"Now, this is where the game begins and where those interested in truth should keep their eyes peeled. Ibori pleaded guilty in what is evidently a plea bargain and it is no rocket science understanding why. A full trial in court would have forced Ibori to expose a lot of people hugging political office in Nigeria today and no one wants that............"
-----Kennedy Emetulu.
This service to the Nigerian corrupt political establishment will be paid for soon.
----CAO.
From: Kennedy Emetulu <kemetulu@yahoo.co.uk>
To: USAAfricaDialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 3:53 AM
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Ibori and the Three Fingers
--..28 February, 2012Ibori and the Three Fingers...The Nigerian people and real and emergency anti-corruption crusaders are celebrating James Ibori's guilty plea at the Southwark Crown Court, London while awaiting his sentencing on 16 April, 2012 and rightly so. Of course, once he was hauled into court in the UK, his goose was truly cooked. The case against him was as solid as a rock.But once this celebratory fog clears, Nigerians need to sober up and look clearly at what has happened. For those who think this is a victory in the fight against corruption in Nigeria, this may not exactly be the case. The vermin are crawling all over the corridors of power and no one is looking for them. Ibori was tossed out of the gravy train, because he was too ambitious – an ambition that made him think himself impregnable, stepping on powerful toes, some far more corrupt than him and who saw him as a threat to their own reign of terror.Ibori found himself in Dubai and later in the UK, because he was chased by these forces, not because they were bent on stamping out corruption, but because they wanted their pound of flesh. To aid President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election chances, he was flown into the UK just on the eve of the last elections to subliminally make the statement that Jonathan is keen on dealing corruption a deadly blow. But we know the truth.We can say anything we like about the British and their interest in this matter, but when all is said and done, this is a shameful indictment of our judiciary and political system, which should have firmly handled the Ibori case and several other cases like his. We have left it to a foreign court to say what we should be saying. Rather than celebrating, we should be crying – not for Ibori, but for ourselves.Now, this is where the game begins and where those interested in truth should keep their eyes peeled. Ibori pleaded guilty in what is evidently a plea bargain and it is no rocket science understanding why. A full trial in court would have forced Ibori to expose a lot of people hugging political office in Nigeria today and no one wants that. He will be given credit for an early guilty plea complete with a sentence that will be no more than a slap on the wrist. We shouldn't be surprised to see a Bode George type of welcome for him on return and a quick rehabilitation amongst his peers. Yeah, he will be rewarded for keeping his mouth shut and for taking his medicine like a man and those who today are celebrating will be left to scratch their heads and moan once again about the Nigerian system. For those of us who refuse to see the fight against corruption as beyond Ibori, that will be our punishment. It's coming….We must follow the money closely. As the confiscation proceedings against Ibori and the mop up of the known stolen wealth progress, we must follow the money. The British authorities are pledging to get it all returned to our coffers, but what are the guarantees that if they do so (and that is a BIG IF), that the money will not be misappropriated exactly the same way by some new termites who have the right political connections as sacred cows?So, let's celebrate and point that finger at Ibori as the other three fingers point firmly at us and our system! Oh yes, we deserve the celebratory jig and a tipple or two, but we should brace ourselves to look in the eye of the horned chickens that have come home to roost. We've found our scapegoat and tethered him to the communal pole, yet corruption remains an instrument of state policy in Nigeria! Beyond the euphoria of the temporary fall of the Ogidigborigbo, what are we Nigerians going to do about it? That is the question!Kennedy EmetuluLondon…
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