All metaphors of the dame

The call in the land is, let us pray,
          For we all are prey,
Caught in the way of predators of yesterday,
          Dinosaurs be they that roam our lanes today.

Present thyself, dame of infamy,
          To wit, a game of villainy,
Stashed away in the servant’s coffer,
          You reach now, the loot to recover.

Will they have known their name was rich,
          Never a day again for them to twitch,
Abused they were to conceal a crime,
          Yet to them, not a dime.

Promoted you were beyond your competence,
          Not once strung together a good sentence,
Married to him who rose without rectitude,
          Much educated beyond his aptitude.

The sheriff sued the serf for possible theft,
          Then you entered the stage from the left,
With an embarrassment of legal pandas you came,
          Black from white you all knew no shame.

The loot is mine you cried,
          As we asked what could you have tried?
No job you ever did altogether could have paid,
          What is now to be reclaimed.

Then you opened up a treasure trail,
          A bank account tells a money tale,
For how your term as first greed,
          Is not the last of help you’ll need.

Yet, you will walk away scot free,
          Not to say how the filthy lucre tree,
Watered your purse with riches real,
          For that is how we deal.

We have implicitly enshrined,
          In the law of the land most refined,
Every means to allow the perfidy,
          Of immunity for gross impunity.

Nigeria: Affinity Fraud in Community and Church Settings

No apologies

Quite a number of times I have been accused of being a church-basher, someone who excoriates certain activities in religious circles, condemning without mincing words the abuse that exploits trust and vulnerability by unconscionable wolves in sheep’s clothing. I am not one to apologise for my previous comments in blogs and on Twitter.

No gathering of people on earth can repudiate the need for truth, for justice, for fairness and for honesty. These are virtues that should be ever present in religious settings giving comfort to the many who seek refuge from a turbulent and riotous world where dog eats dog and the survival of the fittest cares not for whose blood is shed in the process.

Nothing irks me as much as those who infiltrate that sanctuary with hare-brained schemes, snake-oil remedies or fantastic opportunities that many secular and professional experts will ditch before they have heard the second word of that pitch.

Warning bells

Recently, a friend was about to be roped into some of those marketing opportunities to sell products that would enhance the performance of cars. The first thing that jumped out me was that it had come from relation of hers through another church member; that was the first warning bell.

Then none of the people down that chain were car propeller-heads, none would have been able to understand the jargon that followed the test results to sell the products to other car and performance enthusiasts; the second warning sign.

A quick search on Google threw up a number of questionable inferences to the whole scheme being a swindle; the company being unscrupulous and recruits running into difficulty; the third warning sign.

Be wary enough not to touch them

That was a cursory observation and a basic Internet search revealing enough evidence to show that this endeavour was one to give a wide berth; a Multi-Level Marketing scheme, which could easily be a Ponzi scheme too. [Wikipedia]

The Federal Trade Commission says, “Not all multilevel marketing plans are legitimate. Some are pyramid schemes. It's best not to get involved in plans where the money you make is based primarily on the number of distributors you recruit and your sales to them, rather than on your sales to people outside the plan who intend to use the products.” I will say, NEVER get involved.

The problem however is not that these schemes exist but that people get taken advantage of through the affiliations, affinities, associations, groups, communities or relationships they belong to.

Vulnerability in numbers

Belonging to any grouping confers a modicum of implicit trust, like herd immunity; this bond is more pronounced in settings like churches or tribal gatherings. Your guard is let down because you believe no one will exploit that setting for gain at your expense; you feel you are immune to infection because you believe everyone else is vaccinated and therefore not vulnerable.

The truth is; these gatherings are where we should be the most alert, because transactions in these places do not have the kind of scrutiny and standards that are necessary if conducted in a proper business setting.

The love of money in the church

I read this morning where leadership in a church had roped in members for a real estate scheme that went awry for reasons one could attribute to changes in campus leadership, improper handovers and greed. [PMNews]

The moment the membership were convinced and had ploughed into the project, with the huge amounts involved, a certain cohort illegally wrest control of the project from the purvey of the church and began operating a Ponzi scheme making promises, taking deposits but providing no evidence of how moneys were spent or what progress was being made.

The participants were instructed never to involve the press and it is possible they were strongly advised to resolve the disputes within the church. I say, only believe your church leaders in their core vocations – preaching, NOT business.

Closing ranks in the church

When the church hierarchy got involved, it was a damage-limitation exercise of appeasement rather than getting the law enforcement involved, meanwhile, the cosy setting of fellowship, community, church and trust was being eroded and the reputation of the church was receiving a battering, all because of the love of money.

Having been masochists for long enough at the mercy of those who defrauded them, they called in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); one hopes all moneys will be returned, though some have received refunds, but most pertinently, those involved must be arraigned, charged and punished for fraud.

Affinity Fraud

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) calls this Affinity Fraud, this “refers to investment scams that prey upon members of identifiable groups, such as religious or ethnic communities, the elderly, or professional groups.”

