Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben Nwabueze

[Ikhide]

 

"Probing the Jonathan administration alone, when there are other past administrations equally or nearly as corrupt as his, is not right, proper or justified for various reasons. One, it is selective, and selective probe has the appearance of a vendetta aimed mainly at denigrating or demonising individuals. It discredits the exercise and deprives it of public confidence. The people must be made to believe in the genuineness and sincerity of the exercise, if they are to give up the entrenched and rampant culture or habit of corruption. This is the factor that robbed the so-called war against corruption under the (Olusegun) Obasanjo administration of all credibility and effectiveness.

Two, selective probe is unfair and unjust. It is contrary to the Constitution of Nigeria, which ordains in section 17(1) that “the state social order is founded on the ideals of freedom, equality and justice”. This is the principle that must inform all actions of government. It offends against justice to probe the Jonathan administration and not other past administrations equally or nearly as corrupt as his.

Three, probing the Jonathan administration alone is not justified by the reason that there is massive and readily available evidence of corruption committed during that administration. No evidence of corruption is more visible and concrete than palatial houses built by past rulers, multi-billion projects like a university, a library, a mechanised farm, etc. A probe will ferret out hidden evidence, which is available in various places.

Another reason why a probe is necessary and demanded is that eradication of corruption will enable Nigeria to make a new beginning, which is an imperative necessity, if the slide to state failure is to be halted. Nigeria needs a new beginning; a clean slate untarnished by the prevailing rottenness due to rampant corruption. A new beginning requires or implies a social and ethical revolution. This is a vital part of the change desired by Nigerians, and which the new All Progressives Congress government under President Muhammadu Buhari is supposed to usher in."

- Professor Ben Nwabueze

Fascinating interview. A compelling read...

				Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben... Renowned law scholar, Professor Ben Nwabueze, in this interview with LEKE BAIYEWU, bares his mind on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade...
				View on www.punchng.com	Preview by Yahoo

http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/buhari-must-probe-ibb-abdulsalami-obasanjo-too-ben-nwabueze/

- Ikhide

 

Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com

Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide

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[Ibukunolu A Babajide]

Why did the Jonathan administration NOT probe the one before it?  It must be punished for the condonation of corruption.

Cheers.

IBK

_________________________

Ibukunolu Alao Babajide (IBK)

(+2348061276622)
ibk...@gmail.com

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[Chidi Ezegwu]

IBK,

I am wondering whether probing corruption was a central campaign issue upon which Jonathan was elected? Do you imply that probing past regime is a core indicator of good governance – whosever probes past regime will run the best government? Will Buhari's decision to probe past regime make him the best Nigerian president? While I agree that probing past regimes is a good step forward but has failure to do so heinous offence?

Chidi

---

From: Ibukunolu A Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com>
To: USAAfricaDialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 17 August 2015, 14:05
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben Nwabueze

[Okechukwu Ukaga]

Why did the Jonathan administration NOT probe the one before it?   It must be punished for the condonation of corruption -IBK

 

IBK, 

It is.....

For the same reasons Yar'Adua administration did not probe Obasanjo administration before it. It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

For the same reasons Obasanjo administration did not probe Abdulsalami Abubakar before it. It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

For the same reasons Abubakar administration did not probe Abacha administration before it . It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

For the same reasons Abacha administration did not probe Babangida administration before it. It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

For the same reasons Babangida administration did not probe Buhari administration before it. It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

For the same reasons Shagari administration did not probe the Obasanjo administration before it. .......

You get the picture....

For the same reasons this second Buhari administration will not probe Abacha, Bagangida, Abubakar, Obasanjo, (and in the end probably not even Jonathan); and will not probe the state governments that are many times more corrupt that some of the federal governments.  If that is the case, It must be punished for condoning corruption (by probing it, I suppose).

The choice, to me, is clear. It is either we honestly work together to fight corruption without making exceptions or we continue to deceive ourselves by being selective and taking only token and cosmetic measures that are destined to sustain rather than discourage corruption. 

