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Tag: Mustapha Akanbi

  • Passage of the incorruptible: Abang Wushishi and Mustapha Akanbi

    THE year 2018 is when the year the bell tolled for some outstanding Nigerians. The life and times of two of the nation’s incorruptible ones ended this year on a glorious note after having lived wonderful and impactful lives.

    It is most apt, fitting and even inspiring that these two individuals: served at different times as head of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission ICPC.

    Dr. (Rabiatu) Rose Abang Wushishi was among an elite group of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, a female one for that matter.

    AIG Abang Wushishi (Rtd) was a brilliant lady who loved learning. Even after bagging a PhD in Criminology from a foreign university, she still went back to study Law at the University of Lagos.

    In the midst of this she was dedicated to her job and became an officer to be reckoned with; a thorough professional. She was married to an army general who was also a part of government even at a time of military rule. This never gave her any airs or desire for privileges, and she continued her desk without ever slacking. Most importantly, she bowed out of the police force without a single stain to her record- she was one person who abhorred corruption.

    At the onset of the democratic era AIG Abang Wushishi tried to represent her people at the Senate but she was denied the ticket by her party. She then decided to lay off the political scene.

    However, her sterling qualities as a clean cop were not forgotten. She later became the Commissioner South-South Zone of the ICPC. This was a bright, beautiful woman who was incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted, not avaricious or given to mindless frivolities. And she was never carried away by her ageless beauty.

    In March 2011, Dr. Abang Wushishi was appointed Acting Chairman of the ICPC by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    And after a brilliant career of service to the nation, towards the end of the first quarter of this year, AIG Dr. Rose Abang Wushishi( Rtd)  went the way of all mortal men, and the Boki woman of integrity has since been laid to rest.

    Surely she was one of those people that Owen Wister would have described in his quote as “an aristocrat in morals as in mind”.

    As the Yorubas would put it: A Great Iroko Tree Has Fallen. And that was occasioned by the passing of a statesman and Pan-Africanist this second quarter, in the person of Justice Mustapha Akanbi. In his eighty-six years, Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi CFR, PCA (Rtd) was one person who brought not only dignity but honour to the judicial system, especially to the bench, rising to become a veritable icon of law.

    Justice Akanbi was renown for his modesty- but also for his forthrightness. He was always spoken of, for integrity.

    A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Akanbi was appointed pioneer Chairman of the ICPC by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. From the bar to the bench and even to the academia, the choice of Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi as chairman of the anti-corruption agency was widely hailed nationally.

    He was very particular about the independence of all  the anti-corruption agencies, a matter he remained vocal about until his dying day. Even during his time as ICPC Chairman, there was an attempt to narrow the scope of the ICPC by way of a review of the enabling Act of the Commission by the National Assembly then. The idea was to exempt Senators of the Federal Republic from any investigation and prosecution for graft.

    But it is said that Justice Akanbi, right there at the Senate Chambers maintained that he would rather resign as Chairman of the Commission than allow the Senators compromise the anti-graft Commission.

    His position was that tampering with the ICPC would effectively bring the fight against corruption to an end.

    He spoke at a public hearing on the proposed Amendment to the ICPC enabling Act. Justice Akanbi ended up having his way, and the ICPC has remained an independent commission to this day.

    A great deal of dust was raised when the current Buhari administration had the homes of some judges raided and some of the discoveries found there confiscated, after which the judges in question were persecuted.

    But not that many would likely be aware that the no-nonsense Justice Akanbi did not spare his fellow judges during his time as ICPC Chairman. Under him, the ICPC had some judges of the customary court, the Sharia court and JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT ARRESTED.

    The National Judicial Commission upheld all the findings of the investigation of the ICPC then: they dismissed all the judges that the ICPC had found to be corrupt.

    Justice Akanbi declined a fresh tenure at the ICPC in 2005 and left it to establish the MAF- the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation. It was established with a mission to serve as a platform for promoting democratic values as well as fostering sustainable and viable democratic development in Nigeria. The headquarters of the foundation is the Africa People’s Hall, Ilorin, Kwara State.

    The 12th Annual Lecture of the MAF is billed for September in Ilorin. In addition to robust discussions which add to the national discourse for good governance, the MAF also gives skill acquisition to secondary school students. Additionally, the foundation provides financial support to the sick, the aged and the disabled.

    Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Commander of the Federal Republic and the Wakili of Ilorin was in his life time a devout Muslim. And so the man who has been described as an incorruptible judge passed on to eternity this year, even this month.