The SEC offers the following key points of advice:

Check out everything - no matter how trustworthy the person seems who brings the investment opportunity to your attention.

Do not fall for investments that promise spectacular profits or "guaranteed" returns.

Be sceptical of any investment opportunity that is not in writing. [Even if it is in writing, is it legally binding and admissible as a contractual document in court?]

Do not be pressured or rushed into buying an investment before you have a chance to think about - or investigate - the “opportunity”.

Fraudsters are increasingly using the Internet to target particular groups through e-mail spams. [The honest truth is more are caught out in their churches, amongst family or friends and people you think you know well.]

You might belong in any of these groups

Of the 11 examples of Affinity Fraud cases that the SEC presents as examples, you see five church-related events, two senior citizens groups, African-Americans, Koreans, Armenian-Americans and so on.

Be on the watch out for this kind of arrangement:

“The fraudsters allegedly sold members non-existent “prime bank” trading programs by using a sales pitch heavily laden with Biblical references and by enlisting members of the church communities to unwittingly spread the word about the bogus investment.”

Other fraudulent activity is where the organisation engages you in voluntary work for these outside interests on the premise that you are working for a greater purpose; you put in the hours and the sweat for no reward, whereas it is a for-profit business benefitting the leadership alone.

Do your research well

This is not to say there are no good business opportunities out there, but do your utmost to verify everything before you put your money in it.

Ask difficult questions, get satisfactory answers, do not allow the purveyors to blackmail you or abuse your trust with the affinity they share with you – in the end, only part with money you are able to lose without losing your health and welfare.

Additional advice from the Wikipedia Multi-Level Marketing scheme page follows, with my comments in brackets.

Find — and study — the company’s track record. [Do a Google Search.]

Learn about the product. [What is the market, how can you sell, what are the competing claims and why have mainstream companies not seen this opportunity too?]

Ask questions. [Ask silly questions if you must, but always obtain intelligent answers you can further research on.]

Understand any restrictions. [There are usually many and never to your benefit.]

Talk to other distributors (beware of shills) [Shills are people planted to give the impression that the deal is good, they are in on the game to rope you in.]

Consider using a friend or adviser as a neutral sounding board or for a gut check. [Always seek some professional help completely outside that affinity group.]

Take your time [It can wait, do not be rushed into what might become rash decisions you will soon regret.]

Think about whether this plan suits your talents and goals. [If it is not your field of expertise, what are you taking into it to convince others of what you plan to do?]

Other Affinity Scams

Pastor Accused Of Fraud In $1 Million Immigration Scam - StaffingTalk.com

Pastor Sunday Adelaja's Church Calls for Urgent Prayer – Charisma News

Church-owned varsities not for the poor, as members cry out – Vanguard Nigeria

Nigeria: Reviewing Ms. Arunma Oteh's Allegations

Speaking up and loud

This is the stuff great people are made of, fearlessness in the face of persecution and boldness to speak truth to power.

I have many a time been perturbed by the cost of our democracy and the stranglehold corruption seems to have on every facet of life in Nigeria.

Yesterday brought in a number of interesting revelations, whilst many sanctimoniously concentrated on the sensational, the bigger issue was the insight into the workings of our legislature, the committee system and the bottom-feeding frenzy of rent-seeking legislators steeped in despicable malfeasance playing to the gallery pretending to unimpeachable conduct.

Sensational allegations

The Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh was appearing before the House Committee on Capital Markets chaired by “Honourable” Herman Hembe – the title must be in quotes until it is regained by a fair assessment of the allegations made and the man is proven completely innocent of the claims.

During the day we were regaled with tales of the profligate excesses of the Ms. Oteh, that she had stayed in  5-star hotel accommodation for 8 months instead of the regulatory one month, that she has spent NGN 850,000 ($5,391) on dinner and everyone ran to town with it. There some dispute as to whether it was NGN 850,000 or NGN 85,000 ($539.10), in either case, this was piffle, almost of no consequence in the scheme of things, the way the country is bilked and milked by all those in political office.

She stoops to conquer

Nigerian politicians are given to bluster and grandiloquence arrogating to themselves privileges, emoluments and untrammelled fiat to bludgeon people who appear before their committees without due courtesies and respect to the attendees.

Ms. Oteh ran the gauntlet of being questioned about her qualifications to fill her position and her ability to perform, it was an inquisition so disgraceful and unbecoming of anyone who deigns to be recognised in polite society but that was Day One.

When Ms. Oteh appeared on Day Two, she was battle-axe ready, fuming, agitated and shooting all guns with deathly accuracy in what might become the biggest political earthquake of our democratic experiment, I should expect aftershocks of similar magnitude to follow.

Explosive political bombshells

She alleged with dates that the Committee Chairman had received moneys to attend a conference that he eventually did not attend and did not refund the expense. She also alleged that he had asked the SEC to fund the activities of the committee to the tune of NGN 39,000,000 ($247,376) and then another demand was made for NGN 5,000,000 ($31,714.80).

