Igboeli Arinze
It is reported that a couple of these ministers who served in President Buhari’s first stint never saw eye to eye with Kyari, and a number of these people had a series of running battles with him,now, is it these same Ministers that the late Kyari would ask for bribes? Playing devil’s advocate, let me imagine that it was only a select number of persons that paid such bribes, is it possible that in an environment so hostile as the presidency word would not have gotten to President Buhari? Besides, a look at the peddler of such an ostentatious story, a Farooq Kperoogi who has striven countlessly to misinform like he did when he stated that Sambo Dasuki, ex NSA held for diverting $2.1 billion arms funds had died in the custody of the DSS only for the same Dasuki to resurrect from the death cell to his house a free man following the decision of the Buhari administration to release him. Till date Kperoogi, who appears to many as a narcissist has failed to apologise to Nigerians whom he misled and the Buhari administration which he wrongfully accused for murder; should we then give righteous heed to an accusation so spurious from a person we all know harbours much ill will against the present administration?
Let’s examine his alleged role in the MTN fine issue. Kyari was accused of taking a bribe of N500 mn to help MTN reduce the $5.2 BN fine to $1.7bn over the telecom giant’s failure to ensure that it’s cards were registered before it’s customers used them.
Now, should we apply logic here and not a carte blanche attempt to cast every serving Nigerian as a thief. I find it absurd that the former COS in all his power would have demanded a chicken feed sum of 500 million Naira to help reduce a debt from the initial amount of $5.2bn to the eventual $1.7bn. it is not in doubt that corrupt Nigerian officials know how to pull hard and fast deals, were Abba Kyari one, he would have gone for a much better deal. Again, his traducers like modern day Pharisees point to the very fact that the fine was reduced, and it could be only the mighty Kyari’s doing, that is after he had allegedly taken the N500 mn bribe. So what happens to diplomatic measures taken by the South African Government to protect MTN? What about the court case instigated against the Federal Government and the offer to negotiate out of court? These will obviously remain oblivious to his traducers, who much prefer a flat and stale commentary of Kyari taking N500mn and that was the magic! Recently, in 2014 and 2017 Google reached out of court settlements with the European Union and Russia, paying a reduced fine to these respective bodies, perhaps Kyari’s hand was also in these deals and he took the flat rate of N500mn? Next please!
Kyari was described as a megalomaniac, well that naturally ought to suit those who saw him as a staunch adversary to the perpetuation of their selfish interests, but if such misinterpreted devotion mistaken for megalomania saw to his full time involvementin an administation that is seeking to get it right on the economy, infrastructural development and renewal, education, energy , agriculture and security, then it is suffice to say that Kyari may not have been a saint but he was surely no demon and that history will surely absolve him!
Akinjide’s Underserved Infamy
Richard Akinjide, lawyer, politIcian and former Attorney General of the Federation was an individual Nigerians, mostly of the SouthWest region loved to loathe. Akinjide was the poster boy of the deceitful but yet ingenious effort to prevent a rerun in the 1979 elections between the then frontrunner, the uninspiring Shagari and closest contestant in that race, the colourful Awolowo.
The 79 elections had seen Shagari’s National Party of Nigeria take 5,668,857 votes ahead of Awolowo’s 4,916,651 votes. FEDECO which was the electoral body then had earlier stated that for one to have been declared as President-Elect, the person must have scored and at least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of the states. Shagari got the 25 percent in twelve states and claimed he got the two third in Kano State. Awolowo and logic disagreed stating that two thirds of nineteen states ought to be rounded up to 13 and not 12 2/3.
Akinjide, being NPN’s legal representative was to advance this argument thus earning him the infamy that followed him even to the point of his death.
To me, Akinjide was no sinner, he merely pushed the position most favourable to his party. To blame him is akin to blaming Brett Kavanaugh for the role he played in getting the US Supreme Court to stop the Florida recount in the US presidential elections of the year 2000. Why blame Akinjide and exempt the Supreme Court then which ruled in favour of the NPN but then warned that it’s judgement could not be cited anywhere?
Akinjide may have denied Awo the presidency but surely he deserves not the infamy associated with his actions 31 years ago.
Leave a Reply