The Minister of State for Energy (Petroleum), Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) was quoted a few days ago as saying that anyone discovered to have been involved in the Wilbros $6 million bribery scandal, will be prosecuted. That is well said and we expect that the government will indeed dare everything and go beyond the usual gimmick in matters like this.
In other words, we want to see that that declaration is indeed carried to the expected logical end. This sort of misconduct has become one too many. It has very ugly telling on the status and image of the country, in the same way that it has serious negative effect on the psyche of hard�working, decent Nigerians both home and abroad.
It all started with the report that a former General Manager of the American company, Mr. Jason Edward Steph, had pleaded guilty in the US to bribing some Nigerian officials to secure some contracts in Nigeria. A latter report had said that, a Colour-Coded list, provided by the United States Government, was filed by the defendant, Steph, showing that the said amount ($6 million) was dispensed in four series of payments made to the Nigerians. However, the names of these Nigerians were not properly mentioned � even though the list is now a public knowledge. It was also revealed that indeed, about $7 million was actually committed in bribes by the company, which meant that there were still outstanding bribe payments to be made as at the time the whole transaction ended in 2005.
The American company (Wilbros) operates in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria.
The colour-coded list also revealed that there were several projects involved and they were executed under the Eastern Gas Gathering System (EGGS). Some of the Nigerian officials who were alleged to have benefited from the bribery are: Phil, James, O. Chizea, Pedro, Ichakpa, Enuikim, Okor, Ibraheem and Balogun. Others are Soleye, Dankouro, Gio, V. Dania, Toyin, Gibson, Okeke, Charles, Lanre and a sponsor simply identified as No 2. The immediate past Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said he was not part of it, as he could be alluded to as the No 2 .
Indeed, we are deeply disturbed that Nigeria has continued to be mentioned in serial sleaze of such international hue. We are equally worried that in spite of public knowledge of these misdemeanors, no implicated officials have ever been properly investigated and prosecuted. It is a sorry tale on the kind of leadership Nigeria has had. Such inaction has not only contributed to giving impetus to successive compromising government officials, it has also given Nigeria an image of a complicitous nation in the criminal activities of her people.
The Umaru Musa Yar�Adua government has tied itself with the declaration that it has zero-tolerance for things of this nature. We are glad. However, it must do more than merely declaring this. One of the places to start showing such bite is in this case. The Wilbros bribery scandal, like the presently swirling Siemens AG version, is a shame on the country and every effort must be made to remove the resultant sludge on the nation. International fiscal misconduct is a very serious matter that must be handled with every seriousness.
In the meantime, a spokesman of the US State Department in charge of Africa, Mr. Greg Garland, has hinted that it is not the US�s practice to reveal names of people indicted in an investigation. Regrettable as that appears, Nigeria can still exploit the existing Mutual Legal Assistance agreement between the two countries. The government of Nigeria must show commitment in its fight against corruption, whether of international � like the one on hand � or a local variety. Other nations take these issues seriously, but Nigeria has always treated them in ways that suggest that they are not anything to worry about.
This has to stop. We should start behaving in a responsible manner in the way we handle issues of this nature.
We also want to emphasise that the moral content of the government�s 2020 Vision is anchored in the way this government and the subsequent ones treat cases that border on official corruption, international or local. Official corruption must be fought frontally. Those who are found to have participated in this gross national embarrassment should be brought to book. Let no one be protected in whatever guise.