She questioned the integrity of the chairman and his credibility to sit in judgement with unclean hands and his maturity in commenting on issues related to the SEC without first verifying the facts possibly with the view to undermine, discredit and contemn Ms. Oteh.

More importantly, she pointedly accused the chairman of corruption and in the court of public opinion challenged the chairman to defend himself against the claims whilst making the case for fairness and better adherence to democratic principles. The raw emotion was palpable as she trembled and her voice quavered with each forceful statement, the discomfiture of the committee was quite evident.

Noisy body talk

The body language of the chairman was like an open book screaming out the words as he swivelled in his chair in pendulumic consonance squirming with embarrassment as he tried to fend off the allegations, twisting Ms. Oteh’s words and playfully making light of the situation but before the whole world, this was a most uncomfortable moment.

In a display of braggadocio he mandated the anti-corruption agencies to investigate the claims, but we Nigerians have very little confidence in the ability of these institutions to follow through to conclusion any allegations, charges or indictments made on senior politicians in Nigeria – it was both a dare and a moot point, if anything comes of it, we will be in for an unusual surprise.

He was obviously rattled that he forgot his manners when he told and not asked Ms. Oteh to turn off her microphone. In a society where character, reputation and integrity matters, where a senior official is besmirched with allegations of corruption, one would expect him to recuse himself and not bring the activities of the committee and the House of Representatives into disrepute, but impunity without consequence is the name of the game in Nigeria, he reasserted his questionable authority and banged the gavel – the seal of authoritative corruption and obvious indifference.

Ms. Oteh – the big spender?

So many things stand out from the events of that day which I will attempt to address one at a time.

Could Ms. Oteh have spent $539 on dinner? Very likely, it would probably have covered a meal with friends and considering the cost of living in Nigeria especially in luxury settings, the prices are unbelievably steep for what we would get at a reasonable cost in Europe. It is quite doubtful that she spent $5,391 at one sitting, it reads like a very tall tale exposed to ridicule and embarrass her – The SEC has asserted the lower figure but why let the truth get in the way of a sensational exposé?

That Ms. Oteh stayed in 5-star accommodation for a whole 8 months is quite beyond the pale but then one can understand that enjoying luxury at the expense of others can be a difficult and herculean task to wean yourself of off, in some ways she was being both a chancer and human – people have done worse, she has been in her position for over two years now, which means alternative lodgings have been arranged for at least 16 months.

Report or proclaim?

Certain people have wondered why Ms. Oteh did not take her allegations of corruption to the anti-corruption agencies. For reasons I have stated before, they have not excelled in their briefs, literally everyone of political clout in Nigerian has gummed up the system and deftly used the judiciary to extricate themselves from the clutches of due process of investigation and administration of justice.

In my view, that public forum was the best place to make those allegations and with it in the open, force many more voices to demand action be taken. If the chairman feels he has been besmirched and libelled he can easily seek redress in the courts but I doubt he has the courage to be exposed to the scrutiny of his cupboard of rampaging skeletons. Compromised legislators grandstanding in public will from now on have to thread carefully.

Estacode abuse

One area of patronage and source of corruption that needs to be reviewed reformed and better regulated is the use and abuse of estacode - funds intended to cover traveling costs by public servants and politicians. Politicians, especially in Nigeria are quite handsomely remunerated; they should not be receiving hand-outs before they have completed whatever missions they embark on.

In the private sector, a modicum of control is exercised on spending because the money first comes out of the pocket and the person is later reimbursed on the presentation of receipts and audited review of the expenses.

Though that process can also be abused, with the presentation of false documents or through collusion, it will not result in profligacy and excessive pre-compensation and the person will be more accountable for their spend. That the chairman received moneys and did not use it for the intended purpose is at best dishonest, if not fraudulent.

Conflicts of interest

The operation of committees needs to be reviewed, the independence of a committee will always be compromised and the perception of its ability to function transparently and fairly will be suspect if the committee and its members receive favours from the institutions they have oversight of. It is befuddling that the concept of conflict of interest has not become part of the framework of the fabric of our democracy.

The legislature has its budget and it must operate within its means without seeking emoluments and sponsorship of external organisations that can exact influence on the probity, transparency and integrity of the committees in some quid pro quo arrangement – this must be deemed illegal, corrupt and outlawed. Perceptions matter, always.

A new breed of public servant

One other interesting point is that Ms. Oteh appeared to be quite combative and it is interesting that on Day One the proceedings were not given a public hearing and then the damaging allegations of living large seemed to set the stage for the committee to embarrass the lady for not playing ball with a live and televised hearing which now seems to have back-fired on the legislators.

If you are called to public service in Nigeria - Do not be assimilated and do not be intimidated. Arunma Oteh is a class act.

