NewsRescue
Nigeria may continue playing games with the many open and opening cases of deadly corruption by members and co-travelers of the past administration, or the nation can decide to be serious about the cases and bring them to rapid conclusion.
What stands between making successful and fruticous arrests and convictions in many of the open and new cases is the requisite arrest and full interrogation of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The current administration which has denied signing a deal with former President Jonathan is doing a disservice to the millions of deprived citizens and those killed by the inebriated rule and gravid corruption of the former administration by delaying the prosecution of the former commander in chief.
A recent list of former ruling Party members including Femi Fani-Kayode, Ahmadu Alli, Nenandi Usman and others can only be responsibly acted upon by bringing Jonathan in to answer questions on the funds paid to these individuals.
The defence being used by these and other accused Nigerians is simple and legitimate: Jonathan gave us these funds and he claimed they were private funds and not State money. The case ends there. The EFCC and DSS may make illegal arrests and detain suspects unconstitutionally hoping to make them break and make self-confessions, but with this simple defence, a conviction would be otherwise impossible.
A recent article in the Punch relaying the defense posture of the accused lays this fact bare.
The Buhari-Osinbajo government owes it to the Nigerians who stood up to tyranny and rejected Jonathan, defying all odds and enticement to ensure the victory of the “change” government, to bring the corruption gang-leader, Goodluck Jonathana.k.a “stealing is not corruption” to book.
To prove that this is not a witchhunt, other culprits including the former Minister of Defence, Spy Aliyu Gusau, former Chief of the Army, Kenneth Minimah, his former office holder, Azubuike Ihejirika and the like must also all be brought in.
Too many Nigerians suffered and much too many lost their lives as a result of the corruption and wickedness of the Jonathan government. It is time to stop being partial and selective and bring all culprits to book. Else we will lose many of the cases we have in hand and fail to bring many more to book.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah @EveryNigerian
