|
"To
celebrate genuine progress, excellence, commitment,
selfless and unalloyed service to
Nigeria and her people"
P O Box 45566,
London
NW1 9WQ,
UNITED KINGDOM
Website:
www.championsfornigeria.org Phone: 07939 804 121
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) |