Unfortunately, those who are blinded by partisan politics, ethnicity, religious affiliations and other kinds of bias, are unable or unwilling to appreciate the critical need for comprehensive, honest and fair probe of all federal and state governments at least going back to 1999 if not further. This will not cost money. It will generate net income in billions of dollars. It can be contracted out with an RFP designed to cost the government nothing. I have an idea how this can be done and will gladly lead the effort if challenged/appointed to do so. So the argument that it will be a distraction or waste of time or waste of money is nonsense. Instead, it is a necessary foundation for a new and sustainable Nigeria. What is lacking is the will and true patriotism --one that rises above fear, old boys networks, primordial sentiments, and other kinds of bias including those I listed above. And as long as that remains the case, Nigeria will have a difficult time realizing her full potential. We cannot keep doing the same thing and keep expecting a different result. So I truly hope the the CHANGE the good people of Nigeria voted for is here and that Ikhide and other skeptics would be proven wrong in the end. But I must admit that I am not as optimistic as I was a few weeks ago.  But I am still hopeful and supportive. May God bless Nigeria.

Regards,

Okechukwu Ukaga

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

Nothing is likely to be done if all one sees are challenges, constraints, and restraints. Those will always be there. The longer the one waits, the more of them there is likely to be.

It is never going to be easy to eradicate corruption in Nigeria but President Buhari must try. He promised probes. He should deliver. He has a strong wind at his back- the support of a majority of the Nigerian people. He however, must not compromise the integrity of any probe(s) by coming across as selective and possible vindictive. Such probes will be tantamount to witch-hunts and for understandable reasons too. The high and now unaffordable cost to the country of unbridled corruption, is eloquent evidence that  

well executed audits/probes of past administrations (federal and state) could not be a distraction or a waste of time. That case was made in the past and corruption worsened. State governments should be probed too. They receive federal allocations do they not?

Nigerians I believe, do not want a situation where the business of governing includes selective probes.

The Ben Nwabueze interview in the Punch Newspaper makes it clear that probes are necessary. It informs also that they must and be seen to be undertaken in good faith- not selective if they are to serve their  lawful not unlawful purpose- holding all corrupt people accountable, recovering stolen public funds, and sanitizing the system including putting in place a new template for government business.

There are some who say that Buhari should take his time. Yes he should but not more time than is necessary to start the process. They should know getting started can talk all the time allowed for it. There is never going to be perfect preparation or readiness. Buhari should act sooner than later.

 

oa   

				Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben...

[Ibukunolu A Babajide]

My brother,

The simple answer is YES!

It is called ACCOUNTABILITY and if a regime is not accountable and does not recoup stolen and looted funds by its predecessor government, it can not be a good government itself.

Cheers.

IBK

_________________________

Ibukunolu Alao Babajide (IBK)

(+2348061276622)
ibk...@gmail.com

[Ibukunolu A Babajide]

Okechukwu Ukaga,

I do not follow your logic but you remind me of the arguments deployed during Obasanjo's anti-corruption campaign that it was selective justice.  I countered that selective justice is better than NO justice.  At least selective justice stops the unbridled looting of the treasury.

Jonathan opened the doors of the Nigerian vault and he allowed himself and others to loot it to their heart's delight.  They must account and they must return what they stole.

Cheers.

IBK

_________________________

Ibukunolu Alao Babajide (IBK)

(+2348061276622)
ibk...@gmail.com

[basil ugochukwu]

Dear IBK,

I can assure you that nothing in the whole wide world is worse than SELECTIVE JUSTICE. It is worse than corruption. In fact, SELECTIVE JUSTICE is corruption on performance enhancing steroids! Can you just imagine the contradiction? You want to stop corruption with the worst kind of corruption ever? SELECTIVE JUSTICE is INJUSTICE which we know is a threat to justice everywhere. So better no JUSTICE than a system which while pretending to be judging actually unleashes injustice. Let the book be thrown at any living Nigerian who has ever stolen from the public - without any exceptions. If that is impossible, then quieta non movere (let sleeping dogs lie...don't disturb settled things).

