How To Fish Out More Crooks In The Polity -- Where's The MGN?
Adey Oyenuga
August 16, 1999
By Demola Abimboye
Lagos - Often shielded from scrutiny as they meander their ways to power,
Buharigate (as the fall of former speaker, Ibrahim Salisu Buhari is now
known) has thrown open for proper examination past records of activities
of prominent politicians in the new dispensation.
It was a desperate move to shield the legislators. Last week, the
chairman of Senate's Committee on information, Ibrahim Mantu announced
that henceforth, petitions exposing the dirty past of lawmakers should
be rooted through the courts as the Assembly was no longer keen on seeing
more of its members disgraced publicly. That was at the peak of a looming
"Enweremgate" that apparently was not destined to be. The upper house had
moved to avert the sword of impeachment danglding on the Senate President,
Evan Enwerem because of a missing "s" from his first name.
Even so, echoes of the disgraceful exit of the former speaker of the
House of Representatives, Alhaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari still ricochet in
the land. But Mantu's attempt to bury the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde theory
of Sigmund Freud on people with double personality may not save politicians
in the war dispensation as more lawmakers who appeared to have tarred their
roads to power with questionable particulars have come under what a
legislator referred to as "enemy searchlight.' And many of them,
particularly governors, deputy governors, lawmakers, local government
chairmen and councillors whose credentials were not properly scrutinised
by government agencies such as the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, State Security Services or even the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency are on edge. Already, the rattled National Assembly
which lost one of its top men to certificate forgery and perjury has more
of such cases to contend with. Among those being investigated are Senators
Ibrahim Mantu and Mohammed Alkali Gumel, Representatives Tonku Abdulazeez,
Njidda Gela and Abdulkadir Shehu Usman.
Ibrahim Mantu who is chairman, Senate Committee on Information is
embroiled in a scandal war over the basic school certificate qualification
required of a lawmaker. The politician representing Plateau Central
Senatorial District was accused of lack of this minimum requirement as he
did not attend a secondary school. However, the two time senator told The
News 10 August that "the allegations were unfounded.' He said he attended
Gindiri Grade Two Teachers College between 1964 and 1967 but left in class
four after a riot. "Those of us fingered as being behind the riot were
expelled," he said. "I eventually passed the Cambridge School Certificate
Examinations through correspondence with Rapid Result College in
Government, Economics and Hausa in December 1970."
A few days earlier, he spiritedly defended himself on a television
Programme in Jos, the Plateau State capital saying the allegation was
intended to tarnish his reputation. He thereafter supported the calls for
the rescreening of all members of the National Assembly to discover those
who falsified their records. "Rescreening is the best way if only to
restore the people's confidence in members, especially in view of recent
developments at the National Assembly."
But he warned that great care should be taken in such an exercise so as
not to make others victims or scapegoats. "It should not be done out of
malice as in some cases."
A few days after, he changed tactics and advocated that lawmakers should
not be disgraced publicly, their petitions should now be routed through
courts. Since this his declaration, tongues have continued to wag whether
Mantu was not asking for a blanket protection for crooks in the polity.
Also, Senator Mohammed Alikali Gumel has been accused of forgery, that
he never went beyond primary school even though he claimed to have a
certificate from the Farm Training Centre, Gumel. He also brandishes
an assignment certificate from the Computing and Business College,
London.
But Alkali said after his training as an agricultural instructor, he
did home studies and later correspondence course with the London College.
"In January 1997 when I was in London, I went to the school to assess
and there, I was given a letter signed by the Director of Studies, Mr.
Oyi Benson. All these certificates were what I submitted to my state
INEC (Jigawa). And it was based on these that INEC cleared me because
it was equivalent to secondary school certificate," he told The News. He
revealed that his political opponent who challenged the clearance in
court lost.
The News investigations in London showed that Computing and Business
College, based in Hackney London, which Alkali claimed assessed him for
a diploma in business, in its prospectus, calls itself an independent
college, with affiliation to several examining professional groups in
London, like the City and Guild, Association of Business Executives
and Association of Computing Professionals and so on. The school is
patronised by some immigrants who require a school cover to get the
permission of the UK authorities to stay in the country. This is done
for a big free.