There is no doubt that our legislature would prefer Nigerians were not privy to the machinations of corruption, pay-for-play, bribery and other despicable practices that have been rumoured about but never verified. With Ms. Oteh’s very public assailing of these rent-seekers there is very little damage limitation that can be done to restore the public’s confidence in our democracy.

We need to put the feet of these people to the fire and apply more pressure on the system to change, to reform and to root out the atrocious wolves in sheep’s clothing who are selfish, self-conceited and greedily feeding on the system with ravenously gluttonous appetites.

If we are to learn anything from Ms. Oteh, our democracy is in need of an urgent reset.

References

Oteh’s bribery allegation: Reps battle to save face | Vanguard Nigeria

Nigeria: Capital Market Probe - Oteh Accuses Committee Chair of Demanding N39 Million for Members

Nigeria: Ministries banned from funding National Assembly – Written in 2008 about conflicts of interested between the legislature and executive.

Nigeria: What The James Ibori Deal Exposes

Others doing the deed

That it will take foreign countries to expose the rot of endemic corruption in Nigeria just shows how the system appears not to have the capacity to reform and divest itself of the problem.

This morning [1] James Onanefe Ibori the ex-governor of Delta State agreed to a plea deal accepting all charges of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud in the United Kingdom.

In Nigeria, despite the mountains of evidence that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had, it was literally impossible to prosecute the man, he gummed up the judicial process, employed militants to resist arrest by the authorities and successfully absconded from justice to Dubai hoping to have escaped from reckoning and accountability.

How the big fish was netted

Meanwhile, in the UK, his wife, sister and solicitor were fighting charges of money laundering for which they were all convicted but it meant James Ibori was fighting legal battles in at least three countries.

At first, he lost the battle in Dubai as a place of refuge and ultimately got extradited to the UK where the revelations today might just be a microcosm of gubernatorial excess in Nigeria, window into corruption and an introduction to how our dear country has been plundered for decades by our leadership who expect no censure or sanction because it has become the rite of passage for anyone near the cash till.

Born a criminal

James Ibori’s criminality goes back a long way and in the UK itself; he was convicted for stealing in 1991, then for being in possession of a stolen credit card in 1992; many of his sort have besmirched the name of Nigeria, disgraced us, creating for many honest Nigerians untold heartache, distress and difficulty in seeking access and opportunity abroad because of their dishonest and shameless activities.

We have had to work twice harder, produce more documents, jump through impossible hoops, aver until we were red in the face because we were deemed untruthful, dishonest, suspect and suspicious because the likes of James Ibori raised the threshold of plausibility even for the least significant issues – it is a travesty that those of his ilk still get celebrated, honoured and respected in Nigeria.

Despite the plea bargain, I am glad that the deal was not a sealed and confidential document; the prosecutor did not mince his words in laying out the depth of opprobrium James Ibori must accept and the inefficacy of the system in Nigeria to police itself.

The lack of checks and balances

James Ibori was to have earned $25,000 per annum as governor over the 8 years he was in the Delta State government house, which will come to $200,000 in total. I doubt the British police were plucking numbers out of the air if they are suggesting he stole $250 million during his tenure. In other words, James Ibori walked away with 1,250 times the money he was legally entitled to.

You have to ask what system we have in place in Nigeria that allows a government official or a politician with responsibility for an executive office to walk away with a multiple of 1,250 of his entitlements and still be untouchable, unimpeachable, feted in high places, having the adulation of the people and unaccountable to any authority.

The bigger Nigerian corruption problem

That is the problem Nigeria faces because the stolen $250 million is no doubt the tip of the iceberg in terms of how Nigerian has been plundered, raped and stolen from by a brigandage of leadership that still rules in our midst. He cannot have done this alone; most of this would have been facilitated by other accomplices and conspirators who have taken their cut and have blended into society as respectable and without blemish.

The numbers are in the news story, but in what really grates and shows that we are nowhere near resolution of the Nigerian corruption problem; the public gallery of the court was not big enough to accommodate the almost 30 supporters of James Ibori, some wearing T-shirts with the slogan “Free Ibori”.

Our fight

In all honestly, it would have been nice to have all those disgraceful, shameless, odious, dishonourable people corralled as promoters of corrupt enterprise in the UK, Nigerians who have been completely blinkered that even if the truth slapped them in the face and literally yanked their ears off, they will rather side with falsehood, shame and the disreputable.

The problem is more widespread beyond those who stole, we have grown to condone it, tolerate it, celebrate it and desire it. In some ways, James Ibori just foolishly got caught; we Nigerians who strive to build a good name for our country just have to work harder to ensure that the likes of James Ibori and their supporters do not become the enduring image of what a Nigerian is, either at home or abroad.

