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Atsar Terver
Public Commentator
Port Harcourt
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more articles by Terver

Ibori's arrest is a fruit of due process and the rule of law, which recognizes equality of citizens before the law. To this we should actually give credit to the AGF! Without regard to rule of law, it could have been impossible to bring Ibori to book. Yar'Adua's hands-off approach has given the EFCC more teeth to bite, but this time around, they must bite within the law and leave no sacred cows. This is the AGF’s stand, whether the press wants to report it correctly or not. The Sun News for instance reported strangely that ‘after a long battle with the AGF, Ibori has finally been arrested by the EFCC’ Imagine! This reporter can do much better than that at least to justify his pay if not for journalistic integrity. I cannot remember when the AGF has been in battle with the EFCC over Ibori’s arrest.

Ibori is Arrested, Lets Apologize to the AGF
by Atsar Terver

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That Chief Michael Aondoakaa(SAN) continues to take the center stage of almost everything in our country today is a product of both hate and vendetta is becoming very apparent in view of the silence from the camp of his opponents after the arrest of Ibori. I had expected that those who castigated the AGF over perceived but unfounded allegations that he was protecting Ibori, would have had the moral courage to apologize to him now that the man is under trial by EFCC. To my consternation some of them shifted the blame to Governor Saraki of Kwara state in whose lodge the man was arrested, in order to downplay the positive role of the AGF in this regard. Another analyst told me vaguely that Ibori has been arrested to save the face of the Government and also for safer keeping and in better comfort! I am yet to understand his logic. I have consistently sought in vain to see where the AGF vowed to prevent Ibori's trial. When the Benin High court gave an order that Ibori cannot be arrested, the AGF teamed up with the EFCC in the efforts to vacate that order but as usual, the press down-played that story in order not to give the AGF credit at all cost. The truth is that if indeed, the president, wished to protect his 'friend', he could do it easily. He does not even need the AGF to do this. Yar'Adua could have simply ordered Ribadu to leave Ibori alone like OBJ prevented Adedibu, Uba and a herd of other 'royal' criminals from prosecution and none of us did anything about it. Or he could have tagged it a family affair and asked the PDP elders to 'mediate' between Ibori and his political 'enemies' and that could have ended the matter. Ibori's arrest is a fruit of due process and the rule of law, which recognizes equality of citizens before the law. To this we should actually give credit to the AGF! Without regard to rule of law, it could have been impossible to bring Ibori to book. Yar'Adua's hands-off approach has given the EFCC more teeth to bite, but this time around, they must bite within the law and leave no sacred cows. This is the AGF’s stand, whether the press wants to report it correctly or not. The Sun News for instance reported strangely that ‘after a long battle with the AGF, Ibori has finally been arrested by the EFCC’ Imagine! This reporter can do much better than that at least to justify his pay if not for journalistic integrity. I cannot remember when the AGF has been in battle with the EFCC over Ibori’s arrest. Erroneously obsessed with the idea that sacking the AGF could be injurious to him, these anti-corruption zealots kept the heat on his removal rather than ponder the points of law guiding each and every of his actions. Unfortunately I believe the man has reasons to believe that he is ready to face the boot with professional integrity rather than keeping the job by whatever means. In fact, the AGF is reported to have said that he does not care if he is fired from his position based on the work he is currently doing. He has probably recognized, that as a legal luminary, and at his age, he is proud to have achieved about the highest one could possibly attain in his field and he couldn't have asked for more. He most likely understands that not everybody agrees with his stand but it is important to note that what he is doing has never been done before in this country therefore it is not surprising that a section of the press and a cross section of Nigerians will continue to criticize and ask for his removal.  Comparatively however, it is obvious that Aondoakaa is ‘perfect’ when put side by side with most of the AGFs we have had. I note with great horror for instance that barely a year ago, our then AGF was a wanted felon in London on charges of money laundering, yet he was our Chief Law Officer and except for one paper that carried it and the foreign media, no other news media in Nigeria carried that story. Here we were making so much noise about a perceived allegation that our current AGF was shielding a corrupt ex governor when the previous one was a corrupt wanted felon himself. We applauded him even when he (mis) interpreted Supreme Court judgments and picked which ones to obey.  