On Alkali's affair, the registrar of the school, O.E. Benson, a Nigerian,
who also doubles as the proprietor, was evasive on some questions, such
as disclosing how Alkali's assignment was done or whether the assessment
was consistent with the school's policy. Benson said the school is
accredited to a number of business schools. "Students come from all over
the world to study here for any of our diploma programmes," he told The
News (see box).
"In the case of Alkali he came from Nigeria and brought some documents
on what he has been doing since he left school. He asked to be assessed.
We felt he has what it takes as a mature student. His assessment was
based on the information that he provided to us. The man has certainly
achieved a lot."
A member of the House of Representatives from Zaria constituency, Kaduna
state, Alhaji Abdulkar Shehu Usman may be heading out of the legislature
and for the dock going by findings made by The News.
Abdul Kadiri Shehu who is the chairman of the House Communication
Committee according to investigation made false academic claims before
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be cleared to
contest the elections. Documents available showed that the Zaria born
lawmaker had claimed that he graduated from the Government Secondary
School, Giwa-Zaria in 1981, Belair Education Centre, London 1983,
Institute of Business Studies, Leytonstone, London 1986 and Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria 1994.
However, a close scrutiny of the documents tendered by Abdulkadir Shehu
showed some anormalies. The secondary school testimonial for instance
showed that the lawmaker graduated from the school within three years
(April 1978- June 1981) instead of the normal five years for secondary
school attendance at that time. Similarly, the name on the testimonial
read "Salisu Abdulkadir Alhaji" instead of Shehu Abdulkadir Alhaji as
the Zaria-born lawmaker is known and calls himself currently.
The disparity in the two names "Salisu" and "Shehu" is believed not to
be an accident as subsequent certificates claimed by him only indicate
his name as "Abdulkadir S. Usman" failing to spell out if the "s" is
either Salisu or Shehu.
Abdulkadir who is a close friend and political associate of the disgraced
former speaker, Salisu Buhari, also stated contradictory dates of his
graduation from the London Institute of Business Studies, A.B.U., Zaria
admission and registration forms respectively. In the former he said he
graduated from the Institute in "1986" while in the registration form he
claimed to have graduated in 1983. Moreover, the Institutes' Certificate
which was signed by one Maxwell Rolls as principal was dated 30 May,
1986.
Abdulkadir also claimed to have done "Advanced Diploma in Public
Administration (A.D.P.A) programme at the Institute of Administration,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1992 and 1994. But in his
declaration before INEC he said he was till awaiting results five years
after.
A letter dated 8 March 1996 and purportedly written by Dr. I. Omale,
acting head, department of public administration, ABU, addressed to the
Board of Internal Revenue, Zaria said Abdulkadir was registered as a
student of his department between 1992 - 1994 and "completed the course
work and awaiting the result," but another letter written by Dr. S.M.
Ngu, head Department of Public Administration, A.B.U. showed that the
lawmaker never graduated from the school.
The letter reads, "I regret to inform you that Mallam Abdulkadir Shehu
Usman was withdrawn from the ADPA programme in the 1993/94 session due
to poor performance. Moreover, there is no file copy of the letter
whose photocopy you attached to us, please."
How can he be awaiting result when he'd been expelled from school for
poor performance. ADU said the document he presented INEC was forged.
The lawmaker, however, in a frantic denial tendered duplicate of his
school leaving certificate bearing the name "Abdulkadir Salisu Alhaji"
with number "08380" and an affidavit for change of name claiming he
wishes now to be known as "Abdulkadir Shehu Usman" because he discovered
that a brother of his also bears the name "Salisu." The affidavit was
sworn to at the Zaria Chief Magistrate's court on 13 May, 1988 which
was even years after the lawmaker claimed to have graduated from
secondary school, and 27 years after 1961, the year he claimed to have
been born.
Alhaji Njidda Gela, from Adamawa State has a lot of explanations to make
over unconfirmed reports on how he bagged a lawmaker's seat in the House
of Representatives. Sources in the house told this magazine that Gela
lacked the minimum educational requirement for election and that he did
not pay his taxes as when due.
