Posted by Dada Aladelokun on
It is good, it is right, it is legal, and it is constitutional. That man is simply a criminal who has now been caught in the web of his criminal activities against his people in Bayelsa. Bayelsa appears to be the poorest state in the federation despite the fact that it constitutes the vineyard of the nation's economy.
How would you react to the impeachment of the governor of Bayelsa State?
It is good, it is right, it is legal, and it is constitutional. That man is simply a criminal who has now been caught in the web of his criminal activities against his people in Bayelsa. Bayelsa appears to be the poorest state in the federation despite the fact that it constitutes the vineyard of the nation's economy.
Oil was first found in Oloibiri in Bayelsa State in 1966, and many Bayelsans have sacrificed their lives for a better life. They include Jasper Dababoro, who declared the Niger-Delta Republic on February 10, 1966. Such people included our great friend from Ogoni, Ken Saro-Wiwa, who paid the supreme price for fighting for the emancipation of the neglected Niger-Deltans, including Bayelsans. Then came one man called Alamieyeseigha, a criminal street urchin, who diverted the resources of his people to his own private pocket; the money that should have been used for all-round development of his people. The welfare of the people of Bayelsa meant nothing to him. He stole their money, stashed it abroad, laundered this money, and he was caught in London. He was standing trial for three-count charge, then he raised the issue of immunity, that nobody could try him. The British sense of justice prevailed, and his immunity plea was thrown out. He then ran out of Britain. He jumped bail. Before then, the court there ordered him to produce his travelling certificate and be kept in the court. He forged another one, jumped out of Britain and found himself in Bayelsa.
Then the Bayelsans revolted…
Yes, they did, and resorted to Section 188 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to remove him. And now, he is gone!
That must have given you an impression about the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
The House has done what is right under Section 188 of the constitution. The section empowers the House to ask the Chief Judge of the state to empanel a body to investigate Alamieyeseigha on several charges, including bail jumping, deceiving the Bayelsans with a letter, saying that he was on leave while he was being tried in London; buying houses in London and America with his people's money; committing offences against Section 5, Subsection 5 of the constitution, which says that the state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. And the Supreme Court has held that when the national assembly has exercised its power, pursuant to Item 60 subsection A of the exclusive legislative list, to promulgate laws like the EFCC Act of 2004 and the ICPC Act of 2000, Section 15 Subsection 5 of the constitution has become enforceable. The man has violated all these laws. He perverted the codes of conduct in the 3rd and 5th Schedule of the constitution, so, the game is up for him.
But some may say that his trial was hasty…
No! What Section 188 Subsection 7B says is that within three months of the setting up of the panel that tried him, there must be a report. So, you can give your report within a week; you can give it within two days, or a day, so far the facts are there. But it must not exceed three months. Besides, within 14 days of the issuance of such a report, under Section 188 Subsection 9 of the constitution, the state assembly could just meet and remove him. So, if they get the report by 8am, they can remove him by 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Above all, under Section 188, subsection 10B, it is clearly stated that any decision taken in the impeachment process cannot be enquired into in any court of law. There, the authority of the court has been removed. So, Alamieyeseigha is gone, is gone, and is gone!
Now, do you think the ex-governor should be extradited?
Oh, yes!
How!
It is a simple matter. He jumped court bail and the court in London has issued a warrant that he must be arrested wherever he's found. Why he could not be arrested before was Section 308. Now, he has been removed and the immunity is no longer there. Now, he can be chained, manacled, put in any plane and be delivered in London like a parcel to the British sense of justice. Today, I thank Nigerians, and I appreciate the courage of the Bayelsans and the state assembly at getting us out of this mess.
Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State committed a similar offence and escaped into the country in same manner; what is your thought on his case?
It will be a travesty of our national ethos and our national integrity if within the shortest possible time from now, Dariye does not find himself in London. Dariye jumped police bail, Alamieyeseigha jumped court bail; jumping of bail is the same. So, if there is any modicum of respect and integrity in the Plateau Assembly, it should quickly get Dariye impeached. I think it will soon be over for Dariye.
Now, some may give kudos to Obasanjo's anti-corruption crusade…
No, it will be utterly wrong to give kudos to Obasanjo over Alamieyeseigha's inglorious downfall. After all, it was Obasanjo who set up the ICPC that remained dormant for almost five years, and also has control of the police that couldn't do anything. The kudos should not go to Obasanjo, but to the man called Nuhu Ribadu. This is an unusual man in this country. To me, he's the greatest living Nigerian today. He deserves all the accolades for the doggedness, transparency, the focus, and the independent thinking he has brought to bare between 2004 EFCC was set up and now. Look at the way he got all those conmen who duped some Brazilians convicted recently. He didn't stop there; he returned a substantial part of the money to the Brazilians and seized the properties of the dubious people. The day Nuhu did those things, Nigeria's image got polished in the eyes of the international community. Nuhu is an assistant police commissioner; he got his boss, Tafa Balogun, to be jailed. And now, he has descended on several governors. We have never seen his like in the history of Nigeria. So, the kudos should go to him and not Obasanjo, because left to Obasanjo, I don't think we would have arrived where we are today.
Nuhu Ribadu of the EFCC is the man who truly deserves to be given the title of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Alamieyeseigha is not the only public official enmeshed in the kind of inglorious acts that have consumed him now. What do you think should follow now?
Ribadu should carry his battle to logical conclusion.
How?
People have accused this regime of double standard; that if you are for Obasanjo, if you steal Nigeria, you are covered, but that if you are against him, if you steal a pencil, you will be exposed. Ribadu should not allow Obasanjo to smear the respect he has earned. He should go the whole hog. I am sure that 90 per cent of the governors are involved in these acts. They should all be treated alike. There are also, so many executive council members, who are also involved in stealing people's money and pervasion of the code of conduct. The president himself is involved in the pervasion of the code of conduct, and I have accused him over his so-called private library. On May 14, 2005, he collected close to N5.8 billion from people he gave contracts, including oil blocs to; from people whom he had used his position as president and minister of petroleum resources to enrich. It was bribery, and it is against the code of conduct. Therefore, Obasanjo himself should follow.
Saturday PUNCH, December 10, 2005