AS BODE GEORGE REPORTS TO KIRIKIRI, ANY LESSONS LEARNED?

Icheoku have for so long, resisted the temptation to join the lynch-mob, calling for the head of Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George over his 'dereliction of duty' while overseeing the affairs of the Nigerian Ports Authority as its chairman from 2001 to 2003? Total tab involved is said to be about 85 billion naira? He was not accused of stealing the sum or misappropriate it for himself; no, his crime was 'by-passing the Hausa-Fulani man in charge of the Ministry of Transportation to award such a huge contract?' Really? So their thinking was, 'how dare you develop such an independent-streak and audacity not to get a clearance from us, the Hausa-Fulani overlords of Nigeria before discharging the duties of your office? Chief Bode George is a southerner, from Yoruba west; so what gave him the impetus to act without first checking with the feudalistic north, before awarding contracts of such amount? This is the crux of the matter, the big deal for which he was indicted and now sentenced?

Icheoku does not carry water for Chief Bode George and our disdain for his then boss, Olusegun Obasanjo and aversion to corruption is of general knowledge. But what we are against is using someone of his personality as a sacrificial lamb to show a pretended appetite to fight corruption by the north controlled EFCC, Ministry of Justice and the Presidency? The heat is on them after Hillary Clinton's umbrage, to prove that Nuhu Ribadu was not removed simply because of his 'effectiveness and that he was over-reaching into forbidden territory' but that Madam Farida is as well competent? If Bode George had corruptly enriched himself with the 85 billion naira sum in question, Icheoku would have called for his being tied at a stake and with a barrage of lead, dispatched to the world hereafter. So the question is why would Bode George be imprisoned for just 'doing the right thing but following a wrong procedure;' when so many northerners, looters of the national treasury are oppressively holding sway in the country with wealth stolen from the national treasury with impunity and suffered no consequence as a result?

Who have held Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida accountable for all that he took from the Nigerian coffers particularly the $12 billion Gulf war oil windfall? Who has held Abdulsalam Abubakar accountable for the 16 billion naira power supply contract which he failed, refused or neglected to execute after collecting 91.1% of the contract sum as mobilization fees thereto? Who held Muhammadu Buhari accountable for the $2.8 billion missing oil money which he helped himself with when he was NNPC chairman under Olusegun Obasanjo's first missionary journey to Nigeria's seat of power at Dodan Barracks? Who has held Atiku Abubakar accountable for all that he stole while at Nigerian customs and excise and as vice president of Nigeria? Who held Senator Jubril Aminu accountable for the $12 million dollars SIEMENS bribery scandal? What about Olusola Saraki and FESTAC 77 and the unbridled looting that was witnessed then purchasing buses and coaches at hyper-inflated prices? Should we talk about NPN's Umaru Dikko and the scandalous rice contracts he embarked on as Transport Minister during Shehu Shagari's lacklustre government of yore? Barkin Zuwo's bedroom banking of state's money is still fresh in memory? How about the sugar merchant Aliko Dangote and the list of other northerners bilking Nigeria goes on and on ad infinitum! And if that was not already enough pilfering, recall that Nigeria has recieved as income an amount in excess of $700 billion dollars since coming of age in 1960 and that northerners has been in charge for more than 39 of Nigeria's 49 years of existence, so where is the money, Nigerians? So why Chief Bode George?

The gist of the matter is that all Nigerian public officials have sinned and fallen short of glory; so it does not make sense to just single out Chief Bode George under the circumstances just because some uncircumcised northerners said so! Admitted that some apologists will refer Icheoku to the last name of the judge who convicted the NPA6 to say it does not sound northern; but to this group we say, the north have perfected playing southerners against one another. But who the heck are these northerners that preach holier than thou, when their only job or clearly defined business/means of livelihood is fleecing and scheming Nigerian coffers; either as ten per-centers or brazenly dipping their filthy hands inside the coffers of the Nigerian treasury? Chief Bode George is corrupt and so what; at least that was not the charge for which he was tried and now stands convicted? Is he the first or only corrupt person in Nigeria and why not start with the north whose penchant for stealing from the government in Nigeria is widely acknowledged? If really Chief Bode George is corrupt and 'embezzled' 85 billion naira, why only the two years imprisonment slap on the wrist sentence? Where in such pitiable sentence lies the deterrence? Where is the intended statement that corruption is frowned at, being made by such conviction and punishment? What amount was he asked to refund back to the government as restitution? How many of his assets were confiscated or seized or asked to be forfeited? In short, the sentence does not fit well or support a crime 'committed' by Chief Bode George and Icheoku encourages an appeal under the circumstances.

In a more advanced and law-abiding country, where deterrence is always the objective of judicial punishment, a person who messed with 85 billion naira and was convicted on 47 counts out of 63 counts charges, will not just receive a mere two years imprisonment? No, such sentence as was handed down here is apologetically infinitesimal and proves there was more than met the eyes. What about two years each for every billion naira resulting to a total of 170 years? How about two years for each count resulting to 94 years? What about ten years for each one billion resulting to 850 years behind bars? Talk of deterrence and the United States of America proudly comes to mind of a place where criminals often receive 1000 years imprisonment; and politicians alike such as the former Louisiana governor who is serving 400 years imprisonment for embezzling $400,000 dollars? Also remember the imprisoned Republican Congressman Duke Cunningham of Southern California who had everything with his name on it or some semblance of his ownership taken from him and auctioned off; from a Rolls-Royce to floor carpets just to make reparation for his corrupt enrichment? Such is what we are talking about and which Icheoku envisages for a Nigeria that is serious with fighting corruption and punishing corrupt public officials who misuse what is trusted in their care by reason of their office.

