Stale News: Ibori's conviction cost N4.4bn –Senate - The Punch

My New Take:
Based on the current state of the Nigerian
economy, I think Nigerians should be prepared for a long walk in the desert. If it took N4.4bn to prosecute Ibori, I imagine that FG would have to spend several billions of $ to simultaneously pursue the many cases of corruption currently facing the nation.


I also expect that many of the corrupt former political officer holders would have ensured that the monies they stole would have gone through due process. Which means tracking these monies may be harder than in the time of Ibori.

For instance Ex Gov Uduagan was fingered in most of the cases of corruption that Ex Gov Ibori faced. He like many others would have seen the mistakes they made during the "Ibori days" and would have ensured no traces are left in the stealing process after that. To get a clearer picture, imagine probing someone like Okonjo Iweala (I do not mean she was corrupt, but she has been accused and we expect her to be charged in due time). Yes, just imagine, go on, imagine.

It is also fact that many of these accused have the resources, the friends (they include opinion leaders, Judges, prosecutors, highly placed public office holders and highly placed civil servants who can alter or make files disappear like smoke in the air), they have watch men -witch doctors, pastors and imams - who can render "spiritual" help if the need arises.

These men will be ready to deploy both otumokpo and legal means to fight their case. The will be ready to even pay FG's lawyers and Judges to deliberately omit or submit in their favour.

In the long run I think the average case may take years to round up, and I expect about 20% success with a giangantic media hype to portray success.

Nigerians should also expect to spend a huge amount on lawyers, auditors, investigators and others. In short the overall monies recovered may be lesser than the amount spent on pursuing these cases.

My submission is that PMB must go to the drawing board and find ways to make the system incorruptable, he must like GEJ build structures that will make stealing of public funds impossible or very difficult. He must design methods to discourage corruption. He must encourage whistle blowers in the system.

The best way to fight corruption is by being proactive rather than reactive unless of course one intends to use the anti-corruption fight to score cheap political points. The sure thing is that Lawyers will be smiling to the back onn both sides.