Transparency International, the self-appointment corruption ombudsman of the world, must hear this. Their next annual Corruption Index Report must take into consideration what happened at the Ikeja High Court yesterday before they rate us 121 out of 180 corrupt countries in the world! Just when everyone thought we were in contention for the gold medal, these people rated us very close to the bottom of the ladder meaning there are 120 countries more corrupt than Nigeria! Idiots.
In what looked like a dream to most of his supporters, former Peoples Democratic Party Chieftain, Chief Olabode George was sentenced to a total of 28 years in jail without an option of fine. Sentenced along with him are former Nigerian Ports Authority Managing Director Aminu Dabo, Olusegun Abidoye, Abdulahi Aminu Tafida, Zanna Maidaribe and Sule Aliyu. They are to spend 2 years each on a 7-count charge and another 6 months each on a 28 count charge all to run concurrently. I am not too excited because I know my country enough to know that these people will appeal and I won’t be surprised to see Bode George in Sokoto next week doing what he knows how to do best. Whatever happens, the message has been delivered – very loud and clear!
Cynics like me who thought the war against corruption died with the exit of Ribadu have been proved wrong – very wrong! What has happened is that the weapons have changed with the introduction of Farida Waziri. Instead of the intimidation and using corruption agencies to settle political scores, justice is now being meted out in proper doses. I am not in a hurry to forget those good old days when criminals and people accused of offences/crimes preferred to be arrested by male policemen. Reason: You could easily compromise a male Police Officer but if a woman came to arrest you, you were in deep trouble. That was those days, we all thought. Once again we are wrong! Any day I have reason to be arrested, please send a man – you hear?
The conviction of Olabode George, former Deputy National Chairman (South) of the ruling PDP is the first big fish that has been properly caught in Nigeria’s anti-graft net. Others were arrested, announced and de-arrested pronto. Files of corrupt politicians (Governors) were created and de-created with such speed that the exact number of files could not be ascertained. Then, like everything Nigerian, the matter went to sleep and we can still hear the snoring several miles away!
Farida Waziri has given me reason to believe that the war against corruption is indeed still alive and someday the files of the 39 ex-Governors will be sent to Justice Olubimi Oyewole’s court for judicial consideration. I rest my case.
Tata, everybody
Napoleon
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