I never deemed it necessary to waste time revisiting the case of Nigeria’s renowned Queen of Rot, while serving as a cabinet minister, courted hate to the very government that offered her a plum appointment piloted by Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Diezani Allison Madueke, until I was moved by a recent report from the international Corruption Unit of the United Kingdom, National Crime Agency (NCA), which charged Diezani for receiving a bribe of 100,000 British pounds sterling among other allegations.
Every administration that sprouted in Nigeria from 1960 had its heroes and villains—-depending on the leanings or dialectical disposition of the objurgator, disputant or interrogator. The classing of heroes and villains, on disparate sides is in the conviction or view of the opinion holder. One man’s hero is another’s villain and the other’s villain is another’s hero.
Diezani Allison Madueke, former Nigerian petroleum resources minister in the Jonathan administration is often held as a villain of that humble administration that was hated and had to exit power unceremoniously.
To some people, Diezani was a celebrated hero just as Gen Sani Abacha is to some despite glaring evidences against his stewardship as military head of state. In fact, as characteristic of Nigerians, there were pockets of protests against the prosecution of Diezani by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The chain of sponsored protests, were meant to divert attention, court sympathy and demoralize the anti-corruption agency from carrying its legitimate national assignment against a high profile thief.
Here, the voltage of outrage towards any alleged offence by a public officer is measured in ethnic and religious volts. Offences are ethnicised according to the bearings of the alleged offender.
The EFCC had alleged that Diezani as petroleum resources minister pilfered over $153million: bought jewelries worth N14million and acquired over 90 properties scattered in choice cities in Nigeria and abroad. The agency was able to have successfully secured forfeiture orders against some of the acquired properties but was not able to extradite her back to Nigeria to face her alleged offences that caused the death of several innocent souls.
It was penultimate Tuesday the UK National Crime Agency said it had charged Diezani to court for fraud. The NCA said Diezani is suspected to have accepted bribes during her tenure as minister for petroleum resources in exchange for awarding or facilitating the award of multi-million pound sterling oil and gas contracts.
The NCA alleged further that she benefitted from at least 100,000 pounds in cash, chauffeur driven exotic cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family and friends, and the use of multiple London properties.
The charges always detail financial rewards including furniture, renovation work and staff for the properties, payment of private school fees, and gifts from high and designer shops such as Cartier jewelry and Louis Vuitton goods.
Andy Kelly, Head of the NCA’s International Corruption Unit (ICU), said: “We suspect Diezani Allison Madueke abused her power in Nigeria and accepted financial rewards for awarding multi-million pound contracts. These charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation. Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries such as Nigeria. We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat”. It is, perhaps, Diezani’s long date with destiny, abuse and misappropriation of power.
Let us look at the abuse of power. This is the cardinal malfeasance of Diezani as alleged by the NCA. The ingredients for abuse of power are always abundantly available. Just one act of indiscretion or indiscipline, and a public officer plunges into the whirlpool of eternal opprobrium.
But where are the other former senior government officials that served in the Jonathan administration, accused of similar offences the likes of Muhammed Bello Adoke, Abba Moro, Sambo Dasuki, Sarah Ochekpe etc? They will always be the principal villain in any story.
So, it is pertinent that public officers take heed lest they become the guilt sponge of any administration.
Godwin Emefiele, detained suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is accused of abusing his power as the head of the apex bank by veering into politics and supporting several cases of malfeasance and stealing. Although Emefiele as expected, denied that he intended to contest the 2023 presidential ticket, the undertow of the resolve was obvious.
Emefiele’s “naira confiscation policy” in the build up to the elections has been alleged as a political gambit targeted at those heavyweight politicians on the space. The people and investments endured untold hardship and suffering owing to that hated policy craftily loaded on the country that jerked poverty to higher pedestal beyond comprehension.
In February 2023, the Department of State Security (DSS), filed charges bordering on terrorism financing against the suspended CBN Governor. In June, he was taken into custody and charged to court in July. Fresh charges were brought against him. The charges border largely on abuse of office, and not politics.
But if truth must be told, not as an apologist or admirer of Emefiele, was the embattled CBN governor working alone for the spree? Was he pulling the strings all by himself without any collaboration or connivance with like minds now sitting on the fence watching and monitoring? Where are those whose bidding he was doing? Where are those he was working closely with for the smoothness of the crimes? Where are those he was foolishly and sheeply working for? Where are those, who provided him cover while the malfeasance lasted and those he supported to steal from public till in NIRSAL and security, printing and minting company? Emefiele’s torment should be a cautionary example to all.
We are watching and monitoring how public officers perfect cases of stealing, corruption and abuse of power in several ministries, departments and agencies of government. It is important for public officers to be wary and maintain the highest level of discipline and integrity, recognizing the fact that they could become the principal villain or the repository of the sins of any administration. Any wrong doing could culminate into becoming the cynosure for the misdeeds or perceived transgressions of any administration.
The rise and fall of public servant should be a piercing lesson to other public officers and to those intending. Today, it is Goddy Emefiele in Bastille; tomorrow it may be another harder criminal Nigerians will hate to hear. Are we not tired of all those corrupt and criminal episodes oozing from the offices of those in leadership destroying our today and tomorrow unjustifiably. What stops us from peaceful protests against corrupt practices and stealing? Why not we organize ourselves and chase out those itchy-fingered hooligans that abused their offices for self comfort against the majority left in abject poverty? We are yearning for the Chinese treatment for criminals as solution to our situation.
Lest I forget, how far is the case that emanated from a petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Ethics and Corporate Compliance Institute of Nigeria against one Dr. Ardo Babayo Kumo, a retired federal permanent secretary that ferried him to the custody of the EFCC on Thursday, June 5, 2022 for allegedly misappropriating N5billion from the coffers of the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs while Godswill Akpabio was the serving minister?
While Diezani Allison Madueke battles for her innocence in London, Nigerians are interested to know why Kumo is still moving on our streets as a free man. Was he given a clean bill of health by the EFCC or he made some refunds through plea bargain? A refund through plea bargain is an acceptance of guilt which should be made public.
Nigerians are anxiously waiting most especially those in the Niger Delta region who were allegedly greedily denied positive service with the allegedly stolen N5billion stashed in private vault.
Muhammad is a commentator on national issues
