AHMADU ALI AGAIN!!!
Society for Ethics in Nigeria
The PDP Chairman Dr. Ahmadu Ali is at it again. (remember the PDTF
imbroglio in which he hurriedly refunded money to the Agency?) Well he
is in his element again.
The Guardian Newspapers of October 3, 2007 reported the able Chairman
holding closed-door meetings with the embattled Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Madam Patricia Etteh and other principal officers
of the House, over the alleged N628miilion house renovation contract
scam (or was it N238million?). At the end of the meeting, he was
reported to have read the riot act to PDP members in the HOuse who
dare insist on the impeachment of the Madam Speaker.
We at the Society for Ethics in NIgeria have nothing against the PDP
Chairman holding meetings with the embattled Speaker or anybody else
for that matter. Our worry is his utterances at the end of the meeting
and its effect on the generality of the citizens of this country.
Interpreted properly, the Chairman is sending a message to the members
of the House that no matter what must have happened, the PDP must
close ranks and support the Madam Speaker. The question we would like
to ask is: Close ranks against who? Should the PDP close ranks
against Nigerians? Is he saying that our interests no longer ,matter
except that of the PDP? Is the PDP now a club of gentlemen? Is it a
cult? Quite a lot of questions begging for answers really.
Our fear is that although some of the legislators have vowed to go
ahead with their impeachment plot, there may be some who might
actaully take the Chairman at his word and back out, especially if
some inducement is added, either in cash or in kind. If this happens,
then Nigerians should brace themselves for another harrowing period of
governance, reminiscent of the Abacha days, because it means that the
PDP has turned into a gang, and when gangsters masquerade as
politicians, what happens is best imagined. The Nazi Germany of the
1930s -1945 is a classical example of where unethical conduct becomes
state policy. The wounds and scars of the resultant war are yet to be
completely healed, over 60years after.
What we are saying is that, as a political party, the PDP are to be
seen to be above-board in their dealings with the citizenry. A
situation where a Speaker of the House of Assembly becomes a party in
the renovation of her official residence vacated by an erstwhile
occupant not quite 6months for whatever amount exceeding what she can
reasonably spend from her own pocket under the same circumstance is
unethical. She can quote every law under the sun to back up her claim.
She can even say it passed due process. But we all know it is
unethicall because it is unfair, and we do not expect her to be party
to it "ab initio". The fact that she can approve such for herself
undder any guise is not only absurd, it goes to show some of the flaws
in our system.
We also believe that Dr. Ali have lost touch with the feelings of the
Nigerian and feels he can order his gang to do whatever they want.It
does not matter whether such an act passed the moral barometer or not.
We do npot blame him for this. We believe he is suffering from power
drunkenness as described by the late former Fed. Minister of Works in
the Abacha regime, Gen. Adisa, who said in one of his memorable
reminiscenes that when you are up there, the feeling is like you are a
"god" capable of doing and undoing anything. We therefore can forgive
the Chairman for such unguarded utterances. We would however remind
him to learn the lesson of what became of those who wielded the same
power before him. He should know that whatever goes up, must surely
come down.
The PDP must discountenance the Charman's utterances and allow justice
to prevail. Justice must be done or seen to have been done. Whatever
the outcome of the debate on the Idoko Panel Report, Madam Speaker
should resign from office for the simple reason that she has
demonstrated unethical conduct in the performance of her duties. Where
she refuses to go honourably, then the House should impeach her.
Nigeria can not be taken for a ride like this anymore. Enough is
enough.
Regards
Whiskey, Isaac U.
National Coordinator
N.B. Will it really matter whether she is impeached or not? Afterall,
if Evan(s) Enwerem could be forgiven by the Senate in order to bury
him like a former Senate President, why should she be afraid of
soiling her name?
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