The Nigerian presidency and the members of the National Assembly
may have unwittingly engaged in a mutually and morally destructive race of
their lives and have in the last few weeks and months exhibited obscene
behavioural patterns that are not only unconstitutional but also absolutely
unpresidential, upardonable and unparliamentary.
Two cases will suffice to show how some current political office
holders have disrespected the time tested and time honoured ethical, moral and
constitutional codes that ought to guide their public lives whilst they preside
over the political affairs of Nigeria in strict compliance to the fifth
schedule, part one section 1(a) which states that “a public officer shall not
put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties
and responsibilities”.
One significant question that comes to mind when reflecting on the
emerging absurdities in Nigeria's political space is the questionable way
that the Federal House of Representatives has so far responded to the
grave credibility burden that emerged from the two serious bribery scandals
involving the ranking member of the House Mr. Farouk Lawan and the chairman of
the House of Committee on capital market – Mr. Herman Hembe.
In the case of Mr. Farouk Lawan accused of demanding and receiving
the sum of $620,000 USD from the Lagos – based business mogul Mr. Femi Otedola
to give him clean bill of health from the list of indicted subsidy thieves, the
House should have suspended him from all its activities without pay pending the
outcome of the legal proceeding.
He has being belatedly and reluctantly charged to court and
is on bail after spending just some few days in Kuje prison.
But the Federal House of Representatives only withdrew his
appointment as chairman of the discredited fuel subsidy probe panel but
nevertheless he continued to enjoy all privileges and payments from the public treasury
as if what he was said to have committed is not worrying enough to warrant
strong administrative reprimand.
The leadership of the House went a step further in the macabre
dance of shame in the allegation of bribery made against Mr. Herman Hembe, the
discredited chairman of the House Committee on capital market who was alleged
to have demanded bribe of N44 million from the Director General of the
Securities and Exchange Commission Miss. Arunmah Oteh.
Mr. Hembe, the Benue born lawyer and his discredited
committee members were charged with the onerous constitutional duty of
probing the state of near-collapse of the Nigerian capital market but rather
than dispassionately carry out this important assignment the members were
alleged to have engaged in an over drive to collect bribe so as to clear the
hierarchy of the stock Exchange Commission from any indictment.
How did the House leadership respond to this scandal of very
disturbing scope? It proceeded on a journey of vicious vendetta against the
institution of the Nigerian stock exchange commission by failing to appropriate
any fund for the running of this important office in the 2013 budget year and
also demanded that the lady be sacked for daring to raise the allegations that
have now brought serious credibility crisis to the parliament. This is shameful
and reprehensible and must be overturned.
The House of Representatives did not stop this naked dance of
shame but proceeded to try passing a law that will grant them administrative
immunity similar to the criminal provision in section 308(1) smuggled into the
constitution by the thieving military dictators before they handed over power
and this faulty 1999 constitution to the civilians.
Immunity for parliamentarians is authorization of robbery.
If the House of Representatives think they are more creative in
the invention of dubious laws and policies, they were wrong because President
Jonathan in the last two weeks implemented ridiculous decisions that have
attracted the harshest criticism from even the government of the United States
of America.
President Jonathan met with few members of the National Council of
States whereby on his prompting they advised him to extend state
presidential pardon to the disgraced former governor of Bayelsa state
(Jonathan’s boss) who was removed from office as governor following series of
allegations of theft of state fund.
His removal paved the way for his then deputy – Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan to assume office as governor of Bayelsa few months before he was again
chosen to run with the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua as vice president in the 2007
presidential election.
Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyesegha, a retired Naval officer was
arrested by the metropolitan police in the United Kingdom and several financial
assets were recovered from him even as he jumped bail and returned to Nigeria.
The United States also confiscated several choice property
from this same man allegedly bought with stolen fund of Bayelsa state.
This is the man that Jonathan has granted pardon from his conviction which in
any case he served out the prison term and was released long before this
controversial pardon.
President Jonathan retinue of spokespersons have regaled Nigerians
with the half baked claim that Alameseigha’s pardon was exercised in accordance
with section 175(1) of the constitution. Defending this atrocious act of
unpardonable unpresidential pardon is similar to justifying the rape of an
innocent girl child by a morally depraved full grown adult male.
But section 15(5) of the constitution clearly provides that “the
state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power”.
What this unpardonable unpresidential pardon has done is to tell
Nigerians that corruption pays provided that your political son is in a good
position to fall back on some legal framework no matter how nebulous and weak
to grant you state pardon.
Unfortunately, Nigerians are too busy attending religious
functions that they have become too docile and weak to challenge these misbehaviours
of the political elites.
*
EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO, HEAD, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS’
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA, blogs @www.huriwa.blogspot.com.
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