By Igbotako Nowinta
The paradox of the looted funds by James Onanefe Ibori, is the excruciating fact that a massively rich oil producing state in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, is being held hostage by his political clones, who are currently looting the state in every way possible. This is evident from the level of naked, brazen and chronic underdevelopment we see, in comparison with the billions of internally generated funds and the statutory allocations coming regularly to the state from the Federal Government. Abubakar Malami and his desperate long-throats in Abuja, who are reeling out every tactical cum technical chapters in our books and that of international statues, to justify their inordinate greed, must return the £4.2 million to Delta State. All Deltans must begin a new frontal advocacy to furiously engage the masses of Delta State, to ensure that they put an end to the rule of the current political gangsters and buccaneers in Nigeria. If James Ibori, who was convicted in a UK Court in 2012, after pleading guilty to ten charges of money laundering and fraud, is not a modern day Attila the Huns in Delta State, how do we place this character who was given an open democratic check to transform Deltans from the horrors that military rule dumped on them on May 29th, 1999?
The news came to me with absolute concern, seething anger and genuine worry, that the United Kingdom Government is returning some of the Delta State funds looted by James Onanefe Ibori, former Governor of the State.
Expectedly, many Deltans and Nigerians were elated and excited; they saw the news as a good one, in the sense that such whooping amount would be thrown back to our country, at this point in time, given the prevailing social, economic, political and security strangulation in Nigeria.
But, when the news started going round that the Federal Government is eyeing the looted money that was taken brazenly from Delta State, to be used to solve other national infrastructural deficits, many concerned Nigerians, raised eyebrows, and demanded that the repatriated loot must be given back to the people of Delta State, for obvious reasons.
I hereby join the fray of condemnations, that on no account must the Federal Government of Nigeria corner this controversial funds that rightly belongs to the long suffering people of Delta State.
In as much as l advocate that this sudden financial windfall inherently belongs to the brutalized and impoverished citizens of Delta State, l am equally furious and foaming that a character like James Onanefe Ibori and his nest of rouges could have committed such horrendous and atrocious crime against his people.
For eight solid years, a dangerous and conscienceless criminal and his battalion of thieves inhabited the political firmament of Delta State; instead of offering genuine democratic governance based on transparency, equity and accountability, they recklessly stole with impunity and bravado.
The continuous rule of the People’s Democratic Party PDP) in Delta State with James Ibori as the undefeated super heavyweight political champion cum godfather, reminds me of the barbaric state of things with Attila in the 5th century.
Attila presided over the Hunnic Empire between 434 and 453 AD . He was nicknamed the ‘Scourge of God” because of the extreme pillaging and brutal treatment he gave to the Roman cities. Attila was a crime kingpin that kept a confederation of tribes under his grip.
James Ibori appears every inch a reincarnation of Attila the Hun, who debased, dehumanized, shortchanged and ridiculed Roman subjects, using his privileged position as a warlord and politician to commit one of the worst atrocities in human documented history.
I concur one hundred percent with the views of some Niger Delta militants who have recently asked Delta State politicians to account for about N5.5 trillion oil derivation funds they have pocketed since General Abdusallam Abubakar left the political scene in 1999.
He who wears the shoes knows where it pinches most. It is heart wrenching to know that the vast majority of Deltans have been taken for a ride for too long.
Who do we blame in this nauseating scenario – Abubakar Malami or the people who have the supreme sovereignty? We should be strategizing on how to stop a fresh looting of our resources in Delta State.
Who says worse looting is not going on since Ibori left the scene, given the way lbori successors consciously and scientifically tried to shield him within Nigerian courts; and the level of shamelessness displayed by them when Ibori finished his jail term in the United Kingdom?
The paradox of the looted funds by James Onanefe Ibori, is the excruciating fact that a massively rich oil producing state in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, is being held hostage by his political clones, who are currently looting the state in every way possible.
This is evident from the level of naked, brazen and chronic underdevelopment we see, in comparison with the billions of internally generated funds and the statutory allocations coming regularly to the state from the Federal Government.
Abubakar Malami and his desperate long-throats in Abuja, who are reeling out every tactical cum technical chapters in our books and that of international statues, to justify their inordinate greed, must return the £4.2 million to Delta State.
All Deltans must begin a new frontal advocacy to furiously engage the masses of Delta State, to ensure that they put an end to the rule of the current political gangsters and buccaneers in Nigeria.
If James Ibori, who was convicted in a UK Court in 2012, after pleading guilty to ten charges of money laundering and fraud, is not a modern day Attila the Huns in Delta State, how do we place this character who was given an open democratic check to transform Deltans from the horrors that military rule dumped on them on May 29th, 1999?
Like Attila who was simply a spoiler and a destroyer, Ibori became a terror to the people he was supposed to lift from the throes of underdevelopment, hunger, disease, squalor and want.
lbori betrayed his inaugural oath of office; he squandered Delta’s abundant resources, he stole and stole and made his political bedfellows overnight multi-billionaires, who in turn made him their eternal king.
Looking at the £4.2 million repatriated, enough to help cushion the effect of poverty in Delta State, it is purely insane that a group of mindless political bandits actually committed this gigantic crime against fellow Deltans.
It is incredible that James Ibori’s infinite political kingship and sovereignty, even extended to the prison walls in United Kingdom, where his words rang like the nostalgic headmaster’s bell through the length and breadth of Delta.
It was so much so that, his inexperienced, politically immature and innocent daughter, Erhiatake Ibori – Sueni, was able to win an election into the Delta State House of Assembly in his absence. She is presently eyeing a third term.
Nowinta wrote: Where We Are, A Call For Democratic Revolution In Nigeria.
