“Follow the
money” suggests a money trail or corruption scheme or financial transactions,
bribery payoffs, and money laundering within high political office.
Sometimes
these things are well hidden and sometimes they can be traced.
Saraki's
long, long list of scandals, improprieties, and other brazen corrupt practices
add a new entry: the $2 million bribe to the CCT Chairman Danladi Umar. The
list of such heinous corrupt deals by Saraki is staggering. We all know how far
and how deep his involvement in corruption scandals. We've also witnessed his
perfection and sophistication in corruption binge frenzy in the private sector
as well as in politics. Saraki's addiction to corruption is like addiction to
drugs. To suggest that Saraki only engages in simple avarice linked to power is
to canonize Satan. Saraki is the most famous untouchable corrupt politician of
our time.
Thanks to SaharaReporters,
it's no more secret that Saraki bought Umar for eye-popping $2 million to avoid
spending jail term in Kuje or Kirikiri maximum prison for 18-count charge
falsification of assets. Since SaharaReporters broke the news about the $2
million purchase of Umar, neither Saraki nor Umar has denied the report. A
confirmation of SaharaReporters story. Saraki is specialized in methodical
bribery of judges. The size of bribe given to Umar indicates how much Saraki
was willing to pay to buy off any judge who's able to check his power and his
invincibility.
With the
hospitalization of President Buhari, vice-president Yemi Osinbajo finds himself
in a strong position. Let's take stock. Until now, Buhari never held an
elective office. He ran for the presidency three times before he finally won.
The fact is, Buhari has got to be political and must surround himself with
politicians. Osinbajo was never elected into political office. He was Attorney
General and Commissioner for Justice Lagos State under Tinubu administration.
Osinbajo may turn out to be the most important of the lot.
The two men
– Buhari and Osinbajo – didn't previously know one another, but became friends
since they ran on APC presidential ticket. They are a study in opposites.
Buhari is a military man. Osinbajo is a law professor. Buhari is a Muslim.
Osinbajo is a Pastor. Buhari is older and slow. Osinbajo is younger and
restless. However, both must now work together to fulfill their election
campaign promises. Osinbajo is now in a position to reshape, recast, and even
rewrite the history of Buhari administration by breaking protocols, and by
making a radical departure from the past. And more importantly, by seizing the
golden opportunity of his life to act decisively, boldly, courageously, wisely,
and swiftly by preventing Saraki from getting away with murder.
At a time
when Nigerians are not sure how soon Buhari will be back, an intriguing
question presents itself: how much else will be devolved to Osinbajo? Might his
duties including running the Nigerian government be total? Historically in
Nigeria, the office of the vice-president has been largely a spectator one.
Often a place where presidents have mothballed prominent rivals (remember OBJ
and Atiku?). But given the economic meltdown and political crisis in the
country, the right vice-president can play an influential role.
Now is the
time for Osinbajo to step forward and investigate the $2 million bribe from
Saraki to Umar. Now is the time for him to go on live television to address the
nation on the miscarriage of justice that let Saraki walked out unscathed. Now
is the time for Osinbajo to apologize to Nigerians for the injustice inflicted
on us by a criminal and corrupt judicial system that let Saraki escaped
justice. He should express our collective rage and disappointment about the
verdict. Above all, he should promise
the Nigerian people that he'll follow the money that bought Umar to rule in
favor of Saraki. In this wise, he should appoint a three-member panel of
credible, respected, honest, and trusted Nigerians to investigate the
Saraki-Umar gate and report back to the nation with seven days. Once the fact
of the bribery that influenced Umar's judgment has been established, both
Saraki and Umar should be arrested
immediately and face prosecution.
Because
Saraki's case is the litmus test for Buhari's signature program – war on
corruption – the retrial should be expedited without the usual phony delays,
postponements, and adjournments that attended the first trial. Osinbajo is a
law professor. I need not remind him that where the rule of law ends tyranny
begins.
Who knows if
perhaps Osinbajo is vice-president for just such a time as this?
bjoluwasanmi@gmail.com
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