Monday, December 19, 2005

How Obasanjo Subverts Democracy   The telegraph Sunday December 18, 2005 11:41 PM . NEWS: How Obasanjo Subverts Democracy Written by Jonathan Elendu President Obasanjo's War on Corruption has netted some big successes. For example, the former Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun, was convicted and sentenced to jail for corrupt practices. Yet, Nigerians have complained that the punishment given for the IG's crime did not fit, although the historical implication of his conviction is huge. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, a sitting Federal Minister was sacked and arraigned for corrupt practices. The fall of Prof. Fabian Osuji, former Minister of Education, took with it some other top government functionaries in Nigeria. The Senate President lost his job over this issue and is now on trial for bribery and corruption. Five of his colleagues from the National Assembly are also facing trial for the same offences. The former Senate President has been quoted as saying that if they push him too hard, he will 'talk.' Recently the Governor of Bayelsa State, DSP Alamieyesiegha, was impeached and is now in detention for corrupt practices. Apparently succumbing to pressures from the President, the Bayelsa House of Assembly impeached the Governor within two weeks of his escape from Britain. The impeachment, which stripped Alamieyesiegha of his immunity, paved the way for the Federal Government to hold him accountable for all his malfeasance while in office. President Obasanjo has scored huge successes in his anti-graft campaign, yet the average Nigerian has very little confidence in him and his anti-graft war. Nigerians have come to regard the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as a tool for intimidating and harassing the President's opponents. The President's relationship with some people who are known to be involved in corrupt practices is another reason Nigerians, and indeed, the international community does not think the President is credible. The President's anti-democratic practices have also eroded his standing as a statesman and leader of a democratic country. He is the first African military ruler to voluntarily give up power. He was jailed by a draconian military regime. Released from jail following the demise of the much hated Gen. Abacha, Obasanjo was persuaded to run for President. In 1999, he was elected as President. Some have argued that fundamentally, Gen, Obasanjo detests democracy and considers institutions that are supposed to ensure complete adherence to democratic principles, a nuisance and impediment. Every indication shows that Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo does not believe in the democratic principle of separation of powers. From the time he became President in 1999, Obasanjo has sought to control the National Assembly. He has been very successful in determining who emerges as President of the Senate. Senate President's, who have opposed Obasanjo, have lost their jobs in disgraceful circumstances. The President was surprised by Pius Anyim, a man whom he installed as Senate President, but could not effectively control. Before Anyim, Chuba Okadigbo tried to insist on the independence of the Senate as a co-and-equal partner of the Executive branch, but was thrown out of office. Adolph Wabara was a willing tool in the hands of the President until he was compromised by his insatiable appetite for money. However, it has not been easy for the President to control and manipulate the House of Representatives. From Speaker Buhari to Na'abba, these young men, who have led that body, have refused to kowtow to the President. Invariably, their tenures at the helm of the House were fleeting. The Judiciary branch has not been spared the President's contempt. Chief Justice Uwais recently described the Obasanjo Administration as a lawless administration. No Nigerian, who has followed the Obasanjo Government and its attitude to the rule of law, would disagree with Justice Uwais. The Obasanjo Government has consistently flouted and ignored Court orders, choosing only to obey the rulings that favor it. The President's party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is as guilty as the President in ignoring Court rulings that do not favor it. Elendureports.com has uncovered how the President used various corrupt means to fund his party the PDP. According to our investigations and in talking with various corroborating sources at the Presidency and PDP, we can now reveal that Pres. Obasanjo, until recently, gave his party at least fifty million (N50,000,000.00) naira every month. According to very reliable sources, Vice President Atiku was the conduit through whom the President funneled money to the PDP. The President would instruct him every month to release fifty million naira to the Party. And when they Party needed more money, the President would provide it through the Vice President. This continued until the President and Vice President started having problems. Former Senate President Adolph Wabara replaced Vice President Atiku as conduit to funnel money to the PDP. The President, according to one of the people who participated in this project, would give them a note to the then Senate President, who in turn would send them money through his younger brother's bank, Hallmark Bank, Plc. Another conduit for the channeling of money to the PDP was the late Waziri Mohammed. Andy Uba, Presidential Adviser and brother of the self-acclaimed Anambra State political godfather, was also a conduit. Each time the process was the same for getting money for the PDP: Note from the President and money sent to the PDP headquarters by any one of these three or more men.Elendureports.com sought to know from some of the participants where the monthly allocation to the PDP from the President came. They speculated that the President was collecting commissions and kickbacks from companies allocated oil blocks by the Nigerian Government. This money was then funneled to the PDP. The Pipeline and Petroleum Marketing Company, (PPMC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, was another source from which money to fund the PDP came. All importations of refined petroleum products are overseen by the PPMC. There are reports that the company is now firmly in the grip of the Uba family, headed by Andy. According to our sources, these may have been the avenues for the President's funding of the PDP. After the nomination of the President as his Party's flag bearer in 1998, campaign funds were sent to the campaign. In a true democratic process, Obasanjo campaign should have been subsumed by the PDP campaign machinery. Instead, Gen. Obasanjo chose to keep his campaign separate from the PDP. Abia Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, alleged that his donation to the campaign was paid into the accounts of Gen. Obasanjo's private company. Elendureports.com can now confirm that Gov. Kalu's allegation is true. Even after winning the 2003 nominations, the Legacy House, also known as Obasanjo-Atiku campaign headquarters, continued to manage the campaign to the chagrin of the PDP headquarters. The campaign team, headed by Tony Anenih, raised billions of naira and to date they have yet to publish an audited account. The President, according to sources, has always treated campaign funds as his personal funds and has used them as he deemed fit. It was revealed recently that in 2003, the PDP, led by Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo, had directed all PDP Governors to donate one hundred million naira each to the South West zone of the Party. The information came to light following the President's fall out with Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye. The South West zone was directed to refund Dariye's donation. To date, it is unclear what amount of money has been refunded. Olabode George, a retired military officer and PDP chieftain in the South West zone, was interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently. According to our sources, George was asked about his involvement in the Dariye donations. It is speculated that George may have converted part of the money donated by Dariye for his own private use. He hurriedly refunded some of the money. How can a President, who is waging an anti-corruption war, direct governors in his party to donate one hundred million naira each? How were the governors supposed to raise such money without engaging in corrupt practices? Ironically, the President may be one of the opponents of his own war on corruption. In that case, there is no chance that anybody with a discerning mind would see the President's anti-corruption campaign as anything other than a powerful tool of intimidation aimed at the President's enemies.   Copyright 2004© The Port Harcourt Telegraph |Alrights Reserved | Email Us   4:58:25 PM    comment []