19 April 2009

Lagos — Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has dismissed suggestions by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, that he was looking for cheap ways to seek political asylum outside the country by criticising the anti-graft fight of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

"I have no other passport than my Nigerian passport and I intend to live the rest of my life and die in Nigeria," el-Rufai, who is currently studying at the Harvard University, United States, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his media consultant, Mr. Goodluck Ebelo.

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri, had also said on Tuesday that the agency had begun extradition process for el-Rufai who has been declared wanted for alleged corrupt practices.

"Regarding the threat of extradition, it bears noting that government officials have been puffing about this since December 2008 when they announced that they had contacted Interpol to trace and apprehend him. They are welcome to persist in their pursuit of extradition," the statement said.

The statement read: "Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has no apology for making public his view on the non-performance, inertia and cluelessness of the Yar'Adua government. He stands by the patriotic comments reported in his recent interviews with Nigerian newspapers. When he decided to state his case to the Nigerian people through the press, he was aware that there would be a backlash from the officials of a government which has spent a considerable proportion of its time in office libeling his person and devising means by which they seek to deny him his liberty and property. He is not surprised by the viciousness of the lies spawned by these government officials, but they will not stop him from exercising his rights to all the safeguards the constitution affords a citizen, including free speech and the presumption of innocence.

"Let it be clear that nobody will keep Mallam el-Rufai out of Nigeria. He has reiterated his intention to return home upon completion of his course of studies at Harvard. He has no need or desire to seek asylum, but would not be stampeded to abandon his studies to make the government happy.

"We note that Michael Aondoakaa and Mrs. Farida Waziri have already pronounced el-Rufai guilty. They are part of a government which has been persecuting el-Rufai because the government believes, as Aondoakaa told the press, that el-Rufai wanted to be president.

"It is strange that those who wield power in Nigeria feel so insecure, and are prepared to go after prominent citizens merely on suspicion of their political goals. Perhaps their unease reflects a recognition of Mallam el-Rufai's status as a popular public officer who performed well in office, unlike the current government that has done close to nothing in two years. Rather than wallow in irrational envy of such a man, would it not be better to actually attempt to better his record?"

Meanwhile, the Pres-ident of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has been engaged by el-Rufai to defend him on the eight-count charge against him by the EFCC.

A statement signed by Akeredolu read: "On a cursory look at the charges, it is crystal clear that it is a desperate move on the part of the government to nail Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and stifle alternative opinions in the land. It is a known fact that all the beneficiaries of the alleged allocations of land in the FCT are ordinary Nigerians constitutionally entitled to a parcel of land in the FCT.

"Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has served this country meritoriously and restored the Abuja master plan. In some other jurisdictions, he will be recognized and commended for a job well done, however in our own country, the reverse is the case. All those who looted the government treasury are walking free and enjoying their booty while Mallam Nasir el-Rufai who has stood his neck for the betterment of our fatherland is being persecuted for his strong views against reactionary policies of the government and according to the Attorney General of the Federation yesterday in the news for daring to have presidential ambition.

"Let it be known that our client is a law abiding citizen and has not contravened any law of the land and he is ready to stand up against the phantom charges proffered against him. We shall on our part ensure that he gets justice within the ambit of the laws of the land."

Aondoakaa had on Tuesday dismissed el-Rufai's allegations that the Federal Government is insincere in the fight against corruption.

The Attorney-General said the government was more concerned now with cleaning the "corruption mess" el-Rufai left behind in the FCT, vowing to employ every legal means to repatriate the ex-minister to Nigeria to face corruption charges.

The Attorney-General said the government was not unaware that el-Rufai was certainly "aiming at something. He is trying to get political asylum by trying to criticise government so that eventually when I charge him to court and make a request from that government for his extradition, he will say it is because he is criticising the government".