Another Reason Why We Need The FOI Bill Passed

I must admit that I am a bit puzzled. I just received news from an eye witness to the proceedings today at the Code of Conduct bureau, to the efffect that Justice Constance Mommoh who had declared Nuhu Ribadu wanted for failing to appear to face charges that he did not declare his assets as prescribed by the 1999 constitution admitted in court that Nuhu Ribadu had in actual fact declared his assets as he claimed to have done all this while, and that the commission is in possession of the copies.

Now since this is the case, what do we make of the whole case against Nuhu Ribadu? Why was he charged to court by the government? Why was no due diligence followed in order to establish whether or not Nuhu Ribadu filed his asset declaration form?

In the indecent haste to punish Nuhu Ribadu for stepping on powerful toes, the government has shown that it has a hidden agenda and an axe to grind against Nuhu Ribadu and this is sad considering that this young man who has done Nigeria proud and over saw an EFCC that actually brought down Nigeria’s corruption rating (which has since increased) wasdemoted, ‘dismissed’ from the police force and (as it now emerges) been made to face false charges that he did not declare his assets?

One of the maxims of the legal profession is that ‘he who comes to equity must come with clean hands’. Now if a genuine investigation is carried out today, how many of the present serving government officials, both appointed and elected have declared their assets? There are many culprits against whom tax payers money could have been spent to prosecute, but the government chose to prosecute and persecute an innocent man. Now this is all the more sad when you recall that that many of those who were arrested and prosecuted by Nuhu Ribadus EFCC are now strutting around the corridors of power with some even describing themselves as ‘godfathers’. How can this be tolerated.

Well the purpose of this short note is to call on the federal government to admit its error and carry out an investigation as to how it was possible to file a case against Nuhu Ribadu for failing to declare his assets when he did declare them and the government was (via the Conduct Bureau) in possession of the said asset declaration.

Now if a thing happens once, you might ascribe it to a mistake. But where it happens once, twice and a third time, the suspicion becomes tempting to reasonable men and women that there is a deliberate pattern caused by an unseen hand to achieve a predetermined goal. My readers may recall that there was a leaked memo purported to have emanated from the president (which he later disavowed) which ordered all Nigerian missions not to render consular services to the duo of Nasir El Rufai and Nuhu Ribadu. The government repudiated this memo and countered it and we agreed to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe the memo was the work of an over zealous unknown ’security official’. But what do we make of the now established fact that the federal government rushed to file a case against Nuhu Ribadu for failing to declare his assets, without first taking time to verify that he had not in fact declared his assets especially when those facts are easily verifiable? Are there rogue elements within the administration pulling strings behind the scenes?

Finally, this is another pointer as to why we need the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI). We need to lift the veil of silence that enables people, whather in or out of government to manipulate the machinery of government and make a mockery of the judiciary and the legislature in order to achieve their Machiavellian ends of using the system to target the very people the system is meant to protect. This matter must not die a natural death, I urge all lovers of democracy in Nigeria to take on this battle and re-energize it. We must have the FOI bill passed.

Once again, God bless, Nigeria.

PU