 

Basil 

---

From: Ibukunolu A Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com>
To: USAAfricaDialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Monday, August 17, 2015 4:23 PM
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben Nwabueze

[Ayo Obe]

Is Nigeria better off because there was no anti-corruption justice in the past six years?  Or were those in power emboldened in their corrupt acts because they believed that no justice - selective or impartial - would ever catch up with them?  Many things are worse than selective justice in the whole wide world.  When there is some justice - be it ever so selective - the wise operate on the principle that the selection may one day select them.

Buhari's first priority must be to verify what he is inheriting and will need to manage to implement hos own programmes.  The word 'probe', used in that context is misleading if it implies that he is going on a witch hunt against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

When stock is handed over the person needs to verify what is handed over, and what is still expected to come in and what is still expected to go out.  If that person is told: "Out of these 100 bags of beans, you must give Mr Smith 40 because he paid the previous stockholder N20 for them" they may question why Mr Smith is getting his beans at N5 per bag when the market rate is N10 per bag.  And so on.  The important thing is to follow it through to its natural conclusion.  If the reason is that Mr Smith always got his beans at half the market rate, it may be that the previous stockholder was happy with that situation.  Or it may be that the previous stockholder did not bother to find out why Mr Smith was getting his beans at half price because he wasn't bothered, or because he intended to also enjoy beans at half price.  Mr Smith may take the view that the new stockholder has no business poking his nose into beans contracts that are done and dusted.  In the end, the new stockholder has to get on with the business of managing what he has, what he expects, and what he owes, which is a matter that is not going to wait while he chases after the fully executed beans contracts of long ago.

Ayo

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama

[Segun Ogungbemi]

 Professor Ben Nwabueze is not sincere in his demand. Where was he when the past administrations before Jonathan were looting the treasury? This was a man who was asked to chair the National Confab and he chickened out only to come back to support it. 

Buhari said that if "we don't kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria" and he has begun the means to kill corruption before it kills the country. 

He cannot do it alone. Prof. Nwabueze was in Nigeria during the Oputa panel was set up by Obasanjo administration and he asked Nigerians who had evidence of corruption against IBB to come with it and he did not come out to say he had any. How can Buhari go after such a man? Fighting corruption is not the job of Buhari alone, it is a collective assignment. 

Buhari was categorical in his statement that his first assignment is to wage war against corruption. He has to begin with the man who handed over the records of his stewardship. Did IBB, Abdulsalami and Obasanjo handover their stewardships to Buhari? The answer is capital NO. 

The Erudite lawyer can use the profiles in his custody of those he is suggesting Buhari should probe to press charges against them just as Gani Fawehinmi did before his death. 

Prof. Segun Ogungbemi

[Okechukwu Ukaga]

If only it is this simple? There are also other ways  or apologies. Consider for instance a patient with cancer in multiple locations. Common sense demands that we treat all and not just the latest location. Treating only one will be useless and not cost-effective. Nigeria has cancer. That cancer is corruption. And as President Buhari rightly observed, we have to get rid of this cancer or it will kill Nigeria. And it is obvious that we cannot get rid of it by focusing only on one out of many. By the way, when there is selective justice those who know that they are protected by the selection criteria tend to engage in and continue with corrupt acts unabashed and with impunity as they are emboldened by the system. That is the answer to your question below as illustrated by thev history of Nigeria.
OU

[Ayo Obe]

No condition is permanent.  Only a fool would consider himself permanently protected against selection.  That is what the history of Nigeria teaches us.  

It is not "selective" for a person to concern himself first with the records of the person from whom he is taking over.  Those demanding that Buhari probe regimes which - if they needed to be 'probed' - ought to have been probed by their own successors, have forgotten that "politics is the art of the possible".  It is quite unrealistic to expect a new regime to direct its energies to such endeavours at the start of its tenure.  That would be 'curing' the cancer by killing - if not the patient, killing the surgeon, or quite probably both the patient and the surgeon.

Ayo

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama

[Mobolaji Aluko]

Ayo Obe:

This call to probe Nigeria until Adam and Eve is a red herring...a call to "do everything or else do nothing" is really a call to do nothing...."We are not only the guilty ones" is an admission of guilt already: if the traffic police does not accept that excuse, why must the Buhari administration?