Indeed, on 3 February 1999, INEC in form CF. 004 notified the People's
Democratic Party that Gela's candidature would not be approved because
he "does not possess the minimum educational requirement and two years
tax presented were not paid as and when due." It was signed by Ishiaka
A. Gali, INEC's administrative secretary on 4 February.
But on 6 February, a letter from PDP's national appeal panel was written
to the state's party chairman saying some prominent members of the
constituency including a serving minister had made representations to
it on behalf of the aspirant. "What has now become evident is that the
aspirant is an electoral asset to the party whom we shall cannot afford
to lose. In the light of the aforesaid, it will be necessary for the
party at the state level to re-examine the document with a view to
updating same to the requirements of INEC for possible re-submission.
The party will however treat this request with the greatest discretion
to ensure all actions that we take will make us win the election."
How the Alhaji Farouk Lawan-led Ethics Committee currently looking into
this matter resolves it remains to be seen.
The 'gates' shift to the states and local governments were petitioners
seemed to have turned the cleaningly the augean stable into a witch-
hunting or blackmailing pastime to settle scores with political opponents.
In Lagos for instance, Mr. Hakeem Olaogun Dickson, chairman of Surulere
Local Government is battling to stare off allegations of certificate
forgery of some American universities including an MBA degree from the
Fairleign Dickinson University, Rutherfords, New Jersey; that he claimed
to have worked as external auditor with Coppers and Lybrand in Newark,
New Jersey. Also, he was said to have been detained a few years back at
the dreaded Force Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department,
Alagbon over telephone racketeering. It was alleged he tapped telephone
lines belonging to Dr. Raymond Dokpesi.
The News checks however revealed that indeed, Dickson actually picked
MBA degrees from FDU as he claimed in 1984. However, as at press time,
his job stint was unconfirmed because Coopers and Lybrand merged with
Pricewaterhouse two years ago. The group's human resource manager,
Maggie O'donnven Volten said checks were still on last Thursday, 12
August.
Dickson did not deny he was arrested but said it was a non-issue; that
he disclosed this aspect of his life to INEC and that he never bribed
anybody to smoothen his way up.
Mrs. Adetoun Mutiat Adediran, deputy speaker of the Lagos State House
of Assembly on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) is also
in the eye of the storm. Accusations are flying all over the state that
the 1994 graduate of the University of Lagos falsified her age to be
elected a legislator. Documents made available to this magazine show
that she was born 5 July 1971. At 28, thus at she is alleged not to be
qualified to contest.
Indeed, a registration of birth number 17031 of 11 August 1971, issued
by Murano Olayiwola Busari, Registrar of Births and Deaths at Ebute
Metta, and an application for registration of students of Lagos State
origin for bursary award filed by Adediran, showed her birth day as 5
July 1971. She began her degree course in chemistry in the 1990/91
academic session. Her form, number 1514, was certified by department
of curriculum studies, Faculty of Education, UNILAG. Was Adediran
underaged when she contested? Her aides said the issue was taken to
the tribunal in suit number LA/HA/EIT/1/99 "based on pleading and the
evidence led-thrown in this month, the petitioners have failed to
establish that the respect even not qualified on grounds of age to
contest the state House of Assembly election held on 9 January 1999.
The petition fails and is accordingly summoned with N1000 costs to
the respondent."
Another case of doctored CV is rearing its ugly head in the Ekiti
local government of Kwara State where the chairman, Dr. O. A. Bamidele
and his like, Mr. J.F. Ore are being accused of having bulldozed their
way into power despite alleged atrocities committed in the past.
Documents made available to The News accused INEC and the security
agencies of negligence, when they allowed the two men to gun for
council chairs. Dr. Bamidele, a former deputy dean, Students' Affairs
at the Ahmadu Bello University was said to have been relieved of his
job under unclear circumstances, while Ore, an ex-naval rating was said
to have been involved in a fraud while serving as a security man at the
College of Education, Lafiagi. According to the documents, Bamidele was
disengaged from the services of the ABU in September 1996 after bagging
a suspension on 24 September the same year. The letter suspending him
from office by the office of the then sole administrator, Maj.-Gen.