Source

[1] Nigeria ex-Delta state governor James Ibori guilty plea – BBC News

NaijaLeaks: A Speaker so disgracefully indiscreet

NaijaLeaks another torrent

If we thought the Nigerian version of WikiLeaks (NaijaLeaks) had stopped like a case of a plumbing mishap, we were met with another seemingly shocking exclusive released as a teaser by the 234Next.com newspaper yesterday.

As we discussed the issue on Twitter, it did not dawn on us that the exclusive being announced was sourced pre-emptively from WikiLeaks where the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives had met with the then US Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders in 2009 to discuss a number of topics that included electoral reform, the fight against corruption, the presidency and the then recently conducted rerun of elections.

Once again, there are sensational and headline grabbing points that jump out of the cables [1] which I believe would be covered extensively by other newspapers and blogs, there are more pertinent issues however that inform the quality of these cables.

If we were under any illusion about the job description of an ambassador only being the representative of a country and its interests to another, we might have missed out the additional work being done that in non-diplomatic terms really is espionage, spying, subterfuge, suborning and eliciting information from the powerful and in the know whose egos when adequately massaged will reveal almost unprintable material.

The Speaker’s Weakness

The Speaker it was suggested had become a confidant of the President leading the Ambassador to expect to glean a lot from the meeting but it appears she was not prepared for all that she heard.

Certain elements of the Speaker’s character were described in the cable, it would appear that not only was he a speaker, he was a talker and garrulous at that; I having seen him on the BBC HardTalk programme; he does appear smug too.

The Speaker, the cable avers is known for his gregariousness, reading through the cable, this was offered hardly in praise but more in derogation that the Ambassador was keen to take advantage of. The precursor to the meeting suggests he was sometimes elusive but certainly ego-driven.

Gregarious generally means being sociable which is a good trait of politicians; it also means the seeking and enjoying the company of others – in the presence of other powerful people or those who accord the person a sense of importance, this trait can lead to delusions of grandeur, exaggerations, assuming airs, indiscretions and worse as the cable refers to rumours of his abuse of power.

A man full of himself

As a senior politician, he had opinions that he freely shared about every issue he was asked about but there seemed to be a wide gulf between his actions and his good intentions which was evidenced in his suggesting receiving inputs about electoral reform from civil society but had not to that time when asked consulted with civil society.

In fact, it was the Ambassador that informed him of which organisations to consult with and she offered to facilitate forums about such matters; this considering he was supposed to be a high-ranking representative of self-same people he should have consulted before.

The ambassador observed “Changing his entire body posture” and this must have been the Speaker getting quite comfortable to be as indiscrete as one fully inebriated or as one tweet suggested, he succumbed to the effects of administered truth serum.

There are many instances where the cable suggests the Speaker lead and helped the Ambassador further her inquiry as the cable used phrases as “Given that Bankole had opened the door”, “taking the queue (sic, that should have been cue) and implication on board”; it appears the Speaker could not exercise restraint as he claimed, he stated, he added, he lamented, he agreed, he said and it is doubtful that he can at the revelations of this cable suggest he was quoted out of context – he appeared to be in his full garrulous element exhibiting all gregarious traits bordering on a Williams Syndrome trait; the unusually cheerful demeanour and ease with strangers.

She gets more than she expects

The Ambassador [2] comes with glowing credentials that make for her ability to tease information out of Nigerians with ease, with degrees in international relations and having held sensitive policy advisory positions in the US government, she had every making of an interrogator handing you a glass of wine with a smile whilst getting all she planned to get out of you.

Everyone who seems to have conversed with her appears to have been too forthcoming for comfort, however, having massaged the ego of the Speaker the revelations in this cable are not only scandalous but call into question the whole democratic experiment in Nigeria as one hardly representative of the people, the fight against corruption being one of personal vendettas and gaining pecuniary advantage, that electoral reform might not produce the real dividends of free and fair elections, that the justice system had been completely suborned and money shielded criminals from prosecution.

Not a pretty picture of the Speaker of the House of Representatives who cannot keep his mouth shut and definitely not a pretty one of Nigeria’s immediate future.

Sources

[1] 234next.com | Wikileaks CABLE: 'Supreme Court Bribe'

[2] Robin R. Sanders - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nigeria: NaijaLeaks with our principals fighting for corruption

The leaks have become a lake

The presumed great fight against corruption which garnered steam during the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo’s Presidency of Nigeria seemed to have hit the buffers hard during the regime of his successor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua.

We probably would never find out the cumulative damage the drip-feeding of Nigerian WikiLeaks (NaijaLeaks) cables will cause but each new revelation seems to paint a compelling story of everything awry in the Nigerian polity, each declaration of probity being a completely dishonesty publicity stunt, a sham, if we ever saw one.

A nadir with the UK

In cables released on the 4^th of February though revealed earlier by the UK’s Daily Telegraph and copied by Nigerian dailies; Nigeria had reached a nadir in our relationship with Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) in the UK.

In September 2009, the UK Serious Organised Crime Organisation (SOCA) had written to its equivalent partner in Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its head Farida Waziri asking her to “write a statement on the state of corruption in Nigeria and give HMG a list of working-level contacts within the Commission.”