There will be some investigations that start with the previous administration that will end there.  A few will have to be extended to the Obasanjo regime....yet some, but fewer, will extend to Abdusalami, Abacha, IBB, etc.   in that order.  (Remember that "FEWER" does not necessarily translate to "LESS" in Naira or Dollar amount) While the Buhari regime has PRAGMATICALLY chosen to START the probes with cases identified with the immediate past administration, the important thing is that it should not TERMINATE the investigation WHEN it LEADS to an administration EARLIER than GEJ's.

That would be the only selective justice that I see.

For example, we are aware that there are issues about the dividends and taxes paid (or not paid) into the Federation Account by the NLNG between 2004 and 2015.  If, in the process of doing investigations, the Halliburton issue - which involves payment of bribes in the securing of an NLNG contract - intersects with that investigation, nothing should stop the Halliburton case being investigated in that narrow aspect....and I cannot see why that would not be the case, because there are so many webs of connections between various administrations in Nigeria.

And there you have it.

Bolaji Aluko

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

Ben Nwabueze was answering questions he was asked by a journalist in an interview. He answered the questions he was asked. The journalist pushed back. Nwabueze responded. My reading of the interview is that the interviewer-journalist was satisfied with the answers he was given. Why accuse Nwabueze of insincerity because you do not like his answers to the questions he was asked? Is the case being made that Nwabueze cannot be sincere because he turned down the offer to chair the “National Confab” and later supported it? Is Nwabueze’s accuser privy to why he turned down the offer to serve as Chair? If he is not did he try to find out why? It is ludicrous that any Nigerian is questioning Nwabueze’s meritorious service to Nigeria. He is a trueblue patriot if there are any left.   

If Nigerians have learned anything, it is that selective probes do more damage to governments’ credibility than no probes in both the short and long runs. Buhari’s was widely accused of unequal treatment of equals as Head of State  1983-85. It cost him three presidential election victories. Obasanjo’s investigations and prosecutions of public officers he did not like while ignoring and protecting those who found favor with him is another case in point. Obasanjo went after Abacha but not Babangida and Abubakar.  He went after some governors and not others. Those choices and actions by him remain indelible stains on his integrity as a person and leader. They confirm his popular characterization in Nigeria, as a corrupt and shamelessly vindictive leader. Do Buhari’s supporters want the same thing for him again? Are they concerned about his legacy?   

Are Buhari’s supporters making the case that there should be a statute of limitation on investigating corruption in other than the Jonathan Administration? Should a thief keep stolen property because they stole it a long time ago? Should they be allowed quiet enjoyment of their loot because of the effluxion of time? The effluxion of time does not coffer legal title to stolen government property including public funds.

The evidence is that selective probe of the stewardship of public officers has never served Nigeria well. It creates more problems that it seeks to solve. There are few more effective ways to undermine or destroy public faith, public morality, and the rule of law than the selective dispensation of justice.

No one it seems to me, is suggesting that all corrupt administrations be probed at one and same time. The hope is that Buhari will have the wisdom to treat equals (ex-military or not) as equals on a matter as grievous as the wanton theft of public funds in his present incarnation as national leader- which means according to the law, regardless of the passage of time. He suffered for failing to do so before. Buhari should know not to let the hatred of some for Jonathan set his agenda as president. He should do right for Nigeria which is what he was elected to do. It is up to him to confirm or debunk, the public perception that he is a partisan who is beholden to negative and unprogressive forces and is consequently an indentured and not a free agent.  

 

oa

[Oluwatoyin Adepoju]

Interesting arguments.

 

Also interesting to observe the ethnic configuration of contributors-

 

Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani  names- support  Buhari and APC and the selective probe strategy

 

Igbo and other non- Yoruba names- agst the selective probe strategy and possibly agst Buhari and APC.

 

I am agst Buhari, APC and their selective probe gimmick. I am not Yoruba although my name is Yoruba.

 

The picture of the demographics of support or non-support on other Nigerian centred listserves seem to be the same as is evident here.

 

A similar but less stark picture emerges on Facebook.

