PDP AND THE FALLACY OF SELECTIVE PROSECUTION

The recent conviction of Rev Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba State over Corruption charges again brought to the fore the erroneous and fallacious allegations that the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari is persecuting the opposition rather than wage war against corruption.

For a long while, those who desires the status quo of treasury looting and outright theft to continue unchecked are always very quick to allege that the APC government, whose campaign mantra in 2015 is CHANGE, is out to decimate the PDP with its anti corruption war. They are quick to point out that majority of those being arraigned in the court or arrested by the EFCC are members of the PDP. Those behind that lie would also point at some personalities in the APC who they see as corrupt but are not being bothered by the EFCC or any of the anti-graft agencies.

Unfortunately, this jaundiced position cannot find any space before hard facts. This deceptive position feeds on our forgetfulness.

For the records, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Chief Orji Uzor Kalu are members of the APC and are known to be very close to President Mohammadu Buhari. They are still standing trial before various courts for corruption cases.

Like Rev Nyame, they are former governors and their cases have been before filed in the court long before PMB assumed officer. Rasheed Ladoja, Gbenga Daniel, TA Orji, Saminu Turaki, Attahiru Bafarawa are equally former governors having similar cases in court. The cases predated the PMB era and they were not withdrawn. And they won’t be withdrawn.

The case against Senator Bukola Saraki was investigated by the administration of Goodluck Jonathan. The case was ready for trial. But for some inexplicable reasons, GEJ could not take the case to court for prosecution. The APC government inherited the case file. Saraki happens to be very close to President Muhammadu Buhari. The change in government and the long period before ministers were appointed was a good opportunity to tamper with the case and burn the case file. But PMB didn’t hide the case file or declare the file is missing. He didn’t order the case to be reinvestigated with the aim of getting his friend out of the gallows. Rather he sent the case to the court for trial.
By doing that, he put his prized friendship with the former Kwara Governor in jeopardy. He also embarrassed his party for arraigning a frontline member of the APC!
Another person could have treated the matter as a ‘family affairs’. Yes, we have seen several heinous crimes committed against the state but which the PDP labeled ‘family affair’ and swept under the carpet. PMB and his APC didn’t do that! He pushed ahead.
Ironically, the citizens allowed themselves to be misdirected to labeling the trial a persecution. Who is persecuting Saraki for what? Is the cases a new cases? The cases wasn’t investigated by PMB. The legal team of the Senate President has been before the Supreme Court asking that the case be quashed for lack of merit. But the Supreme Court says he has a case to answer! Nigerians need to appreciate that the process of investigating corruption allegations is very dangerous, tedious and torturous . Former Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said this much in her recent book. Fighting corruption in Nigeria is a very difficult and hard task in a polluted and vain- glorious environment such as ours. The EFCC has being doing its bit. It has recouped over N500 billion looted funds through plea bargaining and seized dozens of properties acquired through fraudulent means.

Indeed, the idea that those being prosecuted for corruption are members of the opposition PDP doesn’t portray those canvassing it as being intelligent. Those pushing this line forget that it was PDP who were in charge of our funds in the recent past and it’s members are the one with the best opportunities to dip hands in the public purse. If after soiling their hands and they are now being charged for graft, what is the rationale to say it is only opposition members that are being prosecuted?

The former Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal has similarly being accused of stealing from the public till.. He is said to have inflated certain contracts.. PMB has sacked him and he is about to have his day in the courts. And he surely will be punished if he is found guilty.

Governor Nyesome Wike expaneled a committee to probe Rotimi Amaechi.. He couldn’t take the report to court or send it to the EFCC for trial. Amaechi even frontally challenged him to take it to court. But he could not! Maybe for fear he doesn’t have enough to stand the scrutiny of the court.

APC members are no saints. After PMB leaves, I expect that some people in APC might equally be found to have stolen money from the public till. They would be taken to court to answer for their misdeeds.

At that point, would it then be apt to shout ‘it is APC members only who are being prosecuted?’ No. It won’t make sense bcos it was APC members who were in charge of the funds during the PMB era.

Nigerians who are ordinary members of the public who are trumpeting this fraudulent cliche are not helpful to the anti-graft war. The anti corruption war is to protect our money and ensure public funds is not stolen by a privileged few but that it is used for public good. We were not there when they were looting the treasury. We didn’t enjoy the looted funds, but when they are being punished for the offence, we, inadvertently, allow ourselves to be recruited for the inglorious agitation to get these looters off the hook! Isnt that unfortunate?

Corruption is the reason our roads are in bad state. Corruption is the reason why we don’t have electricity! Do we ever sit back and ask that despite the huge expenditure on power we still sleep on darkness? Corruption is the reason why our public schools are so poorly equipped. Corruption is the reason our health care system is backward. Corruption is the reason why hunger is ravaging the land. Despite the billions spent on Agriculture we are still hungry and cannot feed ourselves as a people. Isn’t that funny?
Corruption is the main reason for widespread poverty in the country. Corruption is a major crime against the Nigerian people! The anti-corruption war is to help ordinary Nigerians and better their weal .It is therefore self-defeating to join those calling the crusade selective prosecution.

It is because those stealing our money since all the while are being allowed to escape that people kept stealing our money. The Bible captured it succinctly in Ecc 8:11.. It says ‘Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.’. Let all looters face the law whoever they are and whenever they are found. It can be phased trial but no ‘Yam eater’ must be allowed to escape.
Let them take turns to face the music and answer to their misdeeds and crime against the people of Nigeria. My take.

Sunday Oladapo writes from Abuja