WHAT OFFENCE HAS PARIYA COMMITTED?

By Jide Ayobolu <jideayobolu@yahoo.co.uk> Oct 3, 2006

The desperate attempt by the security goons of President Olusegun Obasanjo to kidnap Umar Pariya, the personal assistant to the vice president Atiku Abubakar, is a very horrendous development that calls for urgent attention. The idea is that, if he is taken out of circulation, the information about the very corrupt nature of the dealings of the president, particularly as it concerns, the president’s withdrawal from both the MOFAS and Marine Float account, which he has denied, but that is presently dripping with torrential rapidity will stop forthwith. The point is that, if the president is not rabidly corrupt, and is not engaged in any shady and under- the- table deals, there would be no need whatsoever, for him to be kidnapped. A number of failed attempts have been made to abduct him, with unmarked cars, filled tall, huge people always wearing dark glasses on, trying to cash in, on the slightest opportunity to take him out. The president in concert with his co- travelers are also trying to arraign Pariya before the code of conduct bureau, but the fact remains that, he is not a public servant. All the negative publicity given to Pariya is done in bad faith and taste, in a vindictive, callous and evil manner to paint the vice president Atiku Abubakar black, give him a bad name and destroy him politically so that, he would not be able to contest for 2007 presidential election.

It is also very important to point out that both the warped EFCC report and kangaroo administrative panel report did a very poor and shoddy job in an attempt to nail the vice president at all cost. For one, the PTDF accounts, and that of the MOFAS and Marine Float account are distinct accounts. The PTDF money put in ETB by the vice president has been returned to government with all the interest that accrued to it, the one placed in TIB is in the safe custody of Spring Bank, the new owners of the bank after the consolidation exercise. And, both reports did not say that any PTDF money administered by the VP was missing or that the VP benefited directly and indirectly from the PTDF funds.

The other accounts are accounts for the joint Obasanjo/Atiku campaign for 2003. Hence, the money withdrawn by Pariya were not for his personal use, but indeed, withdrawn on behalf of the VP, for the use of the PDP to ensure a resounding victory at the 2003 polls. But if the government is very serious, why is Bodunde Adeyanju not also placed on the same scale with Pariya, since Adeyanju equally withdrew funds from the PTDF on behalf of president Obasanjo from the controversial accounts in contention. This goes to show very evidently that the Obasanjo’s government is not serious about genuinely fighting corruption. If really this government is determined to tackle the menace of graft then, it is president Obasanjo that will first be put behind bars. This because more than anybody else, the president has demonstrated an uncommon, unusual and limitless capacity and capability for graft and acquisition of the collective patrimony of the Nigerian people. This was a man who in 1998 cannot boost of N20, 000 in his bank account; in fact he owed banks over N200million before he was bailed out by some compassionate Nigerians. Yet, today he is the richest Nigerian and the richest African president today, so what is the source of his sudden stupendous wealth?

Obasanjo and his security goons should stop chasing shadows. Pariya has done no wrong; he has not contravened any law. He is indeed a law-abiding citizen that is loyal to his boss, which is the right thing to do. The president is just deliberately over-heating the polity because he has no plans to relinquish power. He wants to stay on in power till he dies, so in order to manipulate the political cum electoral process as well as create fear in the minds of Nigerians. Corruption is still very alive, and it is done in very high places in government, and it has more or less become the official policy of the country. Hence, the government stop engage in any wild-goose-chase, leave Pariya alone he has done nothing wrong, he is a gentleman, who respect the laws of the country. The Obasanjo government is gradually turning Nigeria into an organized police state, a banana republic which was not the plan of the founding fathers of Nigeria and the desire of Nigerians for this country, Obasanjo should learn to be civil and stop his barbaric clampdown on opposition.

By Jide Ayobolu

No 19 Gongola Street, Garki 2,

Abuja-Nigeria.