 

What does this mean?

 

toyin

 

 

 

[kenneth harrow]

didn't the votes in the election also reflect the same division?
ethnic, but also regional?
i wonder how this reflects divisions elsewhere. for instance, in the u.s. blacks vote democratic; white men in the majority vote republican; southerners republican, etc.
ken

-- 
kenneth w. harrow 
faculty excellence advocate
professor of english
michigan state university
department of english
619 red cedar road
room C-614 wells hall
east lansing, mi 48824
ph. 517 803 8839
har...@msu.edu

[Abolaji Adekeye]

What is selective justice in bringing criminals to book. (I do concede
that none is a criminal based on suspicion hearsay and observation
alone. There must be an established case against suspects and
importantly a conviction).
Alphonse Capone has more honor than most of our politicians. He never
adduced the unrelenting pursuit and investigation of his person and
business to politics. He never made that innane argument " am I the
only gangster in town? Am I the only profiteering racketeer?"

In recent times hardly a week goes by without the arrest of a rapist.
I have not heard any of the suspected or convicted rapists or their
defenders condemning their arrest, remand or conviction on the pretext
of selective justice, affront on human right solely because there are
other rapists on the prowl, on the loose.

If the probe can extend to IBB, why not to Lord Lugard? 1914 is not so
distant,just 101 years of Robbing Hood, innit?

It is prudent to start with the last administration. Like Prof. Aluko,
I think the argument of selective justice is diversionary and most
disingenuous. It admits guilt but says "Is Jonathan the only game in
town? If you can't probe at least 55 years of brigandage as
governance, allow our son/ daughter, our friend/benefactor, our
townsman/tribesman, our pastor/imam, our principal/client enjoy
his/her loot in undeserved peace and quiet. Are they the only thieves?
"

The probe must commence with Jonathan's government but should not rest there.

>>> *them*.

>>> any exceptions. If that is impossible, then *quieta non movere* (let

>>> sleeping dogs lie...don't disturb settled things).
>>>
>>> Basil

>>> ------------------------------
>>> *From:* Ibukunolu A Babajide <ibk...@gmail.com>
>>> *To:* USAAfricaDialogue <usaafric...@googlegroups.com>
>>> *Sent:* Monday, August 17, 2015 4:23 PM
>>> *Subject:* Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari must probe IBB,

>>> of*
>>> all federal and state* *governments* at least going back to 1999 if not

>>> <http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/buhari-must-probe-ibb-abdulsalami-obasanjo-too-ben-nwabueze/>
>>>
>>>
>>> [image: image]
>>> <http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/buhari-must-probe-ibb-abdulsalami-obasanjo-too-ben-nwabueze/>

>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben...

>>> <http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/buhari-must-probe-ibb-abdulsalami-obasanjo-too-ben-nwabueze/>

>>> Renowned law scholar, Professor Ben Nwabueze, in this interview with
>>> LEKE
>>> BAIYEWU, bares his mind on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption
>>> crusade...
>>> View on www.punchng.com

>>> <http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/buhari-must-probe-ibb-abdulsalami-obasanjo-too-ben-nwabueze/>

[Moses Ebe Ochonu]

Bolaji,

But that is your own spin on it, abi? What you have outlined would be an acceptable and pragmatic middle ground. Unfortunately, I have only heard that spin from APC and Buhari supporters, not from the spokespeople of the administration. Adesina, Garba Shehu and even Buhari himself seem pretty firm that their probe is a one-off one-regime exercise. Until I hear what you wrote from them I am going with what they've actually said, not what we think should be the logical trajectory of a one-regime probe.

Selective investigations and prosecutions can be and have been counterproductive. I have been saying this since the Obasanjo-Nuhu Ribadu-EFCC period. If selective prosecutions such as those we had under OBJ were effective, would we have had the space age thefts that occurred under Yar'Adua and Jonathan?

For me, selectively focusing on one regime, your predecessor's, is both a political and policy error. A political error because selectivity inadvertently draws undeserved sympathy to the political figure being selectively investigated, and stokes the familiar fault lines of our politics by engendering the perception that a particular politician and a particular region or people are being targeted. Perception they say is everything in politics, and such a perception usually helps the “selected” person being investigated or prosecuted and has the potential to undermine the case against them.