    In the midst of the international perception of corruption associated in general with Nigerians (Fantastically Corrupt), it is beautiful to hold up the names of these two shining individuals, Dr. Rose Abang Wushishi and The Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi who both made their mark even as they have both left the world stage unblemished.

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  • Corruption: Cleric urges Nigerian leaders to emulate Justice Mustapha Akanbi

    An Islamic cleric has urged Nigerian leaders to emulate late former Appeal Court President, Justice Mustapha Akanbi for his uprightness and incorruptible nature, as panacea to the challenges militating against the growth and development of the country.

    The Abuja based cleric, Ustaz Abdulwahab Sharani, who made the urge Sunday evening in Kaduna, also tasked Muslims to use the remaining few days of holy month of Ramadan to pray intensively for peace and security to return across the country in the place of killings, herders/farmers clashes, kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery and other criminal acts that ha held parts of the country hostage.

    Speaking at a 8th day fidau prayer for late pioneer chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi, organised by General Secretary of Textile Workers Union, Comrade Issa Aremu, Ustaz Sharani said Nigerian Muslims should constantly seek Allah’s blessings, because the blessings with Allah are in excess of humans needs.

    “Late Justice Mustapha Akanbi was an honest and just man who treats everybody equally. He would rather please an outsider than please a relation or family member.

    “Justice Akanbi was incorruptible and fair to everybody. Nigerian leaders should emulate and take after him by being just, fair and especially incorruptible, that is one way of regaining our lost glory as a people and as a country.

    Read Also: Cleric commends Ambode

    “Prayer is very important in life, Allah wants us to always beseech Him and He gets angry if we fail to seek His blessings. We should use the remaining days of Ramadan to pray for Allah’s abundant blessings, because His blessings is more than what all the people on earth needs.

    “As I was about to leave Abuja for Kaduna this afternoon, I was feeling somehow about the trip, so I asked my Islamiyya students to pray and we all prayed. The importance of the prayer was that upon entering Kaduna, I was involved in a small accident. The prayer warded off evil and minimised the impact of the accident. So, we need to constantly pray.

    “But my initial fear was the spate of kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna road, how to avoid the kidnappers. Let us pray intensely for God to remove evil from this country and grant us peace and security.

    “The Muslims should pray in the last days of Ramadan for Allah to bring an end to insecurity in the country and bring lasting peace to Nigeria.

    “Ramadan is like a cleansing period for Muslims to cleanse them of all their sins, grant them forgiveness and shower them with more blessings than they ask for.”

  • Pioneer ICPC chair Mustapha Akanbi dies at 85

    •Large crowd attends burial

    PIONEER Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (lCPC) and first Wakilin Ilorin Justice Mustapha Akanbi is dead.

    The former Appeal Court president passed on in the early hours of yesterday at the age of 85.

    The son of the late octogenarian, Prof. Mohammad Akanbi, confirmed his father’s death.

    He said his father died in a private hospital in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, after a brief illness.

    The body of the late jurist was interred at his Ilorin GRA home around 2.30pm yesterday.

    Chief Imam of Ilorin Sheikh Mohammed Bashir led the prayer that preceded internment.

    A large crowd attended the burial rites that did not last more than 10 minutes.

    The Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed led the pack of dignitaries that attended the burial.

    Other dignitaries include a retired Appeal Court President Justice Ayo Salami; pioneer Grand Khadi of Kwara State Justice AbdulKadir Orire; Kwara State’s Chief Judge Justice Sulyman Kawu; Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN); Adelodun Salman (SAN); Kehinde Elena (SAN); Saka Isau (SAN) and the state’s Grand Khadi Justice Ola AbdulKadir.

    Others are former grand Khadis Imam Oba Fulani, AbdilMutalib Ambali and Solihu Mohammed; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi; Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) Registrar Prof. Is-haq Oloyede; Vice Chancellors, University of Ilorin (Prof. Sulymam AbdulKareem), Kwara State University, Malete (Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’ Allah) and Al- Hikmah University (Prof. Ibrahim Taofik).

    Also in attendance were former Kwara Chief Judge Justice Raliat Elelu-Habeeb; Rector, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin Mas’ud Elelu; former Minister of Transport Bio Ibrahim; former Kwara House of Assembly Speaker Babatunde Mohammed, members of the state executive council and prominent Islamic scholars from far and near.

    In a brief prayer after the burial, the Chief Imam of Ilorin prayed Allah to receive Justice Akanbi as His true servant.

