By Dele Sobowale

“It is true we have run through one of the greatest financial bonanzas that ever happened to a nation truly in need; so fast and so recklessly, that we may wonder if it ever happened at all”. President Ibrahim Babangida, October 26, 1985, at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.

IMPORTANT OMISSION

In part one I listed two Governors exonerated by the Tribunal – Chief Ajasin UPN- Ondo State) and Alhaji Jakande (UPN-Lagos State). There was another honourable man Dr Clement Isong (UPN –C/River). Isong was also a former Governor of the Central Bank about whom the Tribunal said “he handled the State’s funds with the highest standard of professionalism and ethics”. I apologise to the good people of Cross River and to Isong’s family for the omission. This is history. Also note that all three were from the South and UPN; no northerner among them and no NPN governor – the Hausa/Fulani Party – was set free.

Last week, I stopped by recounting the cases of Chief Bola Ige and Onabanjo under the Tribunal established by the Buhari regime. Let me add a few more to lay to rest the lie that was peddled by the PDP from the President and his wife to Fani-Kayode and my co-columnists in newspapers – mostly know-nothings.

The same Tribunal which exonerated our Chief Ajasin and our Daddy sentenced Bola Ige (Yoruba), Abubakar Rimi (Fulani), Sabo Barkin Zowa (Hausa), Aper Aku (Tiv), Melford Okilo (Ijaw) and Jim Nwobodo (Igbo). But, in 2014/2015, just because of election, liars asserted, despite documented evidence, that Buhari was discriminatory. How could it be discriminatory if Bisi Onabanjo (Yoruba), Sam Nbakwe (Igbo) and Solomon Lar (Birom) were all goaled, even if Buhari did it? Incidentally, many of those sympathizing with looters jailed in Nigeria, applauded when Rawlings shot looters in Ghana. Ghana is better for it.

There and then I made up my mind that where ever this man goes I will follow. I was with him in 2011; I did not decamp until the man does something to change my mind. Already, I strongly disagree with his declaration that he will not probe the past administrations. That will be a mistake. At Federal and State levels we need a total explanation of how funds were spent since 1999 to 2015 – irrespective of political party.

At any rate, Nigerians, led by the media, proclaimed Buhari’s government draconian and wanted a change – which they got when IBB staged his own coup. But, read that statement above and you will observe how quickly IBB got to understand the depth of corruption which Second Republic politicians unleashed on Nigeria. But, by then Babangida, while courting cheap popularity had released the jailed politicians and returned most of their ill-gotten wealth. Nigerians were later to pay for that indiscretion when the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, was introduced. It was not until Obasanjo that any attempt was made again to rein in corruption.

I will not do justice to our readers if the 1984 Tribunal cases are not explained. Why were the public office holders jailed? Was it wickedness or caprice? It was none of those.

Obasanjo handed power to Shagari in 1999, and the Second Republic was underway. Within two years, the media was awash with allegations of corruption by elected and appointed officials. Virtually all the states took foreign loans which were guaranteed by the Federal Government for ostensibly laudable projects. But, instead of applying the loans to the projects, the funds were embezzled. Projects were either not started at all or abandoned after contractors collected mobilization fees.

The opinion leaders at the time virtually begged the military to take over. Till today, some states are still repaying loans taken in 1980-1983 for projects which were not finished. If Nigeria’s education is backward today, if roads and infrastructure has deteriorated and potable water has not reached all, the seeds of these calamities were sown during that period. It was also at that time that Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand etc, nations which were poorer than Nigeria started to move. All of them passed economic sabotage laws which made stealing of public funds punishable by either life imprisonment or even death.

Officials caught stealing would generally commit suicide and their families would run away. Nobody would defend them. Here in Nigeria, our attitude is different. If my brother is caught embezzling public funds, instead of being ashamed our attitude is “Is he the only one?”. When that fails to persuade, we turn to the ethnic card or the party card or religion – all in a bid to avoid the truth that my brother had been justly convicted.

In the late 1980s, a classmate of mine at the university, working with the World Bank came to Nigeria to conduct a comparative study on why the Structural Adjustment Programme, SAP, which had worked wonders for the Asian Tigers was not working in Nigeria. I met with him several times and on one occasion, I asked him a question.

“Why is Africa not progressing?” Being a white American, he was hesitant to answer. At last he said “I hope you won’t be offended if I tell you what I think”. After my assurance he told me. “Africa is the only continent where people caught embezzling public funds show no remorse. Furthermore, they also have people defending their actions. Africa will never develop unless that changes.” Almost eighteen years after, we are still defending those who “mismanage” public funds for ethnic, party, or selfish reasons.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying we should arrest and jail people without trial or on suspicion. But, each person accused should face the court alone and we should allow justice to be done.

DECLARATION: After 28 years writing for VANGUARD, I can state categorically that no politician had ever given me a kobo to write or not write anything. If such a person exists, let him speak up. So, those wasting my time asking “who is, or how much were you paid to write can go and jump….

ON BOLA TINUBU

“All the allegations in the world without concrete proof don’t add up to an offence in law.” Late Mr Miller, my guardian in Boston, and a lawyer.

But, by comparison, Obasanjo’s EFCC, which started on a good note, soon became corrupted. Several individuals, who apparently don’t know that there is such a thing as defamation, have asked me why I don’t write about Bola Tinubu and his alleged corrupt self-enrichment. My answer remains the same. If the EFCC, the Nigeria Police, the DSS, the NIA, FIRS, Nigerian Customs Service, NDLEA etc, all under the PDP governments since 1999 had not found anything against Bola Tinubu, am I supposed to manufacture the evidence just to please losers at the political game? Ribadu, once hinted at having something on Tinubu in 2006; the same Ribadu denied it when he became the presidential candidate of ACN in 2011. He still has not produced any evidence against Tinubu.