 

Selectivity is bad policy in this context because to support such a program with a good conscience one would have to become cognitively dissonant and believe that corruption began with Jonathan’s administration, that Halliburton never happened, that Siemens never happened, that $10 billion was never wasted and relocated to private pockets in the name of improving the energy sector under OBJ. 

One would have to believe that the billions stolen in other recent regimes need not be recovered and that the culprits need not be brought to account. One would have to believe that the monies stolen under the regime of Jonathan is sufficient to fuel our developmental needs or that those stolen in other regimes are not necessary to boost our fiscal position. 

Even if you believe as I do that you cannot probe every regime from independence as that is impractical and as our poor record keeping culture would make going too far back impossible, you’d still have to believe that the egregious thefts of the post 1999 period occurred only under Jonathan in order to support this selective investigative regime. 

In short, to subscribe to the selective policy of one-regime probe, would have to ignore the tapestries and continuities of corruption, which cross regime lines. Many corruption schemes emanate in one regime and are them perfected and expanded in another. Others continue as webs of corrupt enrichment that successive regimes are drawn into. An arbitrary focus on one regime ignores this reality.

So, no, we cannot go all the way back, but let's have a conversation about a feasible, realistic cutoff, not an arbitrary decision driven by the anger and residual acrimony of the last election. I for one, would favor an anticorruption investigative regime that takes 1999 as its point of departure. Abacha is already well investigated and monies have been recovered from his family all over the world. We may include the short tenure of Abdulsalami and be open minded enough to follow the trail to IBB's regime in specific cases.  

There is enough in the world for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed.


---Mohandas Gandhi

[Oluwatoyin Adepoju]

After reading Moses Ebe Ochonu's last comment, I had to laugh delightedly.

There is a lot to be said for intellectual culture-as demonstrated by his comment- in all aspects of life.

There is a lot to be said for sophisticated academic development- this being an aspect of general intellectual culture- in all aspects of life.

Education...education...education....

The debates on this group generally demonstrate these beautiful qualities from various perspectives.

I'm focusing here on that of Moses Ebe Ochonu bcs it particularly strikes me and its a view I subscribe to.

thanks

toyin

[Oluwatoyin Adepoju]

Kenneth,

These political orientations  might reflect deep seated perspectives developed across decisive historical situations, the self perception of the various groups and ideas about comparative advantage in relation to Nigeria as a whople.

In Nigeria, these  attitudes  may be seen as emerging decisively in the lead up  to and during  the Nigerian Civil War.

One plank of the agitation for Biafra was rebellion agst the genocidal massacre unleashed by Muslim Northerners in response to the killing of Muslim Northern leaders and Yoruba leaders by a team led by Igbo army officers.

Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Biafran leader,  developed an ideological statement on this orientation  in his Ahiara Declaration of 1969 in the depths of the war, describing Muslim Northern culture as antithetical to the Igbo Christian culture.

Igbos have continued to suffer killings in the North across various kinds of unrest.

The pre war, war and post war experiences ensure that the SE and the Muslim North are not  likely to ever see eye to eye.

The SW has at times found it advantageous to ally with the Muslim North, thereby   gaining access to the centre of national power, as represented by Yoruba icon Obafemi Awolowo's role as war time  finance minister, I think,  of the fed govt established by the Hausa/Fulani led counter coup  and the recent CPC and AC alliance that brought Buhari to power agst a President who had the support of most of the South outside the SW.

 Alliance with the Muslim North is the only way the SW has ever had access to the centre of national power, in most periods remaining in the opposition, rarely able to break out of Yorubaland.

There is also strong anti-Igbo sentiment in the SW as evident from  support given to the declaration by the Oba of Lagos that  Igbos must vote for PDP Lagos guber candidate Ambode or face drowning in the lagoon.

This sentiment might be seen as  emerging  from both Biafran efforts to capture Ibadan and Lagos during the war as well as resentment at Igbo attitudes demonstrated in the  social  penetration culture Igbos have demonstrated in various communities to which  they have migrated.

