Special Issues

Nigerian
News

more articles by Larr

One fact is certain though: the EFCC operative who spoke with the press on Tuesday April the 22^nd of 2008, seems to belong to a camp of hardliners within the EFCC, whose focus is not necessarily the challenge of legality and due process but the sheer will to have anger vented and embarrassment served. Ultimately, these gentlemen of honor will have to realize pretty fast that they ought to tread softly in seeking to scratch their skins with the brutality of the itching felt. They may end up simply having to stop upon seeing their own blood when the skin is scratched open. They may simply outsmart themselves running faster than their own legs can take them, in the frantic attempt to utilize the current momentum generated by the wind of hate intensely blowing the Obasanjo’s in the face.

The Iyabo Scandal: EFCC’s case is weak!!
by Frisky Larr

---

Day-by-day, details are trickling out of the ‘EFCC versus Iyabo’ scandal currently rocking political Nollywood in Abuja. In the latest round, it was the EFCC’s turn to tear its can open and bare up the contents of its own view. What has thus far, become obvious and comprehensible is that the EFCC operatives have reasons enough – plenty of it too – to be dead angry with Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. One age-long traditional adage seeking to address the problem of the human factor in handling matters of public interest says that scratching the skin in reaction to itching should willfully not follow the intensity of the itching felt. Else, the skin may be torn open before the realization of pains while the irritating itching stimulus allows for a pleasant scratching feel for a considerable stretch of time. In practice, this adage says nothing else than cautioning against conscious or unconscious overreaction in the aftermath of malicious provocation, for which humans are characteristic in the quest to assert power and gain edges over their fellow beings. It therefore goes that public service is a calling that presupposes some super-human qualities with expectations of the near impossible. The issue at stake as reported in the latest media takes, presents a picture of an EFCC that is vowing to arrest and prosecute Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello for posing as if she was above the law and almost ridiculing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, come what may. Her attention was said to have been drawn to the illegality of the N10 million given to her committee by the Ministry of Health in ample time ahead of the so-called retreat in far-away Ghana. She is quoted as having agreed to return the money quietly. For whatever reason there is, she should have reneged on her words and went ahead to spend the money on the retreat. No doubt anyone would be aggrieved, as this conduct reflected in the EFCC’s version of the story is tantamount to questioning the authority of the anti-graft commission. A position that usually doesn’t go down well with any African, to say the least of Nigerians! An EFCC operative is further quoted to have vented his anger in the words: “Is it part of the oversight function of the Senate to go for workshop in Ghana? What manner of workshop is it that cannot be done in Nigeria?” The same operative was reported in the Vanguard daily, to have summed up the issue by reiterating that Senator Iyabo’s defiance and breach of prior agreement constituted “a brazen act of disrespect to the anti-graft agency and the Federal Government.” He continues: “Senator Iyabo Obasanjo still went ahead, organized some of her colleagues, shared the money and embarked on the trip to Ghana for the so-called workshop even after she had been interrogated and told to return the stolen money.” It is precisely at this juncture that common sense is strictly required to prevail as a matter of priority. While the anti-graft commission is established to enforce the law, the law is definitely not the EFCC itself nor is it the persons making up the institution. Many stones that were thrown Ribadu’s way in advance of his infamous study leave at Kuru often echoed charges of personalizing the EFCC. He was said to have overshadowed the cause of the struggle with the charisma of his personality. It was the fear of the creation of a demi-god that pervaded the air. Enemies of Ribadu got their way and Ribadu is not there today. It therefore, becomes pertinent to ask if disrespect for the EFCC and the Federal Government is the financial crime for which Iyabo Obasanjo now deserves to be arrested and detained. No doubt, this EFCC operative, who wisely chose to remain anonymous while speaking to the press, would have been up against an avalanche of internal enemies here and now for this disastrous public relations blunder. While it is very much legitimate upon any citizen of the country, whose money is being sunk down the drain, to question the rationale behind holding a legislative retreat, workshop, seminar (whatever they call it) in Ghana, it is a troubling puzzle for a spokesman and professional operative of the EFCC to advance this argument in seeking to convince the public of the need to arrest the embattled senator. When has it become a financial and economic crime to participate in a workshop in a foreign country? While the EFCC now reports that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello is required for interrogation and clarification of ambiguous facts, records also reflect the intervention of the Presidency in preempting the intended detention of the senator during her first report for interrogation, probably in advance of the so-called retreat. The question should therefore loom on why there is so much desperation in efforts and commitment to arrest and detain Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. To set the records straight: judging by the facts allowed in public domain so far, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has a clear case to answer in her capacity as Chairman of the Senate’s Health Committee. She and her committee did not only fail to prevail on the Ministry of Health over which they exercise legislative control function, to return unspent budget money to the Presidency, they even aided and abetted the illegal disbursement of such money definitely in breach of laws that jurisprudents will be precisely able to specify. In her favor however, no evidence has yet revealed that she embezzled the said amount. Illegal actions in this respect can therefore be seen to be in official capacities. Even though reports are heard, of grumbles by some members of the Senate Health committee alleging that they did not benefit from the N10 million spent, it may be pertinent to probe into their understanding of the word “benefit”. They may probably be in a position to furnish proof of embezzlement of the money on the part of senator Iyabo. So far, no evidence in public domain supports the EFCC’s anonymous claim that she went ahead “to share the money” where the vocabularies “spend the money” would have been more adequate. So far, the upper chamber of the legislative house has not bared open, its evidences that prompted the issuance of a clean bill of health. The pressing question therefore is why the EFCC is stubbornly focused on Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as a person rather than indicting the Health Committee made up of 13 members, of which 11 were said to have attended the Ghana workshop, and by implication, the senate directly. If the EFCC is interested in prosecuting cases with a touch of professionalism and not with glimpses of wounded pride and conceitedness, it should come up with a better focus. It will come to no one as a surprise if the EFCC loses the case against Iyabo Obasanjo in court. The actual surprise would be an EFCC-victory on this issue. With a judiciary that is growing more independent and unpredictable by the day however, surprises are indeed, no surprises any longer. One fact is certain though: the EFCC operative who spoke with the press on Tuesday April the 22nd of 2008, seems to belong to a camp of hardliners within the EFCC, whose focus is not necessarily the challenge of legality and due process but the sheer will to have anger vented and embarrassment served. Ultimately, these gentlemen of honor will have to realize pretty fast that they ought to tread softly in seeking to scratch their skins with the brutality of the itching felt. They may end up simply having to stop upon seeing their own blood when the skin is scratched open. They may simply outsmart themselves running faster than their own legs can take them, in the frantic attempt to utilize the current momentum generated by the wind of hate intensely blowing the Obasanjo’s in the face.   Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web www.nigeriannews.com Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

Unique visitors: 730