LUCKY IGBINEDION, A CONVICT!

Icheoku says, what a welcome first step, the conviction for corruption of the erstwhile governor of Edo State, Nigeria, Mr. Lucky Osawaru Igbinedion! The take-home lesson here, is that for once a Nigerian ex-public official has been held accountable for the sins of official corruption. Bravo to the judiciary that made this possible and our thanks to the EFCC, the agent-provocateur!

As for the sentence of just fine and forfeiture without any prison term, Icheoku says it is acceptable to us; as the imperative here is that for once a hitherto deemed untouchable, fraudulent public official has been convicted of official corruption in Nigeria. Lucky Igbinedion, the scion of the powerful Igbinedion ESAMA family of Okada, Benin-Edo State, Nigeria is now a convicted felon! Lucky was not lucky this time and has been held responsible for his criminal corruption.

Precisely the former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, was on Thursday December 18th, 2008 convicted by the Federal High Court, sitting in Enugu for neglecting to disclose a bank account in the asset declaration form of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after he left office. Lucky Igbinedion was ordered to repay the sum of N3,579,524.16, being part of the proceeds of his official corruption, in a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) account number 4124013983110 back to the government. The court also ordered that Lucky Igbinedion's held company, Kiva Corporation pay a fine of N500 million for the N100 million stolen from Edo State Government. In addition, the court ordered that Lucky Igbinedion's Kiva Corporation winds up as required by law with all its assets forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria pursuant to Section 18 (2) of the Money Laundering Act. It also ordered Lucky Igbinedion to forfeit a landed property in Abuja, two plots of land in Benin City, a home of four bedroom apartments with boys' quarters, and another storey building and a bungalow.

But the EFCC in rejecting the sentence said it is believes that the essence of a plea bargain is not only for suspects to forfeit the proceeds of crime but that such should go with a sentence which will serve as deterrence. The Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri while instructing the commission’s counsel to file an appeal against the verdict said, "the commission will rather go the long way of prosecution than to settle for a plea bargain verdict that has no bite or will not serve any deterrence purpose."

Icheoku says that the court's order is an agreeable very good first-step in the right direction; but that it should have made its order of forfeiture to benefit Edo State government, being the rightful victim of Lucky Igbinedion's pillage. However the judgment-properties may be distributed, the lesson of this verdict is that today a king who does not know Joseph has risen and called for rendering of accounts. Today, Lucky Igbinedion is a convict, a simpleton, a common-criminal, a 419 fraudster who defrauded his home state in breach of his fiduciary duty of trust, being the governor then. Lucky Igbinedion cannot vote nor be voted for anymore in any election in Nigeria, now that his criminal past has finally caught up with him. It is a standing rule of democracy that criminals like Lucky Igbinedion do not participate in the electoral process. Whether he can even have a driving licence is arguable. Icheoku believes that Lucky Igbinedion stashed away several other undiscovered looted millions of Naira somewhere, but the essence of his trial was not to impoverish him but to hold him responsible for official corruption! So, many thanks to the EFCC and the judiciary for a job well done! One down, many more to go!