By Yusuf Ozi-Usman
Facts have emerged as to how powerful America literally forced President Goodluck Jonathan to order the arrest of the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Oladimeji Bankole, who he refers to as "a principal supporter of mine," on corruption charges.
Bankole, after a dramatic chase by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from his official apartments at the Legislators Quarters at Apo, Abuja to his private residence at Maitama, was eventually arrested last Sunday by a team of 10 EFCC operatives.
A secret US diplomatic cable on Bankole's arrest, also detailing a meeting between the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terence Macauley, the US Undersecretary for African Affairs Mr. Johnnie Carson and President Jonathan, two days before his arrest last Sunday said "the once flamboyant Speaker "locked himself in a closet in his room when 10 EFCC operatives "busted in and grabbed him", adding that "when they pulled him out of the closet he had already peed in his pants.
"The EFCC operatives were kind enough to let him change into new clothes before they took him away. It is ironic that in a chat with us not long ago, Bankole told us that the EFCC under Chairman Mrs Farida Waziri was a toothless bulldog", the cable dated June 5, the day of Bankole's arrest, said.
Entitled "U.S. Diplomatic Cable on the Arrest of Speaker Oladimeji Bankole" and coded "USCVRBH006, OUT REUTE, FRENGU #987357, ZSE VFRTTTG, NUTBN, DEC 10 FM MINFORE ABUJA, TO COUNCILSTATE IMMEDIATE 0000 OWNERSFGN/ INFO DEFENCE HDQ/TRAD RULERS/GOVSUNION", the cable revealed that two days before the arrest of the former Speaker, Mr. Macauley and the Undersecretary of State for African Affairs had met with President Jonathan at an undisclosed venue and assured him that the American government was keen to strengthen ties with Nigeria but it was concerned about corruption in the country.
Specifically the President's guests told him that his government was interfering with the work of the EFCC and they referred to how it had been difficult for the EFCC to arrest Bankole to answer charges of corruption.
According to the cable, marked as "CONFIDENTIAL STATE 22345 ASUU/NUC, FRSC/SMC/AFRC, ASUU, OPC, AREWA MASSOB, R.O 17543: Dec: 12/04/2035", President Jonathan was initially reluctant to give his permission for Bankole's arrest, saying that the allegations were "a campaign of calumny" spearheaded by "a faceless online site" and "I'm not going to let a principal supporter of mine to be hounded out of office or to be disgraced because some faceless online site is posting rubbish about him".
The discussions were deadlocked at that point and so it was decided they would be resumed after the President would have returned from New York where Jonathan is attending the UN meeting on HIV AIDs, the secret cable reported.
But then the American ambassador got a flash of insight and he quickly told Jonathan that the President of the United States, referred to in the cable as simply "POTUS" was keenly following developments in Nigeria and he would not come on a state visit "under this cloud" of corruption.
However, according to the cable, the Undersecretary of State promised to get President Barack Obama (not directly named) to meet with the Nigerian leader during his US visit if he would allow the EFCC to take Bankole away for questioning. At that point, Jonathan's face lit up.
The prospects of a meeting and a handshake with POTUS (Obama) excited him. According to the cable, that proposition was put to the Nigerian leader because the American officials had come to the conclusion that "Jonathan is more comfortable and attentive when he is outside Nigeria", so they hit on the idea of making the US trip "meaningful for Jonathan".
When Ambassador Macauley told Jonathan that POTUS would meet with him, the Nigerian leader asked anxiously whether it would mean a state visit for him. Excerpts:
"Will that be a State visit?"
"Isn't it too early for that?" Ambassador asked.
"What about giving me the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the visit?" Jonathan asked. "We already scheduled to give one to German Chancellor Angela Merkel," Ambassador said.
"Then add my name too," Jonathan requested.
"We don't dish it out like that," Ambassador said. "Maybe next time when you come for a State Visit."
The Nigerian leader reportedly thought about it for a while: "A handshake and a photo op at the White House will do me some good," Jonathan muttered, adding: "It will make those challenging my election to back off a bit."
"Yes," Ambassador said.
"Let's do it," Jonathan said.
"But President Obama won't be shaking your hand if the news from Nigeria is that the speaker of the lower house is resisting law enforcement efforts to get him to answer the charges against him," Ambassador said.
"In that case, I will instruct Waziri (EFCC boss, Farida Waziri) to go and get him," Jonathan said. "That's my boy," the Ambassador muttered under his breath.
The EFCC did arrest Bankole two days after the meeting with Jonathan. Four days later, President Jonathan was welcomed to the White house in Washington DC by Obama with a handshake and an exhortation to "make fighting corruption a national priority".
With President Jonathan and his close aides away in the US, it was difficult getting any other official of his government to react to the secret diplomatic cable published on Friday by several online sites.