Mamman Kontagora reportedly tried Bamidele 'for allegedly violently
established regulations and procedures in the auctioning of university
properties after the dissolution of the University administrative board
of survey in June 1994 by failing to advertise same and failing to receive
open bids in 'sealed envelopes.' He was also accused, in a letter signed
by the University, establishment secretary, Mrs. Amina Ladan of "Failing
to prevent the vandalisation of (some) permanent structures at the
University Kitchen."
The report of the disciplinary committee eventually led to the retirement
of the officer.
The letter of retirement "with immediate effect" accused him of "gross
misconduct."
The grouse of the petitioners against Dr. Bamidele is not really what
happened at ABU, but for his alleged falsification of claims to get
elected years later as the local government chairman. In the build up
towards the election, Bamidele wrote the sole administrator, Maj.-Gen.
Mamman Kotongora, October 1997 to purge the contents of his retirement
letter of "elements and phrases" that indicted him, in a bid to have a
clean bill of exit.
In the letter, Bamidele denied having a part or knowing about the matter
for which he was tried initially. The sole administrator refused the
request.
Bamidele's enemies pounced on those documents and headed for the courts,
but the case was thrown out of the court and appellate levels.
The vice chairman, J.E. Ore, on his part was said to have been retired
as chief security officer by the College of Education (Technical) in
Lafiagi in October 1994, also in mysterious circumstances. But in his
INEC form CF 001 he did not indicate that he worked for the school.
Ore has reportedly been doing a self-clearance, brandishing a letter of
"commendation" issued to him by the Navy retirement in 1983 as an alibi.
On his part, Dr. Bamidele has been doing some image laundering in a local
journal. In an interview he granted "The Facts" magazine he absolved
himself of the wrongdoings at the ABU. He attributed the rumours against
him to the machinations of 'disgruntled elements.' Ordinarily, DSP
Alamieyeseigha, governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa State should be busy
mapping out strategies to better the lot of his people, moreso since a
court had ruled on 7 June that his hands are clean. In the case between
Chief Francis Amaebi Donkpoloagha, and the DSP Alamieyeseigha and four
others, the Court of Appeal ruled that he was not convicted by any
tribunal duly constituted nor was he indicted as envisaged by section
38(h) of the State Government (Basic Constitutional and Transitional )
Decree No. 3 of 1991. Yet the issue has kept on recurring, with petitions
flooding Abuja and other places that he is unfit to be governor.
In one of such petitions, dated 20 July, his adversaries insisted that
the ex-Air Force man was convicted by a tribunal for examination
malpractices at the Command and Staff College, Jaji in 1991. And they
backed up this claim with a referenced CSC/PSO/01/9 of 4 December, 1991
purportedly signed by a Lt. Col. Falum for the commandant of the CSC.
Critics insisted that Alamieyeseigha gave over N15 million as bribe to
judges to influence the case in his favour." Even service chiefs were
settled," the petitioners wrote.
Alamieyeseigha however, says his lands are clean. Quoting copiously from
the case which has been a reference point (6NWLR PP502-513), he wondered
how with the glaring evidence people are not satisfied about the
judgement. Said he: "over 40 witnesses testified. The commandant, Command
and Staff College was subpoenaed, the Nigerian Airforce authorities, etc.
The details of the judgement speak clearly for itself."
For the umpteenth time, the governor said he was not arraigned before
any panel or board of inquiry. "I wasn't even brought before the Chief
Instructor of the College," (see box). Yet Alamieyeseigha was withdrawn
from Jaji.
Basorun Iyiola Omisore, Osun State Deputy Governor is another politician
many people have accused of making false claims in his rise to power.
Perceived as having a larger profile and more popular than the state's
chief executive, Omisore began his political career during the Abacha
years. He was a member of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party, UNCP
on which platform he had hoped to rule the state. Since he became the
deputy governor, allegations of falsification of his birth date have
been making the rounds in Osogbo. He was said to have changed the date
from 1962 but close aides said he was born 15 September 1957. Indeed, in
1997, he celebrated his 40th birthday.
In another document circulated by his opponents, Omisore was said to have
been born in 1950, which now makes him 49 years old. But the diminutive
Ife man from Ile-Ife dismissed these allegations of age falsification.
"There is no reason I would have said I was born in 1950. Even my elder
brother was born in 1952. If I want to adjust my age at all, I want to be
a younger person," he told The News (see box).
