Special Issues

   Your Ad Here
 
Web NigerianNews.com

Nigerian
News



Atsar Terver
Public Commentator
Port Harcourt
 Email

more articles by Terver

It is obvious that the new EFCC under Waziri has some highly placed antagonists in the Senate. These antagonists stage-managed the controversy over her appointment and have now taken the battle to a new dimension. The strategy is to find fault with her actions and by so doing, create public suspicion against the EFCC under her. This subtle approach to discredit Waziri  is tantamount to witchcraft  if Fani-Kayode’s superstitions have broader applications.

Fani-Kayode And The Witchcraft Against EFCC
 by Atsar Terver
 

Less than two years ago, a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria attempted to walk a Vice President of the country out from a Federal Executive Council meeting. His reason was that the then Vice president had been purportedly indicted by an Administrative Panel of Inquiry, which investigated him over the running of the funds of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF). He pontificated that he (as an incorruptible citizen) could not bear the pain of sitting in the same meeting with an indicted Vice President. This fragrant breach of protocol was unfortunately played down by the then President who saw it as a mark of loyalty on the part of the rude minister. That Minister was yesterday arrested by the EFCC over ongoing investigations in the multi-billion Aviation Intervention Fund scam. That minister is Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.

His arrest together with his predecessor in the Aviation Ministry, Professor Borishade, has swollen up the number of identified corrupt ministers of the past regime by two. This has opened up not only the lid on the true character of these ministers but also about the system that threw them up as ministers. I was one of the voices that cried out when Borishade was recycled from the Aviation ministry to that of Education after a disastrous tenure that saw three plane crashes occurring in quick succession. Fani-Kayode was drafted to take over from him not necessarily out of merit but as a form of compensation for his rabid tongue against his master’s opponents.

Considering that fact that these two ministers were so indispensable to their employer, it is reasonable to suggest that their actions in office were a reflection of the mood of the government of the day. With all the gory revelations of sleaze perpetrated in the ministry under their control, one would further suggest that these corrupt practices were sanctioned by their employer, hence the failure of the EFCC then to sanction them. They could therefore go about parading themselves as saints while their employer’s enemies were hounded and demonised through shoddily convened panels of inquiry equipped with predetermined conclusions and recommendations as terms of reference. Hypocrisy was thus the unwritten code-of-conduct or guiding philosophy of that regime.

The contradicting testimonies of the two ex-ministers before the Senate committee has established a prima facie that at least one of them is lying (or lied) under oath. There is also a possibility that both could be lying but what can be safely ruled out here is the possibility that both are telling the truth. The question then is who among the two is culpable? EFCC must get to the root of it and have the guilty convicted.

I am particularly dazed by the near comical dimension Fani-Kayode’s testimony swerved when he introduced the witchcraft theory to explain the frequent plane crashes witnessed under Borishade. He stated categorically that some blood-sucking witches or cultists in the ministry were responsible for the crashes. In order words, the rotten infrastructure, poor communication and navigation facilities, dilapidated runways, inadequately maintained aircrafts, had nothing to do with the plane crashes. Therefore it was even a waste of money to conceive the safe tower project for which billions were allocated. Just how far should mediocrity go? A whole Minister of Aviation could not look beyond his superstitions to identify the immediate and remote problems that bedevilled the ministry he was called upon to supervise. Shame!

Don’t get me wrong. The devil truly exits and blood-sucking demons and cultists do exist as well but what Fani-Kayode needs to explain is why the demons or cultists prefer the blood of plane crash victims. And what did he do during his tenure to exorcise the ministry of these cultists? Could we then suggest the inclusion of ‘Basic Demonology’ as a compulsory course in our educational curriculum in order to prepare our future leaders with the necessary esoteric skills to enable them function as Ministers if called upon to serve in the future? Imagine how difficult it could have been for Fani-Kayode to function as a Minister without a working knowledge of witchcraft. Just imagine!

But what could we expect from a man whose mentor also once went to consult the elders (oracle) in his village in search for a solution to pipeline vandalization in the Niger Delta, which was causing perennial fuel scarcity nationwide? Nigerians are so vulnerable to religion that our ruling class has learnt to exploit our gullibility to hide their incompetence. They take the issues away from the physical domain and place them in the supernatural realm, thus rendering  them untouchable, inexplicable and ultimately intractable. When they rig themselves into power, they attribute it to ‘an act of God’. If they lose, it’s an act of the devil through their political enemies, usually termed detractors.

I understand the senate has condemned the arrest of the suspects in their chambers. I can understand their fears; with several of them having skeletons to hide in their cupboards (Ask Senator Nuhu Aliu for details), they probably fear that one day the EFCC may defy their immunity in the chambers and arrest them also since the new EFCC boss has promised to step on ‘big toes’. The Senate needs to understand that the National Assembly offers immunity to the lawmakers only. This does not extend to non-senators who may find themselves in the chambers for one reason or the other. Suppose an armed robber runs into the Senate chambers to seek cover from arrest, will the Senate not hand him over to the Police?

The language used by the Senate President to upbraid the EFCC was rather unbecoming of a number three citizen. Mark referred to EFCC as ‘these people’. Listening to him one would think the Senate was invaded by some aliens from Mars. And what are his reasons? He talked about morality rather than law or constitutional provisions. Mark is less worried about the law or the constitution. He is not bothered about the fight against corruption. We now know who the real enemies of anti corruption are. Hitherto we have been served a cocktail of lies and smear propaganda against the President and his AGF, accusing them of scuttling the anti-graft war. We know better now. With Farida in the saddle, nemesis is finally coming close to the real enemies of Nigeria, some of them, sitting cosily in high places including the chambers of the National Assembly.

It is obvious that the new EFCC under Waziri has some highly placed antagonists in the Senate. These antagonists stage-managed the controversy over her appointment and have now taken the battle to a new dimension. The strategy is to find fault with her actions and by so doing, create public suspicion against the EFCC under her. This subtle approach to discredit Waziri  is tantamount to witchcraft  if Fani-Kayode’s superstitions have broader applications.

The senate should be seen as not only supporting the war against corruption but should be playing active role as partners in the war. Therefore the condemnation of the EFCC over the arrest of the two ex-ministers is an unnecessary distraction and uncalled for.


 

 

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

 

  Unique visitors: 1144