Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves

By Che Oyinatumba

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has being doing a terrific job of placing Nigeria at enviable position on the world tourism map and make Nigeria a destination centre. But the just concluded 2008 Arugungu International Festival gave the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) a rude shock and reminded the international community that fraud, corruption and cheat permeates all facets of Nigerian life. In other sporting events, athletes take steroid and performance enhancing drugs to cheat but at the Arugungu festival, a competitor planted a fish at the base of the river, only to exhume the fish at competition time.

The biggest fish caught at the festival credited to Bello Yau was a dead fish smuggled into the river on the eve of the fishing competition. Nigerians are still dazed, figuring out how Yau, who is cooling off at Police detention pulled off this feat and deceived both the National Civil Defence Corps who helped him haul his phoney catch to the podium and the organisers who weighed the fish and declared it 65.95kg.

Yau’s accomplices have been held responsible for blowing the whistle on him, when things fell apart as a result of greed in the sharing formula of the rewards showered on Yau for netting in the biggest fish.

As Yau was busy catching a phoney fish, the House Committee on Power and Steel, opened a canister of nitrogenous corruption in the power sector. In a televised Oputa Panel de javu, the reason for the eclipse of Nigeria was revealed. It became clear to goat and chicken that the due process mantra of the Obasanjo administration was a ruse, to scheme out the companies and individuals he never wanted to partake in the sharing of the national cake.

Of all the companies that received mobilization fees and never went to site, 34 of them, which cumulatively raked in contracts worth $6.2 dollars, are not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). An ex-head of state, whose claim to statesmanship was his handing over to civilian kleptomaniacs, was fingered as Board Chairman of Energo Nigeria, which won N19.2 billion and has collected N13.2 billion without corresponding work. Which way Nigeria?

A development at the hearing that put a question mark on the political strength and will of the Committee to recommend punitive measure was the rousing applause Imoke received during the justification of his involvement in the fraud. A ranking senator descended into the role of cheer leader and hailed Imoke, who was a minister of power and steel. Another star performance was by Olusegun Agagu also a onetime minister of power and incumbent governor of Ondo State. Agagu argued that as a minister, I could not have awarded these contracts because they are well above the thresholds of a minister can award as contract” The contract was awarded by the federal executive council, Agaugu further said. Agagu’s defence point-blank means, I couldn’t have stolen more than N20 million at a time, there are others involved.

This brings the issue of due process. Whenever Nigerians complained that developmental projects were taking donkey years to commence, the ready wand waved is that the due process office is scrutinising the contractual terms, to make sure that Nigerians are not robbed blind by shylock contractors. The bubble of corruption in power sector was burst by President Yar’Adua, when the elevated Madam due process came with World Bank’s mandate to hood wink Yar’Adya into pumping more money in the power sector. Oby Ezekwesili was reminded diplomatically that during the administration she served as one of the star pupils, money sunk into the power sector, was commensurate to the pitch dark darkness Nigerians are going through. I am yet to understand why the House Committee did not call Madam Due Process to account how these contracts went through without her “righteous credentials” in Transparent International propelling her into resignation.

What I gather from all these dance of shame is that it is the Ministers, Special Assistances, personal Assistances that compromise the CEO, Head of State. The Head of State is not a technocrat, may not have an understanding of the nitty-gritty of the task at hand but have a burning desire to accomplish a goal for the betterment of Nigerians. These “trusted” aides, who are experienced and often PHD holders in their fields, should be held responsible for any short comings and be prosecuted for being a failure. Because we have a warp understanding of the concept uneasy lies the head that wears the crown and vicarious liability, many have stolen and looted the country blind, knowing that they will never be made to account. The pyramidal corruption that will be unearthed will shock Nigeria to her foundation the day SA, PA and Directors in Civil Service are probed. According to Agency report, the House Committee said “none of the contractors made substantial allegations against him (Obasanjo), so let’s leave OBJ and with a sledge hammer, go after those who have been fingered. Solomon in ancient Israel advised “catch us the little foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes”-Songs of Solomon 3 Vs 15. The likes of Yau are lingering in all facets of Nigerian life waiting for opportunity to manifest their evilness. Let’s save Nigeria now by going after the worms before they swell into an anaconda and squeeze life out of our fluctuating democracy

A review of timeless Tales from Arabian Night, especially the Arabian adaption of Robin Hood-Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali Baba had only one horse, whose loot cannot march that of the other forty thieves combined.

Let us stop this over emphasis on arresting Baba and jailing him. Let me deflect your balloon, it won’t happen, for Baba belongs to the Institution of Ex-Presidents. Attack on Baba, will bring the other living ex-head of states, protecting him for an honest probe of Baba, will be a Frankenstein domino effect that will snowball into investigation backward up to Gowon. How many members of the House of Assembly do not owe any allegiance/his seat to any ex-head of state?

Governor Kanu

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