At another level, Omisore was accused of making false academic claims.
For instance, at a reception at the Staff Club of the Obafemi Awolowo
University in 1997, he reportedly claimed he attended the Imperial
College, London. When an alumnus of the school allegedly tried to inquire
of his classmates and what years he was there, sources said he tactically
made a retreat. He however, told The News categorically that he never
went to Imperial College, even though this was contained in the 29 May
inauguration pamphlet. "I only did my professional examinations between
1982 and 1984. I did not attend Imperial College. That was my claim and
what I have been telling everybody. There is no way I put DIC in my CV,"
he said.
"What happens is that when I tell people these are the things I did,
I leave everything to them, and they start putting bits and pieces
together."
By press time last week, it was evident that Nigerians are being treated
to an endless exposition of the past of elected leaders. With Mantu's
suggestion that petitions should henceforth be rooted through courts,
Assembly men may have had a reprieve. But prominent figures across the
land are not taking chances. For now a palpable fear that even "little
misdemeanours" could be exposed by enemies or political opponents to
settle scores hangs in the air.
Additional reports by Tayo Odunlami, Ademola Adegbamigbe, Tajudeen
Suleiman/Kano, Tunde Oladipo/Ibadan, Adeolu Adeyemo/Osogbo, Iyoboa
Uwugiaren and Tony Orilade/Abuja, Ben Adaji/Jalingo, Innocent Ataboh/Jos
and Segun Olanrewaju.
Publication Date: August 23, 1999 (19990823)
Copyright (c) 1999 The News. Distributed via Africa News Online
(www.africanews.org)
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Adey Oyenuga
Yes! Yes! Yes! I don't care what Chief Yinka Adeyemi has to say
about The News, this is certainly an outfit to be reckoned with.
Lawmakers should not be disgraced publicly? What a joke. What a
yeye joke.
No wonder they voted down Uncle Sege's Anti-Corruption Bill. If
I were Uncle Sege, I will use the present opportunity/chance to
re-submit the Bill in question, then, take plead my case to the
people.
Chei, I still can't believe some of these stories. Now, we, the
populace, have to be under a vague notion that the Senators and
House of Reps. don't [really] have the best interest of Nigeria
at heart. All they [really] care about are their respective pie
cuts of the National cake. Yeye pipuls with yeye documents.....
"Buharigators" & "Torontoists" ==> Perfect Together.
Prince Adey.
At 02:40 PM 8/16/99 -0500, Chuks, Samuel wrote:
>From: "Chuks, Samuel" <SCh...@faulkner.cc.al.us>
>
><<<However, the two time senator told The
>News 10 August that "the allegations were unfounded.' He said he
>attended
>Gindiri Grade Two Teachers College between 1964 and 1967 but left in
>class
>four after a riot. "Those of us fingered as being behind the riot were
>expelled," he said. "I eventually passed the Cambridge School
>Certificate
>Examinations through correspondence with Rapid Result College in
>Government, Economics and Hausa in December 1970.">>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>
>Unless I am missing something, when did passing 3 courses in either the
>GCE or Cambridge equivalent to the WASC?? Where are the required passes
>in English and Math? Chei, man pikin cannot believe that in a country
>like Nigeria where Phds are plenti-plenti, a school drop out with 3
>passes in GCE is making laws. Is this not the case of the blind leading
>the fully sighted?
>
>And this nonsense that any further disclosures should be done through
>the Court System is ARRANT NONSENSE, nobody can tell the Press how and
>what to publish and when as long as the truth is published and the
>matter has National Security implications.
>
>We hope the TELL Magazine is watching THE NEWS and learning a thing or
>two from how professional journalists go about investigative journalism.
>
>
>
>
>Omo Oba Heaven.
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Adey Oyenuga [SMTP:oye...@chapman.edu]
>> Sent: Monday, August 16, 1999 12:21 PM
>> To: yorub...@onelist.com; naij...@esosoft.com;
>> naij...@esosoft.com; akwa-cr...@lists.stanford.edu;
>> igbo...@mcfeeley.cc.utexas.edu; RIV...@siue.edu
>> Subject: [yoruba_net] How To Fish Out More Crooks In The Polity
>> -- Where's The MGN?
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