NASS and the ‘scammers’ within

National Assembly

The recent allegation that there are fraudsters in the National Assembly may have grave implications on public perception of the legislature, writes Stephen Gbadamosi.

Whether consciously or otherwise, Nigerian leaders are gradually moving the country towards the dream of the populace. From indications, the country may soon enter a phase in its political sojourn in which it would be conscious of the need to avoid putting people of questionable characters in positions of responsibility. If feelers from the upper chambers of the National Assembly are anything to go by, there are truly better days ahead.

The process began when a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), now a senator, Nuhu Aliyu, alleged that some members of the National Assembly engaged in advanced fee fraud as part-time vocation. The Senate was considering a motion on the new wave of anti-corruption war when Aliyu alleged that there were still ‘419’ members in the National Assembly. His colleagues were obviously opposed to the allegation, going by the disquiet it caused in the two chambers of the National Assembly.

What political analysts found most intriguing was the eagerness of the federal lawmakers to have the allegation probed. Indeed, the Senate unanimously resolved to mandate its Ethics and Privileges Committee to investigate the senator and make him mention the names of the alleged 419ners. Even then, lawmakers in the House of Representatives felt they should not leave the probe to the Senate alone. They, through a widely supported motion moved by Honourable Halims Agoda, asked the House Ethics and Privileges Committee to take Aliyu to task.

It was in the House that the nuances of Aliyu’s allegation were thoroughly debated. The lawmakers contended that the matters involved should not be swept under the carpet in view of their implications on the integrity of the National Assembly. Some people argued that if the investigation into the allegation could be carried to its logical conclusion and the alleged fraudulent legislators exposed, the National Assembly would have proved a point. The idea many of the lawmakers canvassed was that Aliyu’s allegation could not have centred on members who were involved in Advanced Fee Fraud only but also on members who have cases of certificate forgery to answer. It pre-supposes that Aliyu was not crying wolf where there was none.

The National Assembly in the on-going Fourth Republic had taken off amid allegations of forgery and pejury leveled against the leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It started when Alhaji Salisu Buhari, the then speaker of the House of Representatives, fell to the allegation. Buhari had initially denied forging his certificate and lying about his age. But when the truth caught up with him, he apologised to his colleagues and gracefully bowed out of office.

The first Senate President in the republic, late Senator Evan Enwerem, also went through moments of humiliation with a similar kind of allegation leveled against him. Like Buhari, he also lost his seat by impeachment for failing to prove his innocence on the allegations leveled against him.

Not long after, public attention turned to a former member of the House of Representatives, the late Maurice Ibekwe. His hour of trouble came when the newly established Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu needed to demonstrate gut in fighting financial crimes and money laundering. Ribadu’s targets were the big and established 419ners and the late Ibekwe was one of them. Ribadu went after him and made headline news about the arrest.

Before Ibekwe’s eventual death, not a few Nigerians wondered how Ibekwe, who had been an acclaimed “419” kingpin, found his way into the National Assembly. Ibekwe’s idea was perhaps to exploit his membership of the House to erase his past exploits in the 419 racket, only that he realised late that nemesis is no respecter of time and opportunity. His arrest and trial for advance fee fraud was one of the high points of Ribadu’s career at the commission. Had the likes of Mr. Fred Ajudua, a popular lawyer and “419” maestro, not had his cup full, by now, he would have also aspired to become a national legislator.

Advance fee fraud is an economic crime, so also are breach of public trust, embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds. The events which had played out in national politics in the last eight years are enough to give every Nigerian the benefit of hindsight upon such allegation as that of Aliyu.

The general contention now is, if former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara, could be eased out of office for allegedly soiling his hands (and mouth) in a case of bribery in the Senate; if former speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Etteh, could allow herself to be rubbished by her alleged involvement in a contract scandal; if former President Olusegun Obasanjo could become a subject of public odium emanating from past deeds such as alleged fraudulent sale of Delta Steel Company as a scrap only for it to be sold for tens of billions of naira, then such an allegation as Aliyu’s should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand.

That the issue of war against fraudulent practices by federal lawmakers is assuming a frontline status in their agenda appears to be offering a ray of hope for Nigeria. However, the snag in the new development is Aliyu’s resolve not to help the matter. The senator who had hitherto boasted about going ahead to name his colleagues whom he said were fraudulent, suddenly chickened out and begged for forgiveness on the allegation earlier made. It was not only the federal lawmakers who were taken aback by the turn of events, the entire nation was also aghast.

The question is why did Aliyu chicken out? Could he have been blackmailed or threatened by those suspected as culpable? Some people have alleged that Aliyu himself might have been a law enforcement agent, but that he is not ‘clean’. Moreover, if Aliyu could go ahead to mention names, he would have a serious hurdle of proving the allegation to scale, since he only claimed to have investigated some of the alleged scammers; he did not say they were, at least, arraigned.

Aliyu had confused Nigerians the more with his claim that he was no longer prepared to name anyone in respect of his allegation. Notwithstanding, he admitted that if the House of Representatives would invite him, he would appear before it although he added a proviso – the House would have to go through the Senate President to have him appear before it.

Notwithstanding, the House seems not prepared to take the matter lying low with the senator. The Speaker, Honourable Dimeji Bankole, had insinuated that heads would roll over the allegation. “It is serious. We are going to look at it and it will be in the public domain,” the Speaker was quoted to have said.

While speaking on the matter recently, the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator Kamarudeen Adedibu, said he did not expect an experienced senator like Aliyu to have made such a statement.

“I respect Aliyu as a Senator. He is a ranking senator, but I think this time round, he made a mistake. I don’t expect an experienced politician like him to make such a mistake. The lesson he has taught the Senate is that we should be careful of what we say. If we don’t mean it, we shouldn’t say it. I believe he has the right to retract his words, but, for me, that is not good enough,” he said.

But former Oyo State governor, Alhaji Lam Adesina, did not see Aliyu’s utterance as a mistake. Adesina said the senator did not make a mistake, but actually meant what he said. He said Aliyu had made the same allegation during his first term as senator.

“I think it is true that the man is afraid of something. He actually meant what he said. He had said during his first term that there were criminals in the National Assembly. But I think he is a lilly-livered person to have recanted,” Adesina said.

So, what could Honourable Bankole be waiting for? Already, Nigerians have been expressing the view that the National Assembly has been given the challenge to set the tone for a new vista of the anti-corruption war. Even if Aliyu had apologised to his colleagues, his apology can never equal Nigerians’ quest for truth, transparency, morality and respect for sanctity of the legislature. That the searchlight should be beamed on the legislative arm by the prompting of a ranking senator is a welcome development.