Via BBC: “Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has arrested former Delta State Governor James Ibori, over allegations of corruption and money-laundering.”
Related articles: http://grandioseparlor.com/2007/10/a-broken-moral-barometer/
http://grandioseparlor.com/2007/12/mark-anti-corruption-day-on-nigerian-lighthouse-website-2/
This is a continuation of the “crimes of corruption” series, started with James Ibori and Chimaroke Nnamani.
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Nigeria is a nation of clever people, particularly those in positions of authority.
Check out Dr. Peter Odili (photo), the former Rivers state governor. In an attempt to avoid being investigated and prosecuted by the anti-corruption agency, EFCC, Odili has taken the offensive by going to court – asking for restraining order against the EFCC and the Nigerian government. In order words, he’s asking the court to keep the EFCC and Nigerian government away from him.
Restraining orders (R.O) are typically issued to protect the petitioner from “physical pain or threat of pain or injury”. My investigation shows that while it’s been issued generally against a family member (for example, husband, ex-husband, father of your child) or a household member, restraining orders can be issued to almost anyone as long the petitioner can make a good case.
Odili’s modus operandi is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Rather than waiting for the EFCC to file a case against him and prove himself innocent, or even running away from the EFCC, odil has decided to stay put and “build a wall” around himself.
Odili was a public servant, a two-time governor of Rivers state, an oil-rich state and the second richest state in Nigeria.
Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch issued a report on Rivers state while Odili was the governor, excerpts:
The Rivers State government’s annual income has increased by leaps and bounds in recent years, fueled by dramatic increases in the price of oil. During the first eight months of 2006 the state government’s average monthly federal allocations topped N12.4 billion ($95.5 million), a figure that dwarfs the allocations received by most other Nigerian states. The 2006 state budget projected total government spending in excess of N168 billion ($1.3 billion ), double the amount the state had to spend as recently as 2004 and more than the annual budgets of several West African countries.
Much of this windfall has been lost to the extravagance, waste and corruption that characterize state government spending, a problem that is exemplified by the state’s 2006 budget. Enormous sums have been channeled into the office of Governor Peter Odili, often on terms so vague that it is impossible to determine what they are actually meant to be used for. Such items include:
• Budgets for unspecified “Grants, Contributions and Donations†and “Grants for Women, Youths and Other Organizations†to be handed out by the governor’s office at the rate of more than $91,000 per day or roughly N4.33 billion ($33.2 million) over the course of the year;
• A Security Vote of N5 billion (nearly $38.5 million); and
• N10 billion ($77 million) for unspecified “Special Projects,†an item that did not even exist in the 2005 budget.
Other items in the budget of the governor’s office are more specified but on their face show little apparent regard to legitimate state priorities, including:
• Transport and travel budgets that total more than $65,000 per day;
• Budgets for catering services; “Entertainment and Hospitalityâ€; and “Gifts and Souvenirs for Visitors to Government House†that total N1.3 billion ($10 million)—more than the total annual budget of some local governments;
• N5 billion ($38.4 million) for the purchase of two helicopters and the construction of landing facilities—on top of 1.5 billion Naira that was allocated for the purchase of two jet aircraft in 2005.
• N1.5 billion ($11.5 million) for the purchase of new vehicles for Government House, even though N800 million was budgeted for this same purpose in 2005.
Added together, the above items alone constitute 17 percent of total state government spending in 2006, or more than N30.1 billion ($230 million), an amount that exceeds the total annual allocation given to many Nigerian states in 2005
By taking the offensive against the EFCC and seeking a R.O, isn’t this, by itself, a confirmation that he’s dirty, guilty, and trying so hard to hide his misdeed? I hope his lawyers reminded him that restraining orders only temporary!
The endemic problem of corruption in Nigeria has often been associated with all sorts of excuses such as lack of exposure, limited education and political immaturity.
How about Dr Chimaroke Nnamani (photo), a 47 year old Nigerian/American-trained physician (Obstetrician Gynecologist), who is being prosecuted by the EFCC on an “amended 105-count bordering on money laundering and illegal diversion of N39.6bn and $8.2m belonging to the state [of Enugu, Nigeria] to private pockets?”
Chimaroke’s qualification is impressive, as listed on on Wikipedia:
1987-1991 – State University of New York; the Inter-faith Medical Center/Down State Medical Center, Brooklyn New York (Obstetrics and Gynecology). 1991-1993 – Postgraduate Training and Research (a) Perinatal Biology Center, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, Southern California; (b) Molecular Biology and Tissue Cytology Laboratory, Jerry “L†Pettis Veterans Administration Hospital, Loma Linda, California; (c) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Perinatal Biology, College of Medicine, Loma Linda University (with specialization in Maternal Fetal Medicine); (d) College of Medicine, University of South Florida.
“The suspect [Chimaroke] was alleged to have perpetrated the financial crimes through two accomplices, Mr. Sunday Anyaogu and Mr. Sylvia Onwubumeli, and six firms between August 2003 and May 2007.” Source: EFCC
With his advanced academic degrees and qualifications in medicine, Chimaroke salary would be in the minimum range of $200-250,000 (USD), if he puts his brain a better use in a place like United States, where he did his post-doctorate training. With his resources and exposure, he could have made a much greater impact he decided to work as physician in Nigeria.
Properties confiscated from Chimaroke: Rainbownet Telecommunications Limited, Cosmo FM Station, Capital Autos, Renaissance Hospital, Renaissance University, Mea Mater College and a few others which have not been identified are marked for confiscation. Source: EFCC.
[tag]Paul Wolfowitz[/tag], president of the [tag]World Bank[/tag] is embattled over the “preferential treatment” he gave a woman rumored to be his girl-friend. Nigerian own’s [tag]Nuhu Ribadu[/tag] of the [tag]EFCC[/tag] pleads for Wolfowitz on the pages of the New York Times, an excerpt:
“And he [Wolfwitz] has matched words with deeds through initiatives to promote greater international cooperation with poor countries, especially regarding the recovery of assets from pilfered resources. Effective efforts at fighting corruption cannot stop at our borders when up to 80 percent of the “grand corruption†perpetrated in Africa is dependent on international mechanisms that facilitate money laundering. Mr. Wolfowitz has made a praiseworthy effort to halt the illicit drain of money from the coffers of poor countries. Just this simple step — denying a haven for money stolen from a poor country — addresses more than half the problem of corruption in Africa.”
Is [tag]Wolfwitz[/tag] the only one capable of performing the “feats” listed by Ribadu?
I didn’t know the world bank president could make “a praiseworthy effort to halt the illicit drain of money from the coffers of poor countries”, yes by virtue of his post Wolfwitz could have pulled some strings, but to “halt the illicit drain” is very far from reality.
So because Wolfwitz has been kind to Nigeria and Africa, his failings – if indeed he has any – should be disregarded?
Ribadu has trivialized the issue being discussed – which borders on ethics, nepotism, misuse of power, etc – and simply spun it using “Nigerian mentality”. And I’m not surprised!
Left to Right: President Obasanjo; EFCC boss Ribadu; Electoral Commission boss Iwu
When the SaharaReporters.com first broke the news that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) list of corrupt politicians ineligible to be contest the upcoming elections in April was doctored by the Presidency, few Nigerians, including myself, paid little, if any attention to the story.
Little did we know that the office of the president did in fact alter the list i.e. removed and added other names to the original list! And if the statement credited to Senator Lawal Shuaibu, the Chairman of the Senate Committee that drafted the law that brought the EFCC to being and the Chairman of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the adulterated EFCC list, the president has the power to do so!