If Chief Bode George fretted away 85 billion naira, then justice demands that he at least get one year for each billion which would have put his prison sentence to at least 85 years in addition to an earth-scorching restitution order, with a lien of forfeiture levied on anything bearing his name or any close resemblance. Whatever it takes, just make that statement that Nigeria is tired and cannot continue to aid and abet corruption within the system. May be 85 life sentences or possibly 850 years would have been a preferred sentence to compensate for the 85 billion naira but surely not two sorry years? But is the proverbial half bread better than none true in this case of Chief Bode George, a yesterday's man of power now convicted and gone to prison? Icheoku does not buy into the argument that the gist of the conviction lies in its symbolism and that it far outweighs the severity of any sentence that would have been otherwise imposed under the circumstance? That it says so much for a previously untouchable Nigerian to now forever carry, barring a successful appeal, the toga of a convicted criminal? That Chief Bode George being otherwise denuded and defrocked is worth more psychologically, than his thousand years behind bars? Which ever side of the divide you find yourself, our position is that majority of past and present Nigerian leaders are very corrupt and severally corruptly over-enriched themselves; that a more soul-searching introspective steps ought to be taken to rout out the endemic and entrenched corruption in Nigeria. It has to be total and complete covering all past people in leadership positions especially in Northern Nigeria!

In his judgment convicting Chief Bode George and co, Justice Olubunmi Oyewole said: "When public office is abused, the entire populace is assaulted. This must not be condoned or treated with kid gloves. If the quality of service in our public life is to be altered to the appreciable standard of the civilised world, the right deterrent should be given. For the right deterrent to be served, therefore, sufficient firmness must be demonstrated." Icheoku says, what a complete hogwash that this judge raised his hand like a giant only to flop it like a weakling midget. He was high in pontification and sounding the right tone, only to chicken out in handing out his jelly-sentence of two and half years? Why raise the hopes of millions that finally, a king who does not know Joseph has ascended the throne and called for rendering of account by Chief Bode George and co, only to just slap their wrists with such a baby-sentence? Icheoku asks this Justice Oyewole, where in his two and half years prison sentence was his suggested "not treat this matter with kids gloves" factored in? Was two years the "right deterrent" for a 85 billion Naira scam-contracts? Icheoku concludes that Justice Olubunmi Oyewole did not show any firmness with his two and half years prison sentence for Chief Bode George and co; which we believe is sure to be overturned on appeal for being too light a sentence or better still for not being meritorious?

Continuing the judge said, "The penalty for disobedience to lawful order is a maximum of one year imprisonment. I hereby sentence all the defendants to six months imprisonment ... and to two years for each of the abuse of office convicted counts of contract splitting and inflation." Icheoku queries, why did the judge make his order to run concurrently instead of consecutively, if he is serious about providing deterrence? Who in corrupt Nigeria would not readily head to prison for two and half years after such a 'massive loot', if that is all it takes to keep such spoils of corruption; after-all in Nigerian prison you can buy yourself any amount of freedom including conjugal visits with your spouse or a paid service-provider, once the right amount exchanges hands? Conviction on 47 counts for just two and half years rather sounds as ridiculous as it was too demeaning to the psyche of that Nigerian that strives to be upright and do good? Also why did the judge not make the sentence in addition to payment of fine; after-all the objective is to deter future abuse? If they are being sentenced for abuse of office and fraud, is it not the proper thing to do to at the same token, deny them the spoils of such abuse? So where is the restitution order, Mr. Justice Oyewole?

Conviction on 47 out of 63-count charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, inflation of contracts and contracts splitting just received two and half years imprisonment? Tell it to the marines! It is also instructive to note that this was one of the fastest trial proceeding ever recorded in a Nigerian court, notorious for its frustrating judicial logjam, which is sometimes perpetrated by conniving lawyers to wilfully and purposely obstruct and delay justice for the opposing side? Just under one year, from October 29, 2008 to October 26, 2009 bearing in mind that the framed suspects in Pa Rewane's 1995 murder, are still languishing in prison ever since, awaiting indictment which seems not to be coming and five of them are known to have so far died in the prison custody? So what happened to accelerate Chief Bode George's trial and conviction; or are the north trying to land the big fish, Olusegun Obasanjo as recently predicted by El-Rufai?

Since the sentence will run concurrently, each man will spend two and a half years in prison instead of at least the more reasonable one hundred and seventeen and a half years, unless an appellate court overturns Justice Oyewole's verdict. Icheoku reiterates that the six convicted men were not accused of making any profit or unjustly enriching themselves by their action at the ports authority; no, they were merely accused of not following bureaucratic orders? Could this probably explain the two and half years sentences given to each of them, which will probably be overturned on appeal for lack of merit?

Icheoku queries, since when has disobedience to ordinary administrative authority or bureaucratic orders, which did not result to any financial crimes, amount to a criminally prosecutable offence? What these convicts allegedly did was simply exceed their authority but they did not flagrantly enrich themselves or profit from whatever it was they did? So where lies the crime except in the wombs of time, when the appellate court will uphold their convictions or just throw the damn thing away as ridiculous and laughable? But until the later happens Chief Olabode Ibiyinka George stands a convicted criminal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CCFRN)! What an award to get in one's golden years! It will be recalled that Chief Bode George was chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from 2001 to 2003 and also Director-General of the then Yar'Adua-Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2007. He was also the former South West National Deputy Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Now as he sits in Kirirkiri maximum prison in Lagos awaiting the outcome of his appeal, whether the stigma of a convict stays with him will depend on the its outcome, otherwise what a way to finish a career that saw him in charge of a naval command as well as a post retirement good run in politics, including a public office! What a sorry lesson in the ephemeral and fleeting nature of power, that this former governor of Ondo State, former naval commodore, a PDP chieftain and former chairman of Nigeria Ports Authority now sits in prison, a convicted felon?