I would have done the same thing, if I were in his shoes -ANPP's vice-chairman, S'South
The National Vice Chairman, South-South, of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Douglas Naingba, is a former Chairman of ANPP in Bayelsa State and hails from the same Amassoma village as Bayelsa Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
The National Vice Chairman, South-South, of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief Douglas Naingba, is a former Chairman of ANPP in Bayelsa State and hails from the same Amassoma village as Bayelsa Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. In this interview, he states that if he was in the governor's shoes, he would equally escape from London. Excerpts:
Governor Alamieyeseigha has described his return to Bayelsa on Monday as a mystery, but the allegation is that he jumped bail in London and escaped to Nigeria. What is your reaction to this development? I would have done what Chief Alamieyeseigha did, if I were in his shoes. This is because it was very clear that even the police in London are not sincere again. In the UK, everything about the judiciary is transparent, but after following the trend for some time, we discovered that there was no justice in the case of Alamieyeseigha.
For the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo, to have travelled out of the this country to London, to go and appear before the court, to prosecute a Nigerian citizen and the court allowed it, when there was total and glaring evidence that he would not get fair treatment. So, I will not blame him. The world is becoming a different thing now in terms of politics. Especially if things are like this, how will people from the opposition get fair hearing, even if it is within the same party it is not possible. It is a terrible thing. Whichever way he has adopted to leave the shores of Britain, it is fair, because you cannot stay in a place where you won't get fair judgment.
Is it fair because the governor is from your hometown? They are also corrupt. How can you search my house, without my being there? It is never done. Even if you are very sure that I have committed a crime, I have to be there, because the search warrant has to be given to me. I have to sign what you saw there, before it becomes evidence.
So, if these things were being done in Britain, what is the world turning to? Because we regard Britain as the centre of excellence.
The Chairman of EFCC, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed that Chief Alamieyeseigha disguised as a woman to leave London, having earlier arranged passports of another country. Are these not criminal offences? Even if it means I am to stay at the wing of an aircraft to get to Nigeria, I will come, because you are not sure of justice from the event. If he disguised as a baby, angel or a military officer, so far as that will enable him leave the shores of Britain, he should. It is no crime.
What of the governor's sureties? If somebody stands surety and the person does not turn up, it has an attachment to it, so they know how to interpret and handle it.
Don't you foresee a situation whereby an international warrant of arrest will be issued on the governor? Why will anybody issue international warrant of arrest? Charles Taylor is in Nigeria, have they arrested him? He moves about freely, with his people all over. Somebody who killed people and annihilated communities is here moving about and is being protected by President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Nigerian government, after an international warrant of arrest was issued on him.
There is no Nigerian in position of authority that do not have accounts overseas. How many have they arrested?
The governor was arrested for money laundering. What do you mean by money laundering? Any money you transfer through an unofficial source is money laundering. Even within the Villa (Aso Rock), can they swear that they have never one day taken one naira out of this nation? It is we the common people that are suffering. It is a tradition to them. A tradition I believe, with the people in Peoples Democratic Party, who are in power.
About three weeks ago, the governor's wife, Margaret, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in London for laundering 250,000 pounds and just last week two of the governor's children were equally arrested for the same offence in London, and you do not see that as a problem? It is the same persecution. When Mr. President's son was alleged to have bought property overseas, how did he get the money there? It is a tradition to people in power and their children and we should solve it here, not trying to look for solutions outside. We are pretending if we look for solutions outside.
The arrow is pointing at the Federal Government. For the Attorney-General to have travelled to a foreign land to prosecute a Nigerian, you must know that the Federal Government is involved. He is the lawyer of the Federal Government and that is never allowed.
Even if you murder somebody outside the shores of your country, Federal Government is supposed to protect you and provide facilities for you to the last minute. There are no doubts about Federal Government's involvement in the matter.
Some Nigerians want the immunity clause to be expunged from Nigerian constitution, do you subscribe to this? I said it long ago. We have three thorny issues in Nigeria: immunity clause, state electoral commission and discipline in political parties as regards decamping of elected members to any other party. Our constitution is just very porous about some of these things.
In essence, I am saying that immunity, decamping from one party to another, when elected on the platform of that party and state electoral commission, should be expunged.
