RE: KAYODE AJULO & EFCC: THE CANONIZATION OF OBONG VICTOR ATTAH. CAN THE 'CANON' STAND BEFORE THE MIRROR OF JUSTICE?

The Mirror of true justice is a naked one, who will stand before it? The soul of the nation becomes troubled and disquieted when the voice of truth is silenced and the drums of perversion and the sounds of apparent deceits and boot lickers are what we hear from dusk till dawn.

The above aptly captures the chronicles of allegation of financial indecencies cum crimes leveled against Obong Victor Attah, the erstwhile Governor of Akwa-Ibom State and the resulting aftermath of serial investigations to unravel the mysteries of how colossal sums of funds disappeared and/or were misappropriated under the executive direction of the now canonized Obong Attah, and the odious efforts to sweep these alleged transgressions under the carpet of history.

More revealing ,is the clear insight given of the fact that in as much as convoluted attempts are being made by Obong Victor Attah’s spin doctors and his incorrigible human rights mercenaries to purify him and submerge his 2 year old allegation of financial crimes accusation under the pretext of castigating Kayode Ajulo, an independent and impartial assessor of the conduct of the EFCC in the investigation of Attah, come November 2010 Victor Attah, James Ibori, Henry Imasheka and others will have a date in London Court to give account of their deeds over the V. Mobile financial sleaze.

Also enchanting is the revelation that in spite of using the outcome of a compromised and negotiated procedures involving AFRICAN PEER REVIEW MECHANISM (APRM), an administrative cum diplomatic platform of government to absolve Attah of any misdeed, Attah’s British lawyer and sleaze agent, Corker Binning was recently convicted in London Court over his principles (Attah), charges on money laundering and other financial misdeeds.

While reading Francis Effanga’s distressed attempt to make holy Obong Victor Attah in an article under reference with an unusual publication, titled: RE: KAYODE AJULO & EFCC: CANONIZATION OF OBONG VICTOR ATTAH , in a labourious diatribe against Kayode Ajulo , one cannot but be shocked to note sheer deceit and unqualified impudence at twisting unambiguous facts to suit some premeditated mischief.

I must confess, I have not met Barrister Kayode Ajulo before, but I am proud to call him a close friend as I share his sentiments and principles on rule of law, equality, natural justice and good governance. I have also had cause to engage him on several media, blogs and pod casts e.g. facebook, twitter and other social networking platforms , his reactions on burning issues in our polity reassures me that there is still hope for Nigeria upon the consideration of his youthful age and resources.

No wonder, he finds allies among our respected figures, Chief E. K. Clark, CON, Prof. Wole Soyinka, late Gani Fawehinmi SAN, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Buba Galadima, Balarabe Musa, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, Femi Falana, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Bamidele Aturu and numerous pro-democracy activists, as well as Human Rights groups both home and abroad.

The position of Kayode Ajulo on the rationale for the grant of Administrative Bail to Victor Obong Attah after two years of investigation is not different from every well meaning Nigerians’ views on the indicted present and former senior government officials and our tolerance to corruption which should not be an issue requiring the drawing of swords through bitter and offensive words by Francis Effanga, especially when the doubts of the issue in question have not been erased.

For clarity’s sake , Kayode Ajulo’s standpoint on the administrative bail granted by EFCC to Obong Victor Attah as reflected in the Newspapers that carry the learned prodigious young man’s interview is to the effect that after two years of investigating ex-Gov. Attah, the EFCC should, (if they had found him not wanting be courageous) enough to admit it and let him off the hook, and if EFCC finds him culpable, the ex-Governor should be charged to court for the court to do what is right and just, but not for EFCC to give him a bogus administrative bail.

He also in the interview warned EFCC not to allow the Country to be once again embarrassed as was done in James Ibori’s infamous saga where charity begins only for Ibori from abroad (after his celebrated discharged and acquittal from an Asaba Federal High Court) but not from home as the saying goes.

While aligning with this young sage’s opinion, it is worthy of note, that in all human transactions, the life of a man is like a tale that is being told, so is the advent of the grant of bail to a single man out of many, with a colourful description of it as an Administrative Bail. This appears to be dark plans as impenetrable as the midnight, as even the EFCC Act does not make provisions against the discrimination against individuals, except this kind of a sensitive overt act operates by convention.

And like a prophet, the young man is being proved right with the signal coming from Metropolitan Police, that the London Police has once again begun the extradition procedures in ensuring that the latest Nigerian Cannon, Obong Victor Attah is dragged before a London court to face criminal charges on financial transactions along with the very infamous James Ibori and Co.

There is no need to ask again where the charity is coming from for Obong Victor Attah.

Although, a free man cannot be stopped from making known his opinion, he can however be helped to straighten his tongue or the use of his pen against a misguided sense of revenge on an innocent observer who is worthy of praise and consideration. Kayode Ajulo’s observation is borne of a clear mind but wounded heart.

It is laughable when a lawyer claiming to represent a civil society begins to serve tables and seemingly soars under the flapping wings of an unjust gain with a twisted tongue and mind to re-echo a similar prior attack by a human rights mercenary masquerading as a civil rights activist, who abandoned the four walls of the court and ethics of his profession to launch an attack on a colleague in the name of press conference purportedly in order to defend his client!

Francis Essanga and his paymaster should desist from swimming in the deep waters of untrue advocacy, because very soon, he will pay with the waves of social and legal opprobrium and like the Emperor Nero’s favorite Lion, he will be asked to give an after dinner-speech upon devouring a sumptuous meal of a Christian martyr.

How long must we continue to sell our conscience over a plate of porridge, Obong Victor Attah like others must step forward before the Mirror of Justice.

Michael O. Ekong is an Accountant & Public Affairs Analyst.