The EFCC (Ribadu to be precise) is playing a survival game, which most Nigerians don’t seem to understand. We appear to be so hyped up with the idea of corruption fight that we have lost our sense of balance and objectivity. People accused the AGF severally over Ibori but could not point out when and where the AGF prevented the EFCC from arresting Ibori. They should have also asked the question; why did it take the EFCC this long to arrest and arraign Ibori? Or did he suddenly just become corrupt after OBJ left office? The EFCC of the past had so much power then that they could even arrest a sitting governor! Why has it taken the EFCC this long to do what it should have done a long time ago? Then the issue of Ibori’s trial in Britain became the catchword. They posited that unless Ibori is extradited to go face charges of money laundering in London, the Yar’Adua administration couldn’t be serious about corruption. The questions they failed to answer are: Is Ibori under the British AG's are of jurisdiction or Aondoakaa's? This alone is enough justification for Aondoakaa to ask the British to back off. Even if Ibori was in a British jail, Aondoakaa has every right to ask for Ibori to be extradited to Nigeria to face trial from the people he stole money from. It is an insult for the British to have the guts to ask that Ibori be returned to London for trial. Did Ibori jump bail in London? Why are they not asking for Alamayiesiagha and Dariye who jumped bail? For goodness sake, if Aondoakaa steps aside for Ibori to be returned to London for trial, what is his job? If this is going to be the first time the British ask and someone is returned to Britain for trial, can anyone tell me when the British will stop asking for people to be returned or in fact for all criminals to be shipped to London for trial? My fellow Nigerians I am asking you to free yourselves from mental slavery. Emancipate yourselves. Are we still under British rule? Is it not the British that taught Nigerians how to steal and where to take the stolen goods? Look at British West Africa and French West Africa. Can you see any difference? Who should be asking for who to be put on trial and where? - Aondoakaa should be asking the British for all those involved in handling Ibori's stolen money to be shipped to Nigeria to stand trial. Is this what the British is trying to avoid and instead decided to ask for Ibori first? Think about it. Who stole who's money? - It is Nigeria's money that was stolen. It is Nigeria's right and place not the British to bring Ibori to justice. They need to stay where they belong and that is not in Nigeria. They have done enough damage. Who collaborated with who in stealing the money? - It is Nigeria's money not British money that was stolen by a Nigerian with British collaborator!. Where I come from it he whose property is stolen that has the right to request justice, not he who collaborated with the thief. Who accepted stolen money? -The money was not taken to London in one block. It was taken there in small chunks over a period of time. Why was it accepted and not rejected? Who has been and is still making use of the money? Who is gaining interest on the money? Even if Ibori is a British citizen, his first country of citizenship is Nigeria. Aondoakaa will disgrace Nigeria and Africa more than anyone has or will, should he stand by and let Ibori be returned to London for trial. That will indicate very clearly how incompetent he Aondoakaa and the Nigerian judicial system are. This is basically saying to Father, you are not qualified to discipline your own son, so let me teach you how to do it. If this is the only reason why Aondoakaa blocks Ibori's return to and trial in London, I will say he has earned his place in Nigeria's history towards self-determination and return of respect to Nigeria. How insulting and I feel very sorry for those who feel that Aondoakaa should bow down for the almighty British hypocrites. What just happened in Sudan? The British lady named a doll the wrong name. They arrested, tried and sentenced her. What happened? The British government sent a team to get her out of jail and return her to London a free person. Meaning she did nothing wrong. On the other hand, Ibori "steals " Nigeria's money in collaboration with British banks. The British fearing further shame quickly ask that Ibori be returned to London for trial and some of the British ‘slaves’ say, "hail the queen" and return Ibori - How unfortunate. We should bury your heads in shame. What is Aondoakaa supposed to do? If he plays politics, we will accuse him of playing politics. He sticks to his gun on the side of Law; we say he knows too much law. OBJ used Ribadu to witch-hunt. Let Yar'Adua use Aondoakaa to build a foundation for the rule of law. Someone has to sacrifice for the good of the people and if Aondoakaa is the lamb, so be it. He is the one wearing the shoe and knows exactly how it feels. He has a right to resign if and when he decides. However those who feel that he is not doing his job (as prescribed by them and not the Nigerian Constitution) can continue to make as much noise as they wish. At least that is allowed under their freedom of speech. But to hope that Yar’Adua would replace him simply on the weight of these baseless accusations is akin to sorcery. As for me Aondoakaa is representing himself, his Tiv people, Nigeria, Africa and Justice like no one has ever had the guts to do. Yes, he is qualified and may have been chosen to run the office of the AGF to represent his State in Nigeria's picture but he has to protect his integrity first and it is he and he alone that knows how to do that. There is life after politics and Nigerians will have nothing to do with him after politics except he leaves a good legacy. Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

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