Courtesy demands, urgency commands

As at 17^th of November 2009 when this cable was created, the EFCC head had not responded – now, she may not have realised the importance of responding that letter after almost 2 months but it was irksome enough for SOCA to suggest that the UK High Commissioner in Nigeria delay and probably decline her request for a meeting until she had responded to the SOCA request.

This is a classic case of the basic matter of discourtesy being repaid with an avoidable snub; in her position she probably would have been best informed about corruption in Nigeria and in some way she is a custodian of the way Nigeria is perceived in international circles as a safe place to conduct business without the threat of criminal loss.

It defies explanation that she cannot have realised that this was of such importance that it should have been addressed promptly and honestly, maybe embellished with diplomatic speak when addressing tough areas of corruption but she let the side down horribly.

The AG as head goon

SOCA and the EFCC’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) seemed to have decided that could have a good working relationship; SOCA’s particular interest was with e-crime in Nigeria but it appeared the EFCC through its head was apparently prepared to let “the big political fish go simply because the small ones are easier to catch.”

For nine months there had been no legal cooperation between the Government of Nigeria (GoN) and the HMG, there was reflected in the deteriorating relations with EFCC and even worse with the then Nigerian Attorney General Michael Aondokaa.

We now have evidence that he was a law unto himself fronting for a corrupt enterprise and unfortunately the most senior legal officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The EFCC had been continually frustrated in the Nigerian courts by the extensive influence of former Governor Ibori who apparently was a friend of the President and had found ways to suborn the judicial process, challenge with firepower the execution of a warrant for his arrest and consequently flee to Dubai where the EFCC eventually gained the upper hand on their quarry.

Where the Attorney General had lost respect was to ask for UK Home Secretary to return the evidence file that EFCC had sent in good faith concerning the Ibori case.

Misplaced priorities, displaced judgement

Whilst a case of gross misconduct against the EFCC could be made for having passed on information through inappropriate channels, once the information had arrived in the hands of the HMG, the best he could ask for was for a copy of the dossier to be shared with him which the HNG were willing to do.

{In another cable, a high court judgement had deemed the Ibori dossier inadmissible evidence but the HMG will appeal that decision and have every possibility of winning with the preponderance of evidence they must have mustered in relation to the intentions of the Attorney General.}

The HMG had three weeks before invited the Attorney General to the UK and had since not received a response to their invitation.

It is doubtful that the Ibori dossier was sent to the HMG during the tenure of Farida Waziri because she was being kept on a short leash by the Attorney General who in turn was protecting influential Nigerians with the President from being investigated and indicted.

This situation might well have lead to the witch-hunt of the former head of the EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu who was forcibly sent on a course, redeployed, demoted, arraigned and dismissed in what must have been the most horribly orchestrated abuse of power and influence by any minister in Nigerian history.

All on Yar’Adua’s watch

It is almost unbelievable that the publicly laundered image of the honest, devout and upright President Yar’Adua was just the frontispiece for a government wallowing in corruption, blackmail, criminal inducement and co-conspirators with people of ill-repute so evident to some of our most important diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom and the United States.

Nigeria just never had the credibility to pull its weight in any international forum where this was open knowledge, but the HMG for what they required of Nigeria were bending over backwards to accommodate the people they had to deal with whilst being ready to draw up an exclusion list of people who would be refused visas to visit the United Kingdom.

Nigerians must have felt so seriously betrayed that all the good work of improving our ratings for the better in terms of corruption was being discarded without due consideration for our national interest and all that means for creating the right perceptions for business and development in Nigeria.

With both President Yar’Adua and Attorney General Aondokaa completely out of the picture, it appears the EFCC have been more cooperative and hopefully the fences and relations that had so seriously been battered are gradually being restored.

Nigeria is in West Africa

One very interesting final point is a throwback to the Scramble for the Partition of Africa of the late 19^th Century, Nigeria has for time immemorial been in West Africa, it is a core member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), cartographically, it sits well within that political dynamic and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the HMG had at one time placed it in group of East and Central African countries.

One cannot deny the fact that many other countries allow themselves to be defined by external factors and analysts, BRICS being a case in point and lots of countries are striving to enter that grouping – you wonder when some organisation would put Nigeria in the Southern group of African states – Absurd does not begin to describe the incredulity of it all.

The cable

The original source of the cable can be found at http://213.251.145.96/cable/2008/11/08LONDON2882.html

ID 08LONDON2882

SUBJECT NIGERIA: UK ON EFCC AND PRESIDENT YAR A'DUA

DATE 2008-11-17 15:03:00

CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN

ORIGIN Embassy LONDON

TEXT C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LONDON 002882

SIPDIS

NOFORN

STATE FOR AF/W, INL/C, INL/AAE, AND INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2018

TAGS: PREL KCOR KCRM PINR NI UK

SUBJECT: NIGERIA: UK ON EFCC AND PRESIDENT YAR A'DUA

REF: A. LONDON 2499 B. LONDON 1916 C. ABUJA 2248 D. ABUJA 2095 E. LONDON Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Jim Donegan, reasons 1.4 (b/d ).

