Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, Fred Agbaje has urged the incoming
ministers to learn from the ongoing trial of former Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Diezani is being
tried in the United Kingdom (UK) by Serious Organised Crime Agency
(SOCA) for alleged bribery and corruption-related charges.
In an
interview with Daily Independent, Agbaje said Diezani’s trial was a
manifestation that the war against corruption spearheaded by President
Muhammadu Buhari was gaining ground and that looters of the nation’s
patrimony would not escape justice.
He lamented how Diezani
behaved like “a thin god and was so powerful that even her boss, former
President Goodluck Jonathan could not tame her.”
“It is not only a
welcome development but also a manifestation that the war against
corruption is being recognised both locally and internationally. It is a
testimony to the fact that there is no hiding place for any criminal in
Nigeria again”.
“The world has indeed become a global village.
Anybody who commits a crime in Nigeria and takes to his or heels by
seeking sanctuary abroad cannot escape justice. Anywhere you are in the
world, you will be smoked out to come and face trial.
“The
likes of Diezani, who became a thin god in Nigeria when she was in
office should know that the end of culture of impunity has come with the
war against corruption in Nigeria. They were the laws of the land
during Jonathan’s regime.
“Jonathan became so helpless in taming the ministers he appointed. The ministers became so powerful beyond redemption.“One
is happy that one of them is being tried internationally now. It is a
good show for the fight against corruption and will make the incoming
ministers know that there is fire on the mountain. They themselves will
have to run”, he said.
Source: DailyPostNG
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