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17 April 2009 The President of the Nigerian Bar
Association (NBA), Mr. Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu (SAN)
yesterday blasted the government of President Umaru
Musa Yar'adua, saying the administration is not
committed to the fight against corruption as it
claimed, but rather harbours corrupt officials.
The NBA president who was addressing a press
conference in Abuja alleged that: "The government of
Yar'adua is comfortable in deceiving the people of
this country and the Attorney General of the
Federation (AGF) and the Minister of Justice, Chief
Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN) presented himself as the
most willing tool to be used in this process of
deceit.
We are not mincing words to say that the government
is not serious and Nigerians must take up the
challenge and the bar is trying other measures with
which to confront the government because, it appears
that only what this government hear is a blunt
confrontation", the NBA boss said.
Akeredolu lamented that the issue of corruption is
still prominent in the nation's polity, pointing out
that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other
related offences Commission (ICPC) appear helpless in
the fight against corruption.
Commenting on the Halliburton bribery scandal, the
NBA boss said unless those involved in the scam are
named before long, Nigeria's efforts at re-branding
the image of the country would be rubbished before the
outside world
While noting that Aondoakaa's statement that the
government awaits the release of the names of those
involved in the scam from the American authorities
should not be a ploy to sweep the matter under the
carpet, the NBA president called on the federal
government to ensure that the identities of all those
involved are revealed now that part of the proceeds
from the criminal act has been traced to the Swiss
Bank.
"We recommend that the same means through which
Abacha's loot was recovered by the previous
administration should be employed to unmask the names
behind the dedicated accounts in Zurich and wherever
the money may have been lodged. This should not be
difficult at all", he stated. |
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