Crying ourselves out gained’t handle the downside. We have to start to handle the points that contribute to weakening our establishments. Without that, scandals like Nnaji’s will proceed to canine our political trajectory and nationwide life. It is high-time we rolled our sleeves to make our establishments sturdy. This, as Condoleezza Rice rightly famous, will present the bedrock for our profitable democracy.
Recently, Nigerians started the week on the be aware of a scorching report by a web based newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES. The report centred round allegations that our erstwhile Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, solid his college diploma, in addition to National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) certificates.
The response was instantaneous, simply because it was predictable. Outrage. And this was understable. Ever since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, fairly a lot of excessive profile workplace holders have been caught in the net of 1 type of certificates forgery scandal or one other.
The distasteful development started in 1999 with two high principal officers of the National Assembly – Senate President Evan(s) Enwerem and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari. While Salisu Buhari falsely claimed he attended the University of Toronto, Canada, senators – and certainly, Nigerians – couldn’t inform with certainty if their Senate President was Evan or Evans Enwerem.
Ever since Evan or Evans Enwerem and Salisu Buhari, the situation of certificates forgeries has, like wild fireplace, caught up with members of the govt arm. For occasion, Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is governor of Bayelsa State at present merely due to the discrepancies in the title of the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the state, Senator Degi-Eremienyo. This was in February 2020.
Five years earlier, Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun resigned her appointment following a scandal regarding the alleged forgery of her NYSC certificates. Ms Adeosun had been invited by President Muhammadu Buhari to return from her base in the United Kingdom to be part of his authorities. It led to shame.
Instances abound of a number of different excessive profile Nigerians who’ve been enmeshed in solid certficate scandals. This naturally raises the query of if after 65 years of Independence, Nigeria has no establishments to block such embarrassment.
Enter the State Security Service (SSS), generally referred to as Department of State Services (DSS).
As far as the SSS Act is anxious, the Service is chargeable for the inside safety of Nigeria, VIP safety, and vetting of nominees for high positions. The SSS can be empowered to place individuals of curiosity on a watchlist – as well as to defending the President from embarrassment (as in the instances of Salisu Buhari, Evan(s) Enwerem, Kemi Adeosun and now, Uche Nnaji) amongst different duties. Without mincing phrases, it’s, protected to say that the SSS is a key establishment of the Nigerian State.
In her guide, Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom, Condoleezza Rice, former nationwide safety adviser and secretary of state underneath President George W Bush, believes that that establishments present the bedrock for any profitable democracy.
In different phrases, weak establishments weaken democracy. Conversely, one among the methods to weaken democracy is to first weaken establishments.
One instance that readily comes to thoughts on how we weaken an establishment is the 2016 nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC Act states {that a} nominee for the workplace of the EFCC chairman shall be screened by the Senate.
Even although it’s the President that apoints the SSS DG, the secret police wasn’t comfy that the president selected Magu. And the secret police didn’t conceal their disapproval of Mr President’s nominee.
In a letter dated 3 October, 2016, to the Clerk of the Senate, the SSS informed the senators that Magu was not match to maintain the place of EFCC chairman.
The secret police listed a number of alleged malpractices in opposition to the EFCC boss, saying his affirmation would frustrate the anti-graft drive of the administration then.
Part of the allegations in opposition to Magu was his being in possession of EFCC paperwork in his non-public residence throughout the chairmanship of Farida Waziri.
The SSS additionally made reference to the circumstances surrounding Magu’s arrest, detention and suspension by the Nigeria Police.
In addition, the secret service alleged that the sum of N40 million was paid for the rented condominium, which prices ₦20 million every year, the place Magu lived.
The SSS added that Magu’s lodging was not paid for from the fee’s account however by a presidential appointee, who had been underneath investigation. The SSS alleged that after renting the condominium for Magu, the buddy awarded a ₦43 million contract for the furnishing of the lodging.
The solely consequence of the DSS report was that every time he confronted the senators, they failed to clear him. Even at that, the President then snubbed the lawmakers and stored Magu as appearing EFCC chairman for shut to 5 years.
Thus, Magu grew to become the poster boy of the futility of safety reviews and Senate screening when political leaders and coverage makers select to weaken our establishments.
While it’s handy to discuss Magu, maybe point out needs to be manufactured from our attorneys, particularly those that aspire to make it to the peak of the bar, referred to as Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN). Oftentimes referred to as Learned Silk, to reveal the highest esteem to which they’re held, these senior attorneys lately grabbed the headlines after they opposed the screening of their colleagues shortlisted for this coveted rank by the SSS.
A former Nigerian Bar Association General Secretary, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, himself a SAN, described the safety vetting as an assault on the independence of the authorized occupation. Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu was one among the few voices that supported the SSS.
Odinkalu, who expressed shock at Akinboro’s opposition, mentioned the rule was launched in 2022 by then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, and had been utilized to SAN conferments in 2022, 2023 and 2024 with out protest.
“These people are short of candour. The rules requiring screening of SAN candidates by SSS were made by Olukayode Ariwoola in 2022. They governed SAN conferment in 2022, ’23 & ’24,” famous Odinkalu.
It has since emerged from the grapevine on the end result of the DSS screening, that a few of the nominees for the award of SAN will not be match and correct. Even with this SSS report, the identical tainted nominees nonetheless managed to wangle their manner to the swearing-in. They at the moment are addressed as “Learned Silks!” I gained’t be shocked if these SANs aren’t amongst these blaming the Senate and the DSS for “not doing a thorough job!”
Now, to our personal Minister Uche Nnaji. He resigned some time in the past. I’ve learn and heard many individuals blame the Senate and the SSS for the lapses that made it doable to swear in Nnaji as Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. Having set a harmful precedent with Magu and many extra that aren’t identified, how are we certain the powers that be even allowed Nnaji to topic himself to the rigours of screening by the SSS? How are we certain he, in the title of safety vetting, even stepped foot inside the 4 partitions of the SSS nationwide headquarters in Abuja?
The fact stays that over time, we failed to handle the query of interference with establishments. Why ought to some governors, for example, have the wherewithal to demand the deployment or removing of Police Commissioners to or from their states?
Crying ourselves out gained’t handle the downside. We have to start to handle the points that contribute to weakening our establishments. Without that, scandals like Nnaji’s will proceed to canine our political trajectory and nationwide life. It is high-time we rolled our sleeves to make our establishments sturdy. This, as Condoleezza Rice rightly famous, will present the bedrock for our profitable democracy.
Johnson Okolo, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Umuahia.