Abel Orih Idoma
16 May 2008
Makurdi — The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, yesterday took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his hal-hearted fight against corruption in spite of the existence of of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
According to him, " we are confronted daily by embarrassing and shameful revelations on corruption. It is a sad reality of our recent past, that the country was plundered mercilessly and without regard to decency, morality and fear of God by political office holders and other categories of public officers. Their past time was to unjustly and unjustifiably enrich themselves at the expense of the tax payers. This was the situation, despite the presence of EFCC and ICPC endowed by law with the enormous powers of the octopus, to fight corruption".
He said without President Yar'Adua's adherence to the rule of law, those who championed the fight against corruption in the past would be mobbed by aggrieved Nigerians for their failure to walk their talk.
"If the anger of Nigerians today was not restrained by the Rule of Law, those who were championing the war on corruption would be mobbed for their selectivity and for the fact that it now appears they were making all the noise as a diversionary tactic to allow the main corruption go unnoticed".
The Minister spoke at the opening ceremony of the conference of Attorneys-General of the Federation and the states held at J.S. Tarka Foundation, Makurdi, Benue State capital
.He added that, "In this vein, distinguished Attorneys-General, my office is monitoring with keen interest the probes that are going on in the National Assembly. Once the reports are completed and forwarded to us, we shall prosecute without exemption, all those who are found culpable".
"Let me declare this once more, that nobody is above the law and so, nobody who runs foul of the law will be spared, no matter how highly placed. Whether it is a former or serving public official that is implicated or charged with any criminal wrongdoing, the public interest and the public good will drive the position and response of our respective offices as Attorneys-General.
"As Attorneys-General, we have to reassure Nigerians that we are committed to the fight against corruption. The various prosecutorial agencies are alert and awake to their responsibilities. I am in constant contact touch with EFCC and ICPC, the Police, the NDLEA, the Code of Conduct Bureau, as well as the DPP's office and we are all committed to taking action on an accelerated basis, once a prima facie case has been established"
which I think is within the responsibility of the Attorneys-General to legislate on. We on our part at the Federal capital, we are going to take action because we have made comparative analysis on this issue and we have discovered that even in Ghana and elsewhere, no landlord collects rent for more than one month while in advance countries it is even different".In his goodwill message, President Umaru Yar'Adua urged the Attorneys-General to find ways of tinkering with the nations laws, which has been described as archaic with a view to moving the nation forward.Represented by Minister for National Planning, Senator Sanusi Daggash, the President frowned at the situation where Nigerian prisons are over-flooded with inmates awaiting trial, and urged them to do whatever possible to correct the anomaly and decongest the prisons.In his keynote address, governor of the state, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam, expressed his delight with the theme to be discussed: Stakeholders National Conference on the Rule of Law, saying it is relevant in the current democratic dispensation in the country.He said, "I am proud that the concept of the Rule of Law has been made a cornerstone of this Administration by President Musa Yar'Adua, under the watchful eyes of, and championed by the Chief Law Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a son of Benue State, the Hon. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice".
Adding that, "The concept of the Rule of Law encompasses Due Process, which further requires that all actions be carried out, not just under a known law, but by following the proper procedure, rules and regulations which make for the protection and enforcement of private rights".
In his welcome speech, the Benue Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Chive Kaave, expressed gratitude to the AGF for granting Benue the host right and promised that the decision would never be regretted as government and people of the state were poised to ensure a hitch-free conference. "I feel very elated, that the Governor Suswam Administration is deeply committed to the enthronement of the Rule of Law and Due Process. Governor Gabriel Suswam's Economic Blue Print, "Our Benue, Our Future" is itself a document that is not only visionary, in conception, but a product of the Rule of Law and Due Process".
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