I just saw on Channels News now that the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, has been flown to the National Hospital in Abuja for treatment over undisclosed ailments. Also in the same news channel, I learnt that the former EFCC boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has come out to deny the allegations that he owns houses in Abuja and Dubai as was notoriously reported in the media.
Earlier in the day, the EFCC, without their former boss, had declared Chief Lucky Igbenedion, the former governor of Edo State, wanted over charges on corruption, mismanagement of funds and corrupt enrichment; the moustache bearing son of Chief Gabriel Igbenidion, the Esama of Benin, was abruptly absent from his father’s last birthday celebration which according to the Benin tradition is a taboo and great omen.
What am I trying to arrive at you may ask; all of what you are seeing happening in Nigeria is a grand plot by the powers that be to deceive the world, confuse Nigerians and institutionalize corruption as it were since the assumption of the PDP to run the affairs of this country.
When the brouhaha that was started by the memo forwarded to the presidency some couple of days ago suggesting that the president to okay the redeployment of the erstwhile EFCC boss to proceed on a course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, I saw the well orchestrated strategy that had the strings of falsehood, pretence and a general objective of saving some of the embattled leaders that have taken this country into a much messier mess that it has been.
Now look at the script being acted by the so called leaders poised to tackle corruption.
Act One
Scene one: The Arrest
Scene: Abuja.
After enough hiding and criss-crossing from country to country, Chief James Ibori knew that the game was up because the long arm of the law was closing in on him. He had ridiculed the British Judiciary by deceiving one of its judges to de-freeze his assets in the UK valued at over 35 Million pounds. The order which was given by Right Honorable Lord Justice Thomas, sitting in Chambers on the 14th of October, 2007 in the Appeal Court accepted to vary its earlier order of October 8 2007, which restrained access to them.
While Nigerians and friends of Nigeria were asking if this really happened, the state government in Delta State, led by the governor Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, declared a thanksgiving service in the state. The vibrant Nigeria media made the world know that it took a letter from the Attorney-General of the federation, Mr. Michael Aondaokaa, to the British court to reach that regrettable decision. They thought they were smart but they just added a fresh plot that had had an aggrieved Metropolitan Police as the playwright. It took some few weeks for the Court of Appeal criminal division sitting in London to unanimously rule that the Southwark Crown Court erred by lifting the restraining order on his worldwide assets on October 1 2007.
That was the beginning of the end of the man popularly called Ogidiboribo; whatever that means. If Ibori thought that losing an attempt to sustain an ex-parte motion which he may have ‘paid’ for bearing in mind the manner ex-parte motions were being handed out in Nigeria like affidavits for sale near any court in the country was another scene not on the original plot of the grandmasters.
Still believing that he was really above the law, an assumption that was beginning to hold sway in Nigeria due to alleged reports of his financing the present administration with a handsome electioneering capital to the tune of N9b, Ibori got the shock of his life when his dear wife and suspected partner in life and crime who held the office of the first lady in Delta State for eight years, Mrs. Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda Ibori, was arrested by the London Metropolitan on November 1st 2007 on charges of money laundering extensive money laundering at Heathrow Airport in London on her way to sneak out to a safer Nigeria. The Delta State assumed godfather knew that there was fire on the mountain.
He kept eluding the law until December 12th when he was apprehended by the EFCC at the Kwara State Government Lodge in Asokoro area of Abuja and later arraigned with a 103-count of alleged corruption and abuse of office by a Kaduna High Court. He was denied bail and spent both the Christmas and New Year in jail; a place he had miraculously missed on three occasions. The powers that be began looking for a twist in the tale.
Scene Two
Scene: Abuja
The N3.5b can of worms and a slighted Baba.
While many people in the Niger-Delta region were still rejoicing at the fall of the giant, another hidden chapter to another event that were related in nature but conspicuously interested was opened and the actor in the center of the storm was no other than a serving senator of the federal republic, Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello; the daughter of the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Iyabo who is the senator representing Ogun senatorial district, was named in a controversy surrounding N3.5billion contracts in the power sector in a matter before the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, France, where her business partner, M. Schneider, an Austrian company, petitioned the Presidency and the EFCC over what it called the “fraudulent, corrupt and criminal nature involving Senator (Mrs) Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello (alias Mrs Damilola Akinlawon), then serving as a Commissioner with the Ogun State Government”. Many started asking the question, who shall tell the president? It was time for Nuhu Ribadu to actually show the world that he was a upright man and was by no means biased as has been alleged on his fight against corruption. The EFCC came out to acknowledge the report and promised they were going to look into the matter. Ribadu may have shown that he was growing more wings than his creator and chief Oga wanted him to have; in other words, Baba was annoyed.
Act Two
Scene One
The Memo.
While Nuhu and his gang were busy trying to finalize plans on how to tackle Ibori when his case comes up at the court with fresh charges on him, some unforeseen forces were also deliberating on the best way to ease the young man from Yola out before he came too close. The looked around carefully as the mafia and found one water tight way to eliminate the EFCC boss; send him on a course. The ball fell on no other than the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro.
When the news broke out, all hell was let loose as so many people, human rights groups, and religious bodies called for a reverse of the order. But the establishment would not be cowed when there was no union leader like Adams Oshiomole who is famed for crippling the economy with mere words.
After a little more drama, Nuhu was sent to NIPSS by the presidency in a manner Baba may have heaved a sigh of relief by saying, “good riddance to bad nonsense.”
Act Three
Scene One
Give a dog a bad name to hang it.
With the acceptance of the former EFCC boss to proceed to NIPSS, a situation which made a number of police officers attached to the EFCC to ignore a call by their IG, the establishment were still scared that this small shit wey dey spoil yansh may have documents that may pull them down; after all, he got Tafa with just one stone like the story of David and Goliath; who would forget in a hurry the revelations Major Mustapha made at the Oputa panel. The resolve was to make him look bad before the people and thus, the Dubai and Abuja houses allegations.
Scene Two
EFCC makes some noise, create a smokescreen that would cover Ibori and Stella, Odili inclusive.
With Nuhu trying to fight the restoration of his dignity and reputation, one godfather, over a glass of champagne , suggested, “ if we don’t do something that will make the EFCC look active, Nigerians will start crying wolf and call for the return of this boy o, it has already started with the police refusing to heed their oga.”
So, the EFCC were given the nod to cry out in their loudest voice that Lucky Igbenedion is a wanted man. They did that yesterday in a style that has no signature of the way the agency operates under Ribadu. While people were rejoicing over the noise that was made, Ibori suddenly falls sick and was flown not to ABUTH or any other hospital around Kaduna but to the National Hospital Abuja where he would be close to his friends at Aso Rock.
They may even share some bottles of champagne over how they dealt with that boy. The smokescreen has just been released and ask yourself; since this Ribadu, NIPSS saga began, how many times have you heard about Iyabo Obasanjo and her involvement in the N3.5b scandal with the Austrian firm? Whether you like it or not, Ibori, Odili, Kalu, Iyabo Obasanjo and Obasanjo himself will all be free people in Nigeria; who can touch them?
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