    He expressed delight that the late jurist led a virtuous and righteous life, urging Nigerian leaders across board to emulate his simple lifestyle and exemplary conduct “through which he impacted positively on the lives of numerous people”.

    Ahmed, Emir, Speaker,

    others grieve

     

    Governor Ahmed, in his condolence message, described Akanbi’s death as shocking.

    Ahmed, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Abdulwahab Oba, said the state and Nigeria have lost a rare gem, philanthropist and revivalist.

    “Justice Akanbi’s years in the bench as an incorruptible judge, his stint at ICPC, struggle for good governance and involvement in community services would remain indelible in the history of Nigeria,” the governor said.

    The governor explained that the late Akanbi’s philanthropist gesture and investment in education would be greatly missed by all.

    Ahmed prayed Allah to grant the judge Aljanat fridaus and give the family, the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of Kwara State Traditional Council Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari expressed sadness over the late jurist’s death.

    In his condolence message signed by the National Secretary of Shehu Alimi Foundation for Peace and Development, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona, the emir described the late Akanbi as an incorruptible judicial officer, who served the nation without blemish.

    He noted that the late jurist was instrumental to the mentorship of many legal practitioners both in the bar and on the bench through his unique and sterling qualities of equity, fairness and justice to all.

    According to him, “We have lost a rare gem in the Ilorin Emirate and nation at large.

    The history of judicial system in Nigeria would not be complete without adequate reference to the tremendous contributions of the late Wakili of Ilorin. We were together in the judiciary at different point in time up to the Court of Appeal.

    Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad described the late justice as one of the best judges ever produced by the judiciary.

    A statement issued by the Speaker’s Special Assistant on Media, Shuaib Abdulkadir said the late jurist was an icon of Nigeria’s judiciary. He stressed that his demise was a colossal loss to the nation.

    The Speaker noted that the pioneer ICPC chairman was acknowledged for his deep knowledge of law, disciplined personality and as an incorruptible jurist.

    Also, Abdullahi said the passage of Justice Akanbi was a painful and irreplaceable loss to the Ilorin Emirate, Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole.

    He described the late Akanbi as a man of peace, integrity and honour who, as a lawyer and judge, contributed greatly to the development of Nigeria’s legal system.

    In his own message, a chieftain of the APC, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, expressed shock over the demise of Akanbi.

    He described Akanbi as a father to all, a truly incorruptible judge, anti-corruption czar and great philanthropist.

    Baraje said during his lifetime, the late jurist served Allah wholeheartedly, the country diligently and made positive impacts on the society, which made him a role model to many people in Nigeria.

    Appeal Court President Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa said the Akanbi’s death has left the nation and judiciary with a vacuum that may be difficult to fill.

    Justice Bulkachuwa, in a condolence letter, described the late sage as a pious and fearless incorruptible jurist.

    General Secretary of Textile Workers Union and Vice President of Industriall Global Union Comrade Issa Aremu has mourned the former President of Court of Appeal.

    He described him as a selfless, hard and smart working, incorruptible and generous statesman.

    In a statement from Saudi Arabia, where he went for Lesser Hajj, Aremu said the late Akanbi lived an impactful live and he would be sorely missed in Nigeria and Africa.

  • Corruption is escalating in Nigeria, say Akanbi, Ali

    Corruption is escalating in Nigeria, say Akanbi, Ali

    The pioneer chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) and a legal practitioner, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN), on Tuesday pronounced a strong verdict on President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s war against corruption.

    The duo described the current crusade against corruption in the country as lackluster, dull and devoid of drive.

    They spoke to reporters in Ilorin, Kwara State, on the sideline of a public lecture organized by the Amicus International Club.

    The lecture was entitled: “Corruption: The bane of our society.”

    Justice Akanbi, who is a former president of the Appeal Court said: “The indices are that the moments are dark, the clouds have thickened and corruption is escalating. And we cannot pretend. The Transparency International put us at the position of 136th corrupt nation you cannot deny it even though it is a perception. Honestly, I do not see what is being done about corruption now.

    “Speaking for myself, I ask myself this question: Does it mean all the governors are corrupt-free? Does it mean all the legislators are corruption-free? Does it mean the judiciary is corruption free? We know what it is happening but people are not being arrested, no action is being taken and the end result is that people accept bribe with impunity now.

    “At least if they had taken few people to court, we would have known that something is being done. There is a general lull and the fight against corruption has gone down completely. That is why we are gearing up the tempo now so that people can be aware of it.

