The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, is no doubt a gentleman. Beside his gentility, his knowledge of the law may have also offered him a sensitive place in the President Goodluck Jonathan’s cabinet as a minister of Justice and AGF. But his activities in recent times however call for questioning.
The AGF was alleged to have initially proposed the merger of the two anti-graft agencies EFCC and ICPC which the national assembly also toyed with but eventually was cut short, owing to public outcry.
Let me say that there is no doubt that at 52, the story of Nigeria nation reads like a scattered script and the redemptive efforts of the EFCC are changing the story for better. Many Nigerians say the EFCC offers bigger hopes for the nation in the coming years. I strongly join this school of thought.
But the honourable minister may have come up with another game plan with the Oransanye’s committee recommendation. This was a committee set up by the Federal Government to consider the merger and in some case outright scrapping of federal government institutions and departmental agencies. The committee was quick to recommend that the EFCC and ICPC were duplicating the functions of the Nigeria Police Force.
To me, this was no doubt the handiwork of the AGF. To further confirm that it was the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob at work, the federal government wasted no time in setting up another committee headed by the AGF Adoke, SAN, to review the report as to enable the Government Issue a white paper on the recommendations.
One fact is clear; the powers that be are not comfortable with the anti-graft agencies. Not even with the embarrassment corrupt political elements in the ruling parties have been drawing to the party. The corruption cases of former Delta state governor, James Onanefe Ibori, ex-Bayelsa state governor, Alamieseigha, the immediate speaker of the house of representatives, Dimeji Bankole, member of the House of representative, Ndudi Elumelu and a host of others involving PDP members are enough for the ruling party to declare war against the anti-graft agencies through the AGF.
But I want to beg the honourable minister Adoke, SAN, to allow reason prevail in his current assignment and allow the EFCC and the ICPC be, as any attempt to take life out of the two agencies will amount to returning to the status quo-ante.
We can’t afford to go back to where we where before the establishment of ICPC and EFCC in 2002. I hope the minister will know that history will judge him after now. He should beware of the vituperations being poured on the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Micheal Aondoakaa in the handling of the corruption trial of the former Delta state governor, Ibori. I implore Adoke to try everything possible to write his name in gold. He has opportunity to do that and I hope he will not fail his generation
If we are going to continue frittering our economy through corruption in the face of the global economic crises, then we are in for an imminent economic catastrophe which we may not be able to recover from for a long time.
Favour Ojelimafe
Abuja
