Nigerian media, this week, turned attention to the pledge by President Umaru Yar’Adua to deal decisively with any public official who runs foul of the law.
“I won’t shield corrupt officials – Yar’Adua”, was the headline of the Vanguard newspaper which reported on Wednesday that he made the pledge on Tuesday at the commissioning of the Code of Conduct Tribunal Headquarters/Court Complex in Abuja, the Nigerian federal capital city.
The President warned that he would neither shield nor protect any public official who runs foul of the law or breaches the Code of Conduct for public officers on a day (Tuesday) the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Justice Con s tance Momoh, called for the abrogation of Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution shielding 74 political office holders from prosecution while holding office.
Yar’Adua expressed his unyielding commitment to zero tolerance for corruption as a cardinal principle of governance for socio economic development and effective national regeneration that cannot be attained with corrupted and contaminated governance and political process.
Thisday newspaper captioned the story “I Won’t Shield Erring Officials, Says Yar’Adua” and quoted the President as restating his commitment to a Nigeria free of corruption.
Yar’Adua assured that the Federal Government would support the tribunal as it strives to entrench probity, transparency and accountability of office holders.
In her welcome address, the CCT Chairman, Justice Constance Momoh, lamented that the immunity clause provided for certain public officers by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution was a hindrance to the tribunal.
In another story on corruption, the Sun newspaper headlined its story “FG indicts Obasanjo over 200 billion naira ecological fund”, reporting that the National Economic Council rose from a prolonged meeting in Abuja during the week to express dismay with the management of the ecological fund under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The council said that under the immediate past administration, about 200 billion naira (about US$ 1.3 billion) of the fund was outrightly squandered.
The council, headed by current Vice President Goodluck Jonathan with the 36 state governors constituting its membership among others, said the amount was wasted on projects that were either non-existent, shoddily executed or were awarded with out due process.
Still on Obasanjo, the Guardian’s headline read “Soyinka attacks rulers, fingers Obasanjo for nation’s woes”.
The paper reported that Nigeria’s stunted political growth and economic decline were this week again x-rayed by Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and other eminent citizens who canvassed urgent concerted efforts to pull the country from the brink.
Pointedly, Soyinka called for affirmative action by the people to safeguard their destiny and rescue the ship of state from the rudderlessness the ruling elite, whom he also accused of treason, has subjected it to.
Speaking as the guest lecturer on the topic, “Electoral Integrity Begets Governa nce Integrity,” at celebrations marking Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s first year in office, Soyinka described the actions of the country’s conservative political class against Nigerians as treason.
In a thinly-veiled, strongly worded attack, he accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of being the cause of Nigeria’s current woes.
The Sun, reporting under the headline “Police Affairs Minister indicted over 3.5 billion naira special fund”, said the House of Representatives during the week flayed Police Affairs Minister, Ibrahim Lame, for failing to account for the 3.5
billion naira (about US$ 27 million) meant for the Strategic Crime Prevention projects in seven cities in the country.
The money was approved for the Police Force before his appointment as minister, but members of the Police Affairs Committee were stunned that Lame could spend such a huge sum outside the scope of the experimented special crime prevention scheme.
On the current FIFA Under-17 World Cup finals taking place in Nigeria, the Vanguard summed up the thinking of most Nigerians as the Golden Eaglets, who are the defending champions, get set to meet Switzerland in the final match on Sunday.
“We’re in good mood for final – Emmanuel”, was Vanguard’s headline on Saturday, quoting the team’s super sub, Sani Emmanuel who had in previous matches always come off the reserve bench to score the goals his team really needed to win its matches.
Vanguard quoted team coach John Obuh as saying “I think that it will be unfair to Nigerian fans if we do not win the cup on Sunday. Having got this far and playing so well, I think the cup is ours.’