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| Ogbulafor |
Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials for illegitimate private gains. An illegal act by an officeholder that constitutes political corruption includes the following, if directly or indirectly related to their official duties; trading in influence, stealing and diversion of public funds or any act as may be defined by law. In Nigeria, political office holders come out of office several million times richer that they were and still they are not corrupt. There is no former Governor, minister or any government appointee in Nigeria that does not have millions upon millions in both local and foreign banks and still the government claim to be fighting corruption. For the second time in less than a week a Nigerian Federal high Court has set free a highly corrupt individual, sighting lack of evidence.
In the latest development, a Nigerian Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, today October 2nd discharged and acquitted former National Chairman of the PDP, Mr. Vincent Ogbulafor, of a N170m fraud charge brought against him in 2001 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC).
Mr Ogbulafor who served as Minister of Special Duties in 2001 was alleged to have connived with one Mr Emeka Ebila, the then secretary of the National Economic Intelligence Committee, to defraud the Federal government of N170m through payments to contractors for jobs that were not done.
The National Economic Intelligence Committee, NEIC, was a body under Mr Ogbulafor's ministry set up for the verification and payment of debts owed to local contractors by the Federal Govt.
Delivering his judgement today, presiding judge, Justice Ishaq Bello said evidences brought before him showed Mr Ogbulafor had no connection with the fraudulent activities that went on at the NEIC. The judge went on to discharge Mr Ogbulafor and sentenced Mr Ebila, who came into court on a wheelchair to 5 years imprisonment. He said a confessional statement tendered before the court without any objection from his lawyer, was a corroboration of the allegations leveled against him by the ICPC.
Meanwhile, you will recall that A federal high court on Friday dismissed the money laundering charges brought against Lagos State House of Assembly speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his personal assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
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