10.11.09

El-Rufai's Corrupt Enrichment Trial!


Many things dey happen here o! You know, these people are fast turning me into a town-crier. I beg, I wan have fun, wan be light-minded. This blog thing sef..... I just want take am send my voice in the wind to carry my memory in case I yamutu. At least, even if man no write a proper book wey dem go take remember am, dis wan go do!
Anyhow, one cannot but say ones own thoughts regarding the happenings in our days. At least someone far away might read and see that all of my land do not agree with the gimmicks and semantics going on here.
When we were growing up, we were taught to never fear accusations if we knew our hands were clean. And honorable people do not rely on technicalities to wriggle themselves out of tight spots.
These days I have time to listen and even watch the news on TV since being released from firstbank. So it was that I stumbled upon the news of our erstwhile man-of-the-year, Mallam El-Rufai, being arraigned for corruptly enriching himself during his tenure as the FCT minister. What interested me in the news wasn't much the fact that he was being tried, but rather the defence that his lawyers put forward. They said the court had no jurisdiction to hear the case! And I say, that was lame ! Sham ! Lacking in character. An honorable man shouldn't follow the multitude to take the easy way out.
Nigerian top people so easily accept office but do not think of maintaining the character needed for the office. When the chips are down they seem to plead ' we are humans too '. Well, you are not anymore, you've been made gods and you accepted to be. So, for heavens' sake have the character of gods .
I have seen that the Nigerian system in all spheres have so much loopholes and is un-accounting that only a godly-angel would not fall for it. In fact corruption is built into the Nigerian reward system. People take it as a matter of course that you should enrich yourself by your office. I think they say it this way ' na turn by turn.... you go chop your own, then leave; and another person go go chop!'
So, the system never provides for adequate rewards attached to offices since it expects you to sort yourself out according to your own ingenuity. And so it has been. Even now that attempts are being made to restructure remuneration for office holders the focus has been largely on the politicians, as it seems they are the greater thieves. But that said, people of honor as our El-Rufai, who was even decorated as a national role model should have been open to investigation for the mere fact that he owes the people to clear his name even at the street level.
A thief caught stealing should not be telling his captors they have no right to accost him just because they are not the police. He should be willing to submit himself for investigation to prove he is not a thief.
To me therefore, Rufai's counsel's plea is no defence at all. Not for a supposed icon that he is ! They are just stalling, and lesser men do that in court when they have something they are hiding !