IBORI, THE EFCC & THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA'S ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE

After reading the more than 100 charges leveled against James Ibori, I am once again shocked at the depth of human greed that some of us are capable of. Ibori's supporters do not have to remind me that he is innocent until proven guilty. However, I must state that the evidence against him is overwhelming, and recent revelations of his criminal past in the UK, his connection to the Abacha regime and to the murders of certain Nigerians will make it hard for Ibori to ever clear his name in a court of law, talk less of the court of public opinion. Nevertheless, as a believer in the importance of the legal system, I wish Ibori the best.

Despite the excitement that this scandal has generated for many Nigerians, I cannot help but try to consider what is going to happen next. The EFCC has stepped into uncharted territory - Ibori is the biggest fish to have fallen into Nigeria's anti-corruption crusade. Will he go to jail? Will he be forced to return the allegedly stolen funds? When one considers the multitude of potential results, it becomes clear that the Ibori scandal is actually yet to begin. Therefore, I have simply tempered my expectations for this case and encourage others to do the same. Here is why...

SECRETS
Back to Ibori, I am happy that the Kaduna judge recognized that he was a flight risk and denied his application for bail. This, despite the huge protest that happened outside the court's walls and the many Ibori supporters who ripped their clothes off and rolled on the ground in protest. Nonetheless, I wonder if 'Chief' (or 'Thief' as many bloggers and pundits have taken to calling him) will truly face punishment for his alleged crimes. Why? Because, I believe that Ibori holds many secrets. There are Big Boys who do not want these secrets released to the public and will do whatever is necessary to prevent their dissemination. That could mean many things, but I rather focus on the possibility of Ibori striking a deal with the EFCC or possibly receiving a pardon. These things are possible. If Aondoakaa could write a letter on Ibori's behalf to British Courts, I would not be surprised if his oga ('boss'), Yardy, pardoned the man for the 'sake of the nation'. When it comes to Nigeria, anything is possible and Yardy must still serve the masters that feed him.

EFCC MIGHT HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN IT CAN CHEW...
Despite my elation at witnessing Nigeria's anti-corruption crusade at work, I cannot help but feel sorry for the EFCC (the "Commission"). The Commission, from what I have heard, is understaffed and under-funded. How can it possibly fully achieve its mandate without the support it truly needs? Plus, there is the possibility that Ibori has more money than the EFCC has in their yearly budget. That money will allow him to hire many lawyers who simply have to implement various tactics that can stall the case for as long as possible. After all, that is what a good lawyer should do.

Additionally, Aondoakaa continues to aggravate the situation and has now even raised questions about the future existence of the Commission. He just announced that he plans to merge the EFCC and ICPC into one institution. That raises all sorts of issues for Nigeria's continued efforts at stemming corruption. Will a merger result in a new head of the newly created Commission? Will the funding be even less than what each Commission receives now, combined? How can the EFCC do the work it must do if its very future is in jeopardy?

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
The Ibori case is the perfect opportunity for Nigeria to prove that it is tough on crime. The legal system should be allowed to deal with this case with little to no intervention from Aondoakaa, Yar'Adua or their 'masters'. If that happens, this case will set the example for others who have stolen money or used their positions to enrich themselves and will make them willing to cooperate with authorities.

However, I am more interested in the precedent this sets for ordinary people on various levels. First, I hope that we all are learning that corruption on all levels is not just wrong, but that it will have negative consequences. Secondly, I hope that the government's cases against corrupt individuals will eventually allow ordinary people to sue, as individuals, their former governors and other representatives. For instance, the mother in Rivers State whose child died from tuberculosis because money earmarked to provide services went directly into the bank account of a public official. Some day, she should be able to sue the individual whose inaction or fraud caused the negligent death of her child. I cannot wait for the day that Nigerians, as individuals or as an affected class, can "Sue The Bastards" (as my old Torts professor used to say). Once that begins to happen, Nigerians will truly discover that politics is not just about brown paper bags filled with money, chieftancy titles or the like. Politics is and should be about public service, first and the perks are secondary.

So, I like others wait anxiously to see where the Ibori case will take the country, what Aondoakaa and his oga, Yar'Adua will do and how the Big Boys will scramble to hide their ill-gotten wealth and whether or not many will be forced to return money to the people. Best of luck to all sides of the upcoming debacle.

PS: Feel free to participate in the ongoing Ibori poll. It is located in the upper left corner of the blog page. If you are reading this via a reader, you might have to come here. I'd like to know your thoughts and oh, yeah...Merry Christmas and Barkah de Sallah! Oh, and for the Jews, Happy Hanukkah and for those celebrating it, Happy Kwanza!