These groups- the Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba of the SW and the Igbo of the SE represent peoples with what may be described as distinctive cultures and strategies of social relations.

Igbos, Yorubas and Hausa/Fulanis are proud groups with a very clear sense of cultural identity and history, stretching to pre and post-colonial periods.

Their group cultures may be described as significantly different from each other.

At the more abstract level of cosmology, general philosophy and spirituality, they are very close in their traditional contexts,  Igbo and Yoruba philosophies and most likely, spirituality,  being variations on the same central themes.

The most flexible political group among them are the Yoruba, as demonstrated by the existence of strong divisions between various groups representative of the Yorubas in the last election.

The SS is ex President GEJ's home base and not surprisingly, was allied with the SE in defending their son in power, being the first time they have got near that level of national power, despite being the centre of the Nigerian economy and the region bearing the brunt of environmental destruction for this role.

The claims of Igbo efforts to annex the SS in the war, of Biafran war crimes  agst the SS and the infamous 'Abandoned Property ' saga in which Igbos were described as returning to their homes in the SS and Delta state , if I remember well,  to find  them them taken over as 'abandoned property' were superseded by the need to combat a common opponent in this instance..

The ex-Midwest, now divided into Edo and Delta states, shares cultural community with Yorubaland and has the Delta Igbos. It seems their political orientations are closer to the SS/SE configuration.

My understanding of this situation is that,  having their own cultures, languages and distinct history, even though they share cultural continuities with Yorubaland, they  assert their independence from Yorubaland, and as with Benin, remind others that even Lagos was once under their control in the Benin Empire.

Biafra occupied the Midwest during the war and is reported as committing war crimes there, but the character of  Igbo presence in the region may be described as contributing  to ensuring identification with the SE.

I would appreciate any corrections of fact or clarifications on this brief summation about an aspect of Nigeria's ethnic/cultural/political dynamics.

thanks

toyin

 

[kenneth harrow]

thanks toyin. much of this is familiar history; much of it contains refinements i didn't know.
i am grateful.
i noticed you did not include religion in your statement beyond identifying igbo w christian and muslims with the north. i assume there is a christian presence in the north, and that yorubas are divided between the two? how important is the religious difference?
maybe a question might be, how long before the aftereffects of the biafran war will be gone? or it is the case, as i think i hear on the list, that igbos still feel aggrieved today, despite jonathan's presidency?
you also do not mention nigerianness in your summary. trump calls for america first. i assume there is no real nigeria first sentiments to which politicians can appeal, that it is still ethnicity that prevails?
have there been cracks in this ethnic divisions?

ken

[Salimonu Kadiri]

Also interesting to observe the ethnic configuration of  contributors - Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani names support Buhari and APC and the selective probe strategy. Igbo and other non-Yoruba names - against the selective probe strategy and possibly against Buhari and APC. I am against Buhari, APC and their selective probe gimmick. I am not Yoruba although my name is Yoruba - Oluwatoyin Adepoju.
 
You identified the ethnic origin of contributors by their names only. Thereafter, you proceeded to admit answering to a Yoruba name even though you are not a Yoruba. Logically, the foundation on which you built your ethnic origin of contributors collapsed as many of the contributors might be answering names belonging to other Nigerian ethnic groups than theirs. Mildly stated, you are mentally corrupt to think that no other Nigerians could bear names from ethnic groups outside their own, except you!!

 

---

Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2015 09:31:51 +0100

Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Buhari must probe IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo too — Ben Nwabueze

From: toyink...@gmail.com
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com

[K. Gozie Ifesinachukwu]

You are arguing whether to probe the past and where to stop in the probing of the past—off coursed infused with ethnicity as always. Why not we start with the present and stop the legal stealing from Nigeria by the legislators in the form of “legal” remuneration?

“PREMIUM TIMES analyses of the lawmakers’ pay did however not include the illegal but hefty quarterly allowances lawmakers pay themselves – they call it office running cost.

It is unclear how much it is now. In 2009, it was N192million per senator per quarter while their House of Representatives counterparts received N140 million per quarter. 

