A Wake-up Call to Conscience

September 29, 2009                           PRESS RELEASE

AONDOAKAA AND THE EFCC-A BUNDLE OF CONTRADICTIONS!!!

Few days ago, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondokaa announced that former Governors; James Ibori, Bola Tinubu and Victor Attah have been cleared of any crime in the handling and alleged manipulation of VMobile Shares by the EFCC. The EFCC apparently in a bid to mitigate the situation came up with a terse statement refuting the claim.

At face value, there is actually nothing wrong in clearing these men, but for the sake of probity, transparency and accountability, we ask the nation’s number one law officer to immediately publish the facts and documentation behind the clearance of the former governors. Nigerians deserves, nay has the right to know the truth behind the actions of the EFCC and that of the Attorney General of the Federation (EFCC).

Moreover, given the London Metropolitan Police stark revelations that Aondoakaa and the EFCC haven’t been cooperating in corruption cases involving alleged corrupt ex-governors, especially that of James Ibori, and the blatant retort of the AGF that the government will not grant Britain’s request to extradite James Ibori to face corruption charges in that country, we are justified in our earlier publication that Aondoakaa is the biggest bane to the anti-corruption war. His emergence as the nation’s number one law officer and that of Farida Waziri as the EFCC Chairman has greatly hampered the war against corruption (that is not to say however that we approve the selective prosecution of corrupt officials by the former EFCC Boss, Nuhu Ribadu). We honestly believe that as long as the duo of Aondoakaa and Farida Waziri remains in their positions, nothing will come out of the anti-corruption war. This is even so given their close ties to some of these supposedly corrupt ex-governors. In fact, Aondoakaa and the EFCC (constitute) simply a bundle of contradictions, always seeking desperately to use the technicalities in the Nigerian law to frustrate the cause of justice.

In addition, we are of the opinion that the actions of the AGF do not help the case against Ibori and the other alleged corrupt governors. And it will be good if these men dissociate themselves from him, but this will only happen if their hands are truly clean, because the AGF in trying to shield them by his actions is unwittingly destroying them. Why do we think like this? Simple! The corruption cases against Ibori and others have not yet been proven fully by a court of competent jurisdiction and as such due process and the rule of law presuppose that they remain innocent until the courts say otherwise. But the crude actions of the Aondoakaa are  jeopardising even the little chances they might have as such actions are premeditative; designed to stall the trials. This is why most people are pre-judging these alleged corrupt officials instead of post-judging them.

As a result, we pass a vote of no confidence on Michael Aondoakaa and Farida Waziri in their current capacity as Attorney General/Minister of Justice and EFCC Chairman respectively, and we consequently call for their immediate removal from Office in order for the anti-graft war to have any credibility.

Corruption flourishes in darkness, and so if the government is really serious about the anti-corruption war, it must divest itself from all secrecy, masquerading and shadowy tactics.

Eneruvie Enakoko

(CLO Chairman in Lagos).