Calls and a short text message (SMS) that Peoples Daily Weekend last night put through to the GSM line of Mr. Musa Aduak, a Deputy Director (Information) in the Office of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, went unanswered.
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written by Daniel Dalon', June 11, 2011
1. "Never believe anything until it's officially denied". Government has just gone on air to officially deny and threatened this article, so I guess there must be substance to it. If they had not denied it, I would not have known it existed and would not have gone on-line to search for it.
2. This teaches GoodLuck a big lesson. His useless foreign trips are simply excessive. The problems in Nigeria are simply numerous and astronomical. Yes, this president makes personal glory meetings with foreign presidents his number one and priority job, instead of paying attention to the problems at home. If he had travelled to the G8 in France, he would have missed his inauguration because of the volcanic ASH eruption in Iceland.
If Goodluck continues his unrelentless foreign trips, he will surely and certainly fail as president. He is forcing himself on the foreign nations. The Governments are just humouring him. He even honours invitations from dictators and despotic leaders, where the people of those oppressed countries who hated their life-presidents have stoned him. So far so good no single president of an important country has visited Nigeria.
Jonathan must therefore for-gore his search for personal fame and glory overseas and stay at home to work for those poor Nigerians who risked their lives to vote and put him in office. The immense wealth in Nigeria is concentrating in the hands of a few Nigerians who did not work for it. Those that actually owned the wealth or are really working for it are languishing in abject poverty and Jonathan must stay at home to ensure even distribution.
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written by Albert Atabong, June 11, 2011
Based on our history and antecedents from our leaders, they had always feel and believe that, credibility and charity must begin or come from abroad.. the jamboree as presidential inauguration of Jonathan to my opinion were all aspect of corruption.. we need to address..look at the number of dictators and butchers invited. at whose expense? The PDP has never had pity for the plight of the ordinary Nigerian.. Our people are suffering with everything lacking. The EFCC has lost its credibilty since NUHU left that place..
Jonathan has promised transformation and decreed that our lamentations are over.. That the time for action and transformation is now? l want to ask Mr President How and when? Mr President all the steps and move you had taken are the same steps Obasanjo and Yara Adua took..One the proclamation of the results, they both organised Retreats, The Pdp organised seminars for its elected or selected members...the same public institutions were called to give speeches. what happened next?
The posts and positions were shared based on the PDP criteria.
The office of the First lady has continued to be an avenue for siphoning public money in the guise of NGOs..All the first ladies from the federal to LGA have NGOS..That is an area Waziri need to investigate. Pls Mr President scrap the office of the so called first lady.. l don't see the roles of these so called first ladies apart from siphoning money from Govt..
Thirdly, the President should stop instituting probes panels..it is another avenue for corruption and lack of courage to take decisions...Our people are suffering and Nigerians have lost complete faith with the PDP..
Fourthly, Mr President should as quickly as possible called for a National conference.. Nigeria is fast disintegrating and things have fallen apart. There are too many militia groups and now the menace of bomb blasts and boko haram which l feel, was the creation of the Sharia States.. when the northern states in reaction tp Obasanjo`s policies considered anti-north started instituting sharia states..most of us knew every law needs to be enforced..boko haram is just the natural agents or product of sharia to enforce the laws..Yet we are all pretending to be chasing shadows...The Federal Govt has not instituted a task force like they have done in the Niger Delta to tackle the Islamic jihadists.Everyday our people in the Niger Delta are being killed. They are fighting for resource control whilst the boko harem are fighting against Western education and civilization.. yet most of their members possess mobile phones and watch TV.
l don`t see why the Nigerian Press is celebrating the arrest of Banky? Has the senate fared any better n terms of corruption ?of course no.. what of the awards or inflation of contracts by the Executive since 1999? Check all the Federal Government Projects?Most of the road projects had been awarded since 1999 and after 12 years are still uncompleted..The executive to answer the curiosity of the civil society will constitute a panel.
he Jos crises has started again Mr President. Boko Haram is killing.. The bomb blasts are continuing.. no light, no food, no jobs, no securiry.. wetin man go do Mr President?
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written by Jumy, June 11, 2011
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written by Akhabue, June 12, 2011
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written by okey, June 12, 2011
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written by CC, June 12, 2011
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written by mustapha, June 12, 2011
let me also comment on the level of gej's incompetence in dealing wit d national security issues. firstly the failure of his chief of army staff to quickly resign his office and d subsequnt inability of jonatan to sack him wen he announced to d world that he had found a solution to d boko haram menace, wen ofcourse he shouldn't have announce (even if true he has) bcos the sect members can restrategise and cont their assult. this disapointing act is termed 'security numbness'. secondly his national security advicer in the preson of
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written by herve leger dress, September 06, 2011
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It make the whole writeup childish. Anyway Peoples Daily will make some sales or suddenly increase their consciousness in the eyes of some unimaginative Nigerians. I'm not taken in by this crap.