Insiders say the “allowances” have increased dramatically over time. Lawmakers wouldn’t disclose how it is."”—Premium Times.

 

Nigeria is not a serious country. More than USD$3.2M/year (and it may even be much higher now) in allowance for each senator for a country with per capita GDP of about USD$3000—a country with GDP about the same as Walmart’s annual sales.

 

Assuming Premium Times has their story right, Buhari and APC can stop this madness if they wish. This is real legal corruption that APC and Buhari can stop right away. If they cannot stop this madness, how will they get anywhere with probing the past? Probe all you want, but please start with stopping this legal thievery.

[Mobolaji Aluko]

Moses:

So you want Adesina, Garba Shehu and even Buhari to say out loud what I have just written?  Okay, I will tell them to! :-)

More seriously, I think that the best that citizen-activists should do at this point is list out the projects that they would love to have investigated/probed (eg Halliburton, Siemens, etc.), with the project names, amounts, dates (waaay back to 1999?), circumstances and personalities, with cogent prima facie cases made, not just pepper-soup allegations, and even take out a newspaper advert, which I trust many people will pay for.

In the time being, you can bet that PMB will continue to focus like a laser beam on his current trajectory, because he never promised to investigate that far back...but I am sure he is a "listening President", and might yield.  Whatever be the case,  I expect that our coffers will be awash with returned monies in the not-too-distant future, but by pre-persuasion and arm-twisting methods, ......

And there you have it. :-)

Bolaji Aluko

[Ifedioramma E. Nwana]

A little thinking backwards will remind all of us that there had not been any government in Nigeria that did not probe activities of the regime or regimes before it.  What bothered some of us was that nothing came to ordinary Nigerians from such probes, leading some of us to believe that the purpose of those probes were to educate contemporary governments on how their predecessors in office played the trick and what were the errors that made their activities known and objectionable so as to perfect their own perfidy.  We pray  that the current exercise will yield benefits to the country and its citizens. 

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

A cynical but interesting perspective. The cynicism is understandable I might add.

Not much enduring good came off past probes’ attempts. They sang the same song and told the same story. Their common thread was the poison of bad faith. Grudges were settled by humiliating and punishing selected enemies and opponents. The exercises most of which were  futile, were like drawing water from a well with a bucket whose bottom had fallen off. Any surprise change has remained an improbable outcome. I sit in wonder.

[Bayo Amos]

As Nwanna put it, we are not short of probes in Nigeria; and there is hardly any administration that has not, if only remotely, been probed in Nigeria. Had there not even been instances of missing probe reports? probes within/of probes? Ultimately, nothing substantial has come out of numerous probes we have instituted into many activities in Nigeria. Therefore, the issue is beyond probes; it has to be complemented with effective prosecution of indicted persons. 

If Buhari does not have the will--political or otherwise--to prosecute, he should not even bother to institute any probe. However, if he is sufficiently motivated to diligently prosecute any indicted person to a logical conclusion and in addition, recover stolen money, he should start from ANYWHERE. If he starts from 1960, some will complain; if he starts from 2011, some will still complain. And he decides to do nothing, complaints won't vanish. What's fair and who determines what is fair? Which year would be a fair point to start from? In addition, what's fair is not necessarily what is effective or pragmatic. For instance, if we assumed without conceding that 1960, 70 or 80 was a fair year to start from, how much would he recover from the dead? Where would the witnesses come from?  Some would ask if it is fair and not annoying that Ben Nwabueze who praised Jonathan to high heavens for granting Alamieyeseigha, a convicted looter, state pardon should be preaching morality (because that's what it is) to Buhari on how to fight corruption.  As long as the innocent are not prosecuted  and the rule of law is followed, I am fine.

Also, if Jonathan administration had done his "job" by comprehensively  probing and prosecuting those who corruptly enriched themselves in administration preceding his, and also curbed corruption within his own administration, people like Nwabueze would not be grasping at straws and be making ridiculous arguments of "Hey, Mr Buhari, you have to do everything or do nothing" Buhari should do his job and anyone that takes over from him should also do his or her job.