responsibility, there are some posers for him:
Where did he get the billions he used to build his University, library and mansion in Otta library and his properties all over the country? And as the president, the universities and indeed the education sector in Nigeria were starved of funding during his tenure, so much so that it is no longer considered a right move by many parents to send their children to Nigerian educational institutions.

Where did the $16 billion power supply fund disappear to? $16 billion and eight years later, where is the light? Obasanjo was going all over the country commissioning several bogus power projects (and other projects in other sectors) estimated in billions of dollars, and yet, Nigerians are suffering from lack of electricity, which is a number one factor holding the development of the country back every day.

What happened to billions spent on road construction and rehabilitations? Even his erstwhile Minister for Roads, the wily Tony Anenih, said recently that being allocated 300 billion naira for roads is one thing, getting the allocation is another matter or something to that effect. What about the billions that now seems to have been carted away by the Chinese for the railway extension and modernisation project?

It was widely reported that when Obasanjo came out of Abacha’s prison, he had just N20, 000 in both cash and assets (His ex-Vice President alleged this). Eight years later, he was owning and selling off everything that Nigeria has, yet he can be bold enough to tell Nigerians and the world that he is not corrupt. Obasanjo Farms is one of the biggest in Nigeria today, with prime farmlands in various states of the federation, yet all the state-owned agricultural farms combined are so unproductive that they cannot feed Nigerians.

Aside from being accused of being corrupt, he has also been accused of being a killer. When he was the president, political assassinations (Bola Ige, Funsho Williams, etc,) prevailed everyday and not a single assassin was ever apprehended during his reign. Since he left office, Nigeria has not recorded any political assassinations. Can we ask Obasanjo why this is so?

Obasanjo’s transfer of power to Yar'Adua is the greatest corruption (political corruption) that he committed on Nigerians and humanity. Apparently, he does not realise that rigging elections is a corrupt practice, and a major corruption category. Political corruption is the use of governmental powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. (And Obasanjo and members of his family, government and party are guilty of this, if he does not realise it). An illegal act by an officeholder constitutes political corruption if the act is directly related to their official duties (guilty again). In short, in the political realm, corruption generally undermines democracy and good governance by flouting or even subverting formal processes. Corruption in elections and in legislative bodies reduces accountability and distorts representation in policymaking; corruption in the judiciary compromises the rule of law; and corruption in public administration results in the unfair provision of services. More generally, corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government as procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold. At the same time, corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance.

I hope Chief Obasanjo now knows that, with all the above, he will be pronounced guilty of corruption, because these are exactly what happened during his tenure in the highest position of the land and therefore he can no longer absolve himself of any responsibility. It is an inconvenient truth for him. For the rest of us, it is a convenient truth that must be told as it is.

As far as most Nigerians are concerned, Obasanjo was the head of a clique of unscrupulously corrupt individuals who have held the country down to its current deplorable affliction. His very poor stint at positively impacting on our lives when he had three rare chances informs our mindset.

Now that he has challenged Nigeria and the Yar'Adua government to directly probe him, we will wait with baited breath to see what President Yar'Adua would do, though I am 100% certain that nothing will ever happen.

The EFCC should also take him up on this challenge – again, perhaps this is another wishful thinking.

The truth? Let it be said always.

Akintokunbo Adejumo lives and works in London, UK. A graduate of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1979) and University of Manitoba, Canada (1985), he also writes on topical issues and has been published in newspapers and internet media including Nigeriaworld.com, Nigeria Today Online, Nigerians In America, Nigeria Village Square, Champions Newspaper, ChatAfrik.com, African News Switzerland, New Nigerian Politics, Gamji.com, Codewit.com, Nigerian Horizon.com, Nigerian Muse.com, etc.

He is also the Coordinator of CHAMPIONS FOR NIGERIA, (www.championsfornigeria.org) an organisation devoted to celebrating genuine progress, excellence, commitment, selfless and unalloyed service to Nigeria and Nigerians; and the Chief Writer of African Entrepreneur LLC (http://africanceos.ning.com ) a US-based Nigerian-owned company that promotes Nigerian, African and black-owned businesses worldwide.