It is only in Nigeria that
an anti-graft agency will invite a suspect for questioning and interrogation
and it will be interpreted as politically motivated or witch hunting. What has
happened to the universal know. Aspect of law which starts that "a suspect
is innocent
until proven guilty"? If a suspect is invited to the EFCC for
questioning, so by the interpretation of the law it means such a person is
still innocent until the law court proves otherwise.
Nigerians are very
difficult to satisfy and empirical evidence has shown it is possible to do so.
Under the previous regime (Goodluck Jonathan) corruption thrived and reached a
record high. It got to the extent where the media had reported the then
President proudly stating "That Stealing isn't Corruption." Nigeria's
international image smeared and dose dived to the lowest minimum and it was a
case of "Loot as you can".
During
the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, two agencies stood out partly due to
the passionate and diligent nature
of the Director-General and Chairman. These
agencies are the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) under Prof Dora Akunyili and the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) under Nuhu Ribadu. No Nigerian had known NAFDAC existed in previous
governments until Akunyili took over and made it the "Best Agency" in
the country. Nuhu Ribadu also took off as the pioneer Chairman of EFCC and
raised its standards to high heavens. The EFCC died a natural death thereafter
and the rest is history. In the past two months, Nigerians have condemned the
arrests of Sule Lamido (ex-governor of Jigawa), Murtala Nyako (ex-governor of
Adamawa) by the EFCC on corruption and fraud charges. As if that wasn't enough
when the Asokoro residence Mansion of the Former National Security Adviser to
the President (Col. Sambo Dasuki, Rtd) was stormed on Salah day after his sack,
Nigerians still complained even though the DSS had valid search warrants.This
week it is the turn of the wailers on the part of Mrs. Toyin Saraki (wife
of ex-governor of Kwara State and present Senate President Senator Bukola
Saraki) and Mrs Zainab Dakingari (wife of former Kebbi governor and daughter of
former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua) on corruption charges during their tenure
as First Ladies of their respective states. Mrs. Dakingari is under
investigation for #2billion naira state funds while Toyin Saraki is under
investigation for various contracts executed in Kwara while her husband held
sway in Kwara. This is coming at a time nobody said anything about the eight
hour interrogation of Mr Baraka Sani who was ex-President Goodluck Jonathan's
Senior Special Assistant on Schools and Agricultural programme. It is funny why
and how people raise alarm when the benefactors or goons are invited by the
EFCC as if the agency was the law court. The EFCC's primary assignment is to
detect financial crime and fraud, detention such individuals and charge them to
court for trial. So if such people are innocent of such charges then there is
surely no cause for alarm. It would have been a worrisome problem if the EFCC
was accused of illegal detention, violation and abuse of human rights or extra
judicial killing. Its only then that suspects can raise alarm and cry foul.
Whatever differences the likes of Bukola Saraki and his party has doesn't mean
that the Wife or accomplice shouldn't be questioned and charged to court if the
default. The issue at hand should rather be on the innocence of the victim and
not the political angle to such crime. It is a known fact that Bukola Saraki
was under Investigation by the EFCC even before the new administration, so
could that be interpreted to mean political witch hunting by the Jonathan
Government? The Office of the First Lady is not recognized by the constitution
of the country and one only wonders how the likes of Mrs Dakingari who was
First Lady of an unconstitutional office could be charged with as high as #2
billion, which is almost the monthly allocation of the likes Ebonyi and Ekiti
states. This should rather be condemned than politicized. Nigerians should be a
calling on a national chase of the individuals that have gradually bled
the economy to death and paralyzed economic activities rather than sympathizing
with them. We should wait for the report of the interrogation and the judgment
of the law court rather than playing politics at any given time or event. Let
the prosecution continue, while the guilty tremble and the innocent vindicated.
No comments:
Post a Comment