Icheoku says the current war on corruption propaganda by President Muhammadu Buhari will amount to nothing and convince no one as anything serious and foundational, if he does not also prosecute Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar as well as Theophilus Danjuma, the four corruption incarnates of Nigeria PLC. These men are good(bad)will ambassadors of corruption; eminently very corrupt persons who are the bad influence spreading corruption in Nigeria. These are the men who give Nigerians reason to get rich at any cost and regardless of the means. These are the men who gave impetus to the end justifying the means and who are fueling corruption madness in Nigeria. These are the men who have stupendously enriched themselves in Nigeria without any obvious means of livelihood or the business they do or the scientific discovery they made that landed them into their sudden wealth.
Icheoku says in any civilized society, these four despicable men would not be walking the soil as free men, their questionable stupendous wealth considered. Yet they are operating with impunity, deciding who becomes what in Nigeria including the who occupies the office of the presidency; railroading out of office anyone who falls out of their favor while bankrolling anyone who agrees to know-tow to their dictations into office. Therefore a President Muhammadu Buhari putting a lip to and circus show of fighting corruption must first disclose to Nigerians how much of these four men's money was deployed to purchase him the presidency. What secret undertaking was he forced to sign and how weighty is his undertaken obligations to them. Icheoku says these clarifications became important in order to reasonable evaluate the chances which his latest war on corruption has at succeeding. But unfortunately, Icheoku is not a believer that this war on corruption stands a chance in hell at succeeding with such burdened yoke of a noose tightly wound on President Muhammadu Buhari's neck.
Icheoku says it therefore does not lie in the mouth of Olusegun Obasanjo to declare himself not corrupt or for Babangida or Abdulsalam or Danjuma to beat their hands on their chest to exclaim they did not steal Nigeria's public money. They should simply establish to Nigerians the sources of their wealth; how they stumbled across their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. Failing which, the state can and should force their forfeiture as proceeds of corruption, money laundering and other criminal vices such as drug dealing and/or loan sharking.
Icheoku is always miffed when at every of his interview bothering on Nigeria corruption, how Baba Iyabo and Ota Deity, Olusegun Obasanjo, always emphasizes that he is not corrupt; but that every other Nigerian including his then vice president Abubakar Atiku is corrupt? Query, if Oulsegun Obasanjo is not corrupt, did he win the Mega lottery to have suddenly transformed himself from a near-penniless pauper fresh out of the prison a few short years ago to the now one of Africa's richest person? Icheoku says that every income has to have a source from which it inheres, otherwise it becomes illegitimate and subject to government's seizure invoking financial crimes law. There exists or should exists in the statute, ombudsman's provisions that empowers the government to always act to safeguard and protect its financial health.
As a correlation therefore, the government could step in and force a disclosure of questionable finances or simply seize them where dubious and doubtful. Icheoku says this should ordinarily be the fate of Olusegun Obasanjo except that the lean and mean Cassius of Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari is in bed with Obasanjo and the other corrupt retired generals. Therefore, being so much eternally indebted to these men, cannot afford to sheepishly tow the path of the unthinking Jonathan of Otuoke by taking them on frontally. First Obasanjo appointed then Muhammadu Buhari his Petroleum Minister and then there was the questionable $2.5 billion missing oil money under his watch that took wings from London's Midland Banks - a joker in the hands of Obasanjo that he could pull anytime to douse any fire or heat of war on corruption investigation.
President Muhammad Buhari's tenure as PTF chairman could also yield some skeletons if push comes to shove. Then lastly, President Muhammadu Buhari's current presidency was purchased or at least facilitated to a great part by these men, both in money and contacts/influence. So a thinking President Muhammad Buhari will not want his 99 problems to include these ruthless men and would rather play it safe. Icheoku says if the none investigation of these men is the war on corruption which President Muhammad Buhari is bandying about, then there is indeed no war on corruption really taking place nor one which Nigerians can believe in. If as Nigerians and the world agree that there is terrorism of corruption in Nigeria and according to President Muhammadu Buhari, this four men in particular will not be investigated, who then is corrupt in Nigeria?
None should be excluded in fight against financial crimes, says U.S. envoy
ReplyDeletePosted By: Wale Ajetunmobion: August 25, 2015
United States Acting Consul General Dehab Ghebreab has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that in the fight against financial crimes, none should be excluded.
Ghebreab spoke yesterday in Lagos at a Department of Homeland Security/Investigations–Cross Border Financial Investigations Training (CBFIT).
The seminar was attended by law enforcement officers and Ministry of Justice officials.
She said: “Evidence-based and thorough investigation that result in convictions consistent with Nigerian and international law will help you succeed and generate respect for you and your agencies. The training that you’re about to receive will enhance your investigation skills. .
“For Nigeria to tackle corruption effectively there must be clear and consistent consequences for those individuals who commit financial fraud. These sanctions must extend to all bad actors with no exemptions or exceptions for government officials who abuse the public trust and steal from their country. Your work is tough but you can do it successfully.
“The United States government recognises that financial crime is a global phenomenon transcending political borders. Developing partnerships with other nations and international bodies ensures effective outcomes in the detection of criminal activities and tracing the proceeds. Our collective efforts to combat and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing must focus and depend on identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and loopholes. Loopholes are frequently exploited by transnational criminal organisations, terrorists, and other criminal groups. Our training programme is designed to build partnerships and assist international law enforcement in countering trafficking and raising awareness of money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, and terrorist financing. Through international law enforcement partnerships, we can track down illegal actors and bring them to justice. We must work together to succeed.”
She added that the United States was committed to the fight against laundering of illicit proceeds.
The envoy said the effectiveness of the fight against financial crimes would help to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
“Stolen money returned to public coffers through your efforts could be used to improve education, health care, build roads, and develop your country. You must stop the crooks from stealing and trafficking public funds and with will power and capacity you can do it,” she said.
Ms Ghebreab presented a money counter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to assist the commission in its work.
The counter, she said, was specifically designed to help the EFCC count and sort the various types of international currencies they encounter regularly.
“It will allow EFCC to sort and quickly count bills from around the world with utmost accuracy and expeditiously, save valuable time. One of the greatest benefits, however, is that the counter can detect counterfeit bills, which should prove to be extremely beneficial to the EFCC,” she added.