¶1. (C/NF) Summary.

The UK's relationship with Nigeria is "static," FCO Nigerian Team Leader Catherine Inglehearn said November 14. Cooperation with Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has largely stalled, pending a letter from new chair Waziri about HMG engagement with the Commission.

Meanwhile, the UK legal experts continue to pursue with the EFCC controls to e-crime. HMG's relations with Nigerian Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa remain bad, largely because of the corruption case against former governor Ibori, following a letter from the UK Home Secretary indicating that HMG will not return the evidence the EFCC gave HMG for its case against Ibori's associates.

Former UK Charge in ABUJA (and current FCO East and Central Africa Group Head) James Tansley assesses that Waziri will not pursue any corruption cases that are not in the government's interests and that the Attorney General keeps Waziri on a very short leash.

Tansley also thinks that Bukola Saraki's intentions are the key to post-Yar A'dua planning. Saraki's intentions, possibly to take a more front-and-center role (rather than his current behind-the-scenes influence), may determine much in Nigeria's "power over position" political landscape.

Tansley, while not formally covering Nigeria, is likely to continue influencing the Foreign Office's thinking on Nigeria. End summary.

¶2. (C/NF) On November 14, FCO Nigeria Team Leader Catherine Inglehearn provided an update on HMG's thinking on the EFCC and other Nigeria issues.

James Tansley, former UK Charge in ABUJAand new Head of the FCO's East and Central Africa Group, discussed HMG's legal cooperation with the Nigeria Government and his thoughts about President Yar A'dua.

(NOTE: Tansley does not cover Nigeria in his new position. END NOTE.)

EFCC and Waziri

¶3. (C/NF) HMG has not heard a response to the UK Serious Organized Crime Organization's (SOCA) September request that EFCC Head Waziri write a statement on the state of corruption in Nigeria and give HMG a list of working-level contacts within the Commission (reftel A).

Following a courtesy call by British Embassy ABUJA's new corruption officer during the week of November 10, Waziri requested a meeting with the UK High Commissioner.

British Embassy ABUJA put off the request and will likely continue stalling until Waziri responds to SOCA's request, according to FCO Nigeria Team Leader Catherine Inglehearn, admitting however that HMG has not "considered where to go from here."

¶4. (C/NF) Inglehearn said that representatives from SOCA's Financial Services Agency (FSA) recently met with officials in the EFCC's Financial Intelligence Unity (FIU) and were "charmed" by the FIU personnel, finding that SOCA "could really work with them."

Inglehearn said the Foreign Office has been trying to balance the discussions with EFCC, as HMG cannot let "the big political fish go simply because the small ones are easier to catch." She admitted, however, that e-crime in Nigeria is a big issue for the British public and SOCA will continue to pursue it.

Commenting on the changed dynamic on the ground between HMG and the EFCC, Tansley said that practically speaking HMG had not had any legal cooperation with the Government of Nigeria in over nine months.

The Attorney General and Ibori

¶5. (C/NF) On the corruption case against former Governor Ibori and HMG relations with Nigerian Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa, Inglehearn said Aondoakaa had written to the UK Home Secretary to request that the evidence the EFCC had given to HMG for the Ibori case be returned to the GoN because the transfer of information had gone through inappropriate channels.

The UK Home Secretary replied by saying that the information was given in good faith and that HMG is happy to give the GoN copies of everything HMG received.

Three weeks ago, HMG invited Aondoakaa to the UK to discuss the case and other issues. The AG has not replied, and Inglehearn said it is likely because of the implicit message in the UK Home Secretary's letter that HMG would not be returning the Ibori evidence.

HMG plans to push the Attorney General to make the visit before Christmas. Inglehearn also said HMG continues to pursue a prisoner transfer deal with the Nigerian Attorney General, but has not made any progress, especially since the AG knows HMG "wants the agreement" (reftel B).

On the Attorney General and Waziri

¶6. (C/NF) Tansley said the Attorney General has stopped cooperation with the UK at all turns, and that he does not think HMG will be able to develop a more productive relationship or conclude a prisoner transfer agreement with Aondoakaa.

Tansley said the Attorney General has put Waziri on a very short leash and that he has "no doubt" that Aondoakaa is protecting the governors and other key officials from prosecution. He also noted that Aondoakaa is very close to Ibori, who is generally acknowledged as one of President Yar A'dua's closest advisors.

Tansley assessed that Waziri would prosecute small cases, but will not pursue any cases that are not in the government's interest.

What If President Yar A'dua...

¶7. (C/NF) Tansley said he thinks Nigerian President Yar A'dua "will hold on longer than we think," but assessed that Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki is the key to post-Yar A'dua scenario planning (reftel D).