    “Now when you look at many people wanting to be governors, is it because they want to serve their people or that they want to go and chop, chop chop? It is apparent that many of them want to enrich themselves because they know that when you go there you make money and become wealthy ditto going to the legislature. Yet people are suffering, there is no development. Corruption, kidnapping and the ills of the society have gone on the ascendency.”

    Mallam Ali said the President’s actions, utterances and body language suggest that corruption does not exist in Nigeria.

    The Ilorin based legal practitioner added: “I have said this long time, no drive against corruption by the current government and that is quite obvious because the President believes that there is no corruption in Nigeria.

    “He believes that what is going on is petty stealing. So if he doesn’t believe there is corruption, you can’t hold him for not driving any anti- corruption war. If somebody doesn’t believe there is a problem then he would not be obliged to look for solution.”

     

  • Jonathan acted alone on Alamieyesiegha – ex-ICPC boss

    Jonathan acted alone on Alamieyesiegha – ex-ICPC boss

    The retried President of the Appeal Court, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, on Monday said the pardon granted former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and ex- managing director of the defunct Bank of the North, Shetima Bulama was a sole decision of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Justice Akanbi, who is the founding chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, added that in the fullness of time corrupt persons would suffer perdition in Nigeria.

    The retired jurist told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital shortly before the commencement of this year’s Mohammed Mustapha Akanbi public lecture organised by the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin.

    He said, “They say all the members of the National Council of State supported it. When I looked, many of the retired judges were not there. Even some of the former heads of state were not there. So whatever is the case is a decision taken by the president in his wisdom.

    “When I was a young lawyer, as a state counsel, I dealt with the issue of prerogative of mercy. Then we would work out the facts for and against and if on balance we take public opinion into consideration. But if there are no facts justifying the case of pardon you don’t grant pardon.

    “I don’t know the yardstick he used for granting pardon? It is not a question of acting on whims and caprices. You look at each case on its own merit and take a decision. But in this case the decision had already been taken.”

     

  • Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) at 80

    Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) at 80

    Honourable Justice Mustapha Adebayo Akanbi (CFR) (rtd), a father, Wakilin of Ilorin, an elder (non-partisan) statesman, a man of impeccable integrity, an intellectual by all measures and an untiring judicial activist turns 80. His globally acknowledged courage, patriotism, pan Africanism and above all compassion for human advancement are worthy of celebration. The cliché is; not how long, but how well.
    Remarkably, it’s been well, worthwhile and long for Justice Akanbi. Activists of alternative social order are often critical of state judicial officers in particular and men and women of “law and order”, in general. History is rich with abundant evidences of how laws, some lawyers and indeed many judges were parts of the strong links in the chain of class oppression, exploitation and tyranny against the weak. Judges sentenced Nelson Mandela (himself a lawyer!) to life imprisonment. His crime: dare to fight against apartheid. Madiba spent 27 years of his precious life behind the bars “legally”. “Rule of (apartheid) law”once prohibited what turned out to be icons like Nelson Mandela (of royal extraction), Desmond Tutu, and Winne Mandela from making use of White Only toilet.
    Unjust apartheid laws for a century criminalized and segregated toilet usage!
    The apartheid “laws” were certainly drafted by some “lawyers”. Some “judges” also enthusiastically enforced the “laws” with all the brutality associated with them! Here at home, not few Judges, lawyers and judicial officials enlisted on the side of injustice and dark dealings. It was a judge who granted the infamous injunction putting on hold a process of free and fair elections in 1993. The annulment of June 12 election by IBB dictatorship was “”legitimised”” by “legal” drafters of draconian laws of that dark era of our life. It was a Judge who judicially murdered Ken Saro Wiwa, a globally acknowledged writer and poet.
    It is important to recall these others and their sordid legal misdeeds to underline the significance of the dignity, courage and honour Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi brought to bear during his eventful tenures both at the bar and the bench. Record shows that retired Justice Akanbi is an acknowledged judicial officer with integrity, steadfastness and fairness in the process of adjudication on the bench even under a hostile military regime. Following the brutal murder of four ABU students in 1986 by Mobile special Police on the order of the university authority led by Professor Ango Abdulalhi, students crisis erupted which degenerated and assumed national dimension. ASUU, NLC and NANS were united in protest in protest against the Abisoye Panel set up by the regime to whitewash the administrative mess of Ango Abdullahi leadership of ABU. The crisis of confidence that rocked the Abisoye panel compelled the regime to set up a more credible judicial commission headed by Justice Akanbi. His commission restored confidence such that National Association of Nigeria’s Students, (NANS) and other civil society organizations freely and confidently participated. The perception was that with Justice Akanbi on the bench, there would be justice for all. The commission’s problem solving (not persecution methodology) characterized by openness allowed for free expressions. The high point was the courageous sensational testimony of the intelligent police officer, Alozie Ogbubuaja who freely offered suggestions on students-police relations with a call for the improvement on the conditions of service of the police in general. He made a case for reform of the police and made his historic damning pepper soup remark and coup plotting.
    Honorable Minister of Communication and Information, Labaran Maku (then NANS PRO) owes his university graduation from Jos to the historic sense of justice of the commission’s findings which were reformist not punitive as the military regime desperately desired. As the founding chairman of the ICPC, in keeping with the mandate of the commission to apprehend public graft in 2003, ICPC intensified its search light on the activities of senators among other public officers. Some senators under the leadership of Senator Pius Ayim moved to weaken the ICPC through a belated review of its enabling Act in a way that would insulate senators from accountability and prosecution. Remarkably the retired Honourable Justice Akanbi made a case for anti-corruption at the chambers of the Senate insisting that any attempt to tamper with the ICPC Act means truncating the anti-corruption crusade. He was even determined to resign his chairmanship of the commission rather than allowing the commission to be compromised by the legislators. The public sympathy was in favour of Justice Akanbi-led commission, largely on the account of the integrity of the chairman.
    Justice Akanbi is a living library of progressive and spiritual ideas for the younger generation. His life shows that, age is no barrier to value addition, hard and smart public work. Within a short spell, with maturity and determined systemic approach, he mainstreamed ICPC from nowhere as an institutional bulwark against public graft. Notwithstanding the limitations of resources and political hostility, ICPC under him investigated and arrested some judges of the High Court, customary court and Sharia court for collecting bribes. The judges were eventually dismissed by the NJC. To the credit of his legendary modesty Justice Akanbi bowed out of the commission in 2005, even when he had the right of tenure extension. Here Justice Akanbi shares the great value of resignation with great leaders like Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania.
    Mandela said:” I must step down when there are one or two people who admire me”- Justice Akanbi actually stepped down when many actually admired him. On retirement, he set up Mustapha Akanbi Foundation (MAF). Inaugurated in Ilorin, Kwara State on September 12, MAF has added value to national discourse within a short time. Out of simple and enduring noble objective to serve as “…a veritable platform for promoting democratic values and fostering sustainable and viable democratic development in Nigeria”, MAF has left bold imprints in areas of Education, Human empowerment, health, Anti-corruption campaign and Good governance. The Foundation is acting local but thinking global through high profile public agenda setting lectures. The singular commitment, passion and courage of Justice Akanbi manifest in yearly topical themes that elevate public debate from the pedestrian. Today Mustapha Akanbi Foundation (MAF) is giving so much in a country of official non-giving, official grabbing, elite greed and state denials of roads, light, water and security of lives and property. To understand Justice Akanbi’s tremendous contributions to jurisprudence, national and continental development we must come to terms with his roots in Islamic jurisprudence of the great ancient city of Ilorin that has produced other equally great jurists like retired Justice Alfa Moddibo Belgore and Justice Ayo Salami. Significantly too, we must appreciate his profound ideological and historical grounding dating back to the progressive ideas of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana in the 40s and 50s, Sekou Toure of Guinea and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. Justice Mustapha’s contribution has shown that spiritual/ideological/political consciousness is indispensable for lawyers to maintain and sustain integrity both at the bar and on the bench. We recall with nostalgia ideologically conscious lawyers like late Aka Bashorun, late Gani Fahemihin SAN Femi Falana SAN among others. A visit to the Africa’s Peoples Hall, the Head Quarters of MAF in Ilorin says it all. An inventory of the consciously arraigned portraits of the great African Leaders and trade unionists from Kwame Nkrumah to Nelson Mandela, Gamel Nazer to Tom Mboya, Patrice Lumuba to Sekou Toure will attest to the ideological preferences of the role model, Justice Mustapha Akanbi. With uncommon valuable service at 80, he is ageing gracefully but also mentoring a new generation to take over. His recent bold comments on national issues such as state police and independence of anti-corruption agencies underscore his intellectual clarity and sincerity of purpose at 80.
    • Aremu, mni (issaaremu@yahoo.com)