After EFCC arrests, more ex-govs flee town

Following the arrest of three former governors by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), more ex-governors have begun an exodus out of Abuja. The arrest of the trio has generated so much tension within their camp, that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as those who served during their respective tenures. Weekly Trust investigation revealed that some of the former governors who hitherto had besieged Abuja, especially those speculated to be on the anti-graft agency’s watch-list, have hurriedly left the FCT.
In the wake of the arrests of Aliyu Akwe Doma (Nasarawa), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun) and Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), ex-governors are expected to toe the line in a short while. The trio led the arrest line-up because of what many view as the gravity of the allegations against them as well as the striking revelations that emanated from the anti-graft commission’s investigations. Political analysts, however, told Weekly Trust that besides the corruption perspective, they have caused their party serious injuries in their respective domains, making it double trouble for them. In the words of Nandom Timothy, a researcher at the Center for Development and Diplomatic Studies in Abuja, “They could not manage their states decently enough and also failed in the political calculations. They embarrassed their party and also mismanaged tax payers’ money in their states.”

However, Nandom said, the arrests might not yield much after the initial drama, judging by the track record of the EFCC in pursuing cases involving high-profile politicians. He added: “Then, the big issue is the seeming rot in the judiciary at the moment.”

While the EFCC could not arrest the former governors when they were in office because of the immunity clause that shielded them, their aides were interrogated by the agency and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Sometime in March 2011, there were unconfirmed reports that Daniel and his counterparts in Oyo and Imo states, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Ikedi Ohakim and Nasarawa’s Akwe Doma, among others, were penciled for arrest by the EFCC on the expiration of their tenure in office, following allegations of corruption.

There is no doubt that before assuming office, the incumbent governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had indicated interest to probe the immediate-past administration headed by Daniel. Other analysts say it is the determination of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo to see to the prosecution of Daniel, whom he believes robbed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of victory in the last April general elections in Ogun State. Media aide to Daniel, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, said his boss was “invited and not arrested.”

Adebayo Alao-Akala had declared several times that he is not moved by rumours that he will be summoned for probe by the EFCC after leaving office on May 29. He told reporters in Ibadan that such investigations were not done on the pages of newspapers. He had tagged the EFCC investigation as media hype.

Meanwhile, in Nasarawa State, where Doma held sway for four years, a report had circulated the state that arrest looms for the immediate-past governor. Specifically, the report linked the planned action of the commission to a petition said to have been raised by the state secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in which Doma’s son, Umar, was alleged to have siphoned state funds.

But further checks conducted by Weekly Trust showed that the EFCC acted on a petition raised by one Mohammed Sirajo Alarramah, who actually wrote the anti-graft agency last year: November 22, 2010 but had to pressurise them through a reminder written this year by his lawyer, Bassey Offiong of B.E. Offiong and Co, on March 3, 2011. The petition alleged that Doma employed schemes to “embezzle, siphon, mismanage and out rightly steal the state’s funds”, naming a multi-billion naira transactions said to be fraudulently carried out for the former governor to help himself with corrupt wealth.

Barrister Mamman Alakayi, former commissioner for information, who has been speaking for the former governor, spoke to Weekly Trust on phone, but said it was not convenient for him to comment. Then former commissioner for health, Dr. Bawa Abimiku in whose ministry the sum of N340 million was alleged to have been stolen through a backdated memo, told Weekly Trust that during his one year as commissioner, he did not raise a memo for such an amount.

Investigations reveal that some of the allegations against Gbenga Daniel include diversion of about N12billion revenue in Ogun State Bureau of Lands and Survey, non-remittance of N1billion deducted from Ogun State workers’ salaries, illegal payment of N1bilion purportedly for counterpart funding in respect of water projects, to mention a few.

While N25 billion was allegedly pilfered by Governor Alao-Akala, it stems from deductions of N8.2billion from the Excess Crude Funds belonging to the 33 local government areas to finance 155-kilometre road projects.

Then, interestingly, the EFCC declared former Governor of Gombe, Alhaji Danjuma Goje wanted over allegations of mismanagement and diversion of over N52 billion state funds (see page 5 for details). It would be recalled that the chairperson of the EFCC, Farida Waziri, said unknown to the immediate-past governors in the country, operatives of the agency have been in their respective states for close to two months, discreetly gathering evidence. “Now the egg has burst,” said one Hamisu Ahmed, jubilating in Lafia, Nasarawa. “Let’s see if the EFCC is serious.”