Tansley said it is convincible that if Saraki decides he wants a more official, in-the-front role, Saraki could become current VP Goodluck Jonathan's Vice President.

While it would be difficult for the Northerns to abide a Southern President, Nigeria's political scene is one of "power over position." Such a scenario would be easier for Saraki to sell towards the end of Yar A'dua's term -- Jonathan would take over for a few months, and then Saraki could take the top position through regular elections.

¶8. (C/NF) If Saraki decides to remain behind the scenes in Yar A'dua absence, then there may be a more aggressive legal challenge to overturn the election results or a small cabal of Northerns may ensure that Jonathan, if he is able to take the top position, remains impotent.

¶9. (C/NF) Tansley noted that Saraki is very close to Ibori, and Ibori is likely to maintain significant influence in the government, even if he does not hold a ministerial position.

Exclusion List, Lagos Governor's Visit

¶10. (C/NF) Inglehearn said HMG continues to develop criteria for an exclusion list that would prevent Nigerians from receiving visas on a case-by-case basis.

The FCO's planning, in conjunction with the UK Home Office, is still in the initial stages but will focus on corruption. Separately, Inglehearn said that the Governor of Lagos would be visiting LONDON on an official visit at the beginning of December.

His calls will focus on financial management, urban planning, and public-private partnerships.

Comment

¶11. (C/NF) Recently returned from Nigeria, Tansley will likely continue to influence the Foreign Office and HMG's thinking on Nigeria, even though the country does not officially fall in his remit.

When he originally agreed to take his new position on East and Center Africa, Nigeria fell in his portfolio. With the FCO Africa Directorate's recent reshuffle (reftel E), Nigeria now falls under West Africa.

End comment.

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ADDED 2011-02-04 21:09:00

STAMP 2011-02-05 12:19:38

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Nigeria: Our Own Comical Ali - Ogbonna Onovo

Our Comical Ali

It is with amusement if not embarrassment that I read that Nigeria now has its own “Comical Ali” [1]. Now, Comical Ali was the minister in Saddam Hussein’s government who made wild statements about the Iraqis winning just as George W. Bush’s shock-and-awe crusade was rolling down the streets of Baghdad.

The Nigerian cast in this position happens to be the new Nigerian police chief, the Inspector General of Police Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.

Grieving through respects

Just over a week ago saw the passing of a legendary human rights activist and legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi; despite his faults, his work in challenging government excess and the untrammelled egregious abuse of power.

It behoves many in Nigeria to be seen to pay respects to such an one, in fact, it would have been a conveyor belt of personalities literally leaving the surviving relatives no time to reflect, grieve or think as they have to entertain and engage in pointless photo opportunities in the quest to presumably do the right thing.

One of such visitors who visited to pay respects and condole the family was the put upon, harassed and vilified but courageous ex-chairman of the ant-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

In full public glare

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has been engaged in a number of law suits with the establishment but is a research fellow at a university in the United Kingdom. There is no doubt that the establishment in Nigeria would like to lay their hands on him, rough him up and shut him up because he is privy to information that makes those in power extremely uncomfortable.

In full public glare with the press carrying the stories and many photographs to prove it, Mallam Ribadu paid his respects to the family of Gani Fawehinmi in the company of his lawyer after which he left Nigeria to return to his activities abroad.

The comical clowning that stems from this is that when asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) categorically denied [2] that Mallam Ribadu was ever in Nigeria and that he would not believe he was in Nigeria until he saw evidence to that fact.

An embarrassment indeed

This brings a number of issues to the fore, in some ways Mallam Ribadu is a thorn in the flesh of the establishment, they would stop at nothing to inconvenience him ever so slightly till they are sanctioned by judicial process.

Mallam Ribadu is too recognisable a figure to have slipped in and out of Nigeria without being noticed through any and all of the border entry points of Nigeria; for the publicity that accompanied his visit, he did not sneak in, he boldly went about his business without let or hindrance.

For such an important figure to have visited Nigeria to attend a very high profile event and the IGP be completely oblivious of that fact leaves much to be desired.

The rashness of the IGP leaves one suspect of his capabilities; the intelligence infrastructure in Nigeria must be in need of a radical overhaul; the man should allow himself to be briefed of developments in the country; he should ensure he has all the facts before he answers politically charged questions than attempt an absurd face-saving denial which is in many ways dishonest.

The whole matter is laughable, embarrassing and indicative of rank incompetence with a lack of attention to the meticulous research of facts and events, one would expect the police chief to be better briefed and reasoned in his responses – but then, rather than be annoyed, the better excuse for this debacle is to see the rise of Nigeria’s own Comical Ali.

Sources

[1] The Best Of 'Comical Ali' | Home | Sky News

[2] Ribadu’s visit: Balarabe Musa, Keyamo, CD boss rap IGP | Nigerian Tribune