Probe into presidential term scandal in Nigeria

Reuters

May 16, 2006

Even in Nigeria, one of the most corrupt nations in Africa, there is a limit to what the president could do as far as the constitution is concerned. In Ethiopia, there is no such thing as "constitution". It is a fake document that becomes a law if the tyrant Meles Zenawi declares so after acting to his whims.

The investigation comes days before a vote on the bill to amend the constitution in the Senate, which is likely to go against extending the presidential tenure to three terms. “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced the investigation of recent allegations of bribery in the National Assembly,” the agency said in a press statement.

Lawmakers were originally offered 50mn naira ($390,000) to support a third term for Obasanjo, opposition members said. A National Assembly source told Reuters on Sunday that the offer had now been raised to 200mn naira ($1.6mn) and above for key opponents. A presidency spokesman denied offering bribes.

“The president is not a bribe giver, neither does he condone any form of corruption,” said Femi Fani Kayode. Any amendment to Nigeria’s 1999 charter requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, and more than a third of senators have already said they will vote against a third term.

Newspapers have published details of banks in the capital Abuja where they said the bribe money was deposited. They also reported licence plate numbers of vehicles belonging to people they identified as presidential aides overseeing the payout.

“The investigation poses enormous challenges and the commission can only make reasonable progress if provided with sufficient information and evidence by members of the public,” the agency said.

The probe came after secret police raided the offices of a privately owned television network on Sunday and seized the master copy of a documentary on Nigeria’s history of dictators who have tried and failed to prolong their rules.

“They came and said we should discontinue the documentary on tenure elongation,” African Independent Television chairman Raymond Dokpesi was quoted as saying in This Day newspaper.

Obasanjo, a former military ruler, returned to power in elections in 1999, restoring democracy to Africa’s most populous nation after three decades of almost uninterrupted dictatorship.

Elections next year should mark the first time in Nigerian history that one civilian president hands over to another through elections, but the campaign to allow Obasanjo to stand again has jeopardised that.

Some opposition members of the House of Representatives who say they have been given inducements have threatened to bring the cash into the chamber this week to back up the allegations.

The bribery scandal has tainted the image of Obasanjo’s government, which only last year obtained $18bn debt relief from rich Western creditors partly on the basis of his high-profile campaign against corruption.

Obasanjo’s third term campaign reinforces a trend across Africa of a “new breed” of leaders, including in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia, who have failed to live up to promises to improve democracy and freedoms, analysts say.

Supporters of the third term argue that it would allow Obasanjo to consolidate his liberal economic reforms.

Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has publicly split from his boss over the amendment, and accused Obasanjo of trying to subvert democracy against the popular will. The US has urged Obasanjo not to go ahead with the amendment, predicting major turmoil and conflict if it goes through. Britain has said it would not accept the result of any amendment process that was not free and fair. – Reuters