Nigeria and British Patronage

The Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, of Nigeria’s oil rich Bayelsa state, arrested in London on money laundering charges, skipped England dressed as a woman.

The temptation to parody this latest corruption scandal to hit the beleaguered nation of Nigeria is great, but perhaps ill-founded.
The culture of corruption is a very real tragedy for Nigeria, considered one of the most corrupt nations on Earth. Officials like Alamieyeseigha, and the country seems plagued with them, openly plunder the countries wealth, leaving much of the population in squalor and despair.
Not that these ‘robber barons’ have a totally free hand, corruption fighters and outraged citizens are starting to make some progress in reigning in these excesses.

Angola Press reported:
Some indigenes from Nigeria’s oil-rich Bayelsa state Tuesday staged a demonstration in the state capital of Yenagoa to protest Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha`s escape from justice in London, where he had been standing trial for allegedly laundering 1.8 million pounds sterling.

Alamieyeseigha believes he is protected by the constitution, which prevents prosecution while he is governor. However, reports out of Nigeria say that impeachment proceedings have started: The speaker of the National Assembly, Peremobowei Ebebi, said the assembly had served impeachment notice on the governor.

"He has to resign within two weeks or face impeachment," the speaker said in remarks broadcast on television.

"A governor who disguised himself as a woman to run away from justice in London should not be our governor. It is slap on our collective dignity as a people and our sensibilities as a people."

There are further reports that Nigerian president, Obasanjo, is moving troops into Bayelsa, however it is not clear whether that action is related to the impeachment or other unrest in the area.

Setbacks

A former police chief was recently convicted, in a $150 million money-laundering case, but anti-corruption campaigners said the jail term was so short it undermined the war on corruption.
Tafa Balogun, the most senior official to be convicted in a corruption case, will spend six months in jail as his eight sentences of six months each are to run concurrently. He was fined 4 million naira, while about $150 million in cash and property will be confiscated by government.

Corruption is a deep rooted problem for this formerly British controlled nation.
Colonial rule plundered the natural wealth of the colony for many years. When the British handed over, the lessons were well learned. ‘Ownership’ of the wealth appears to have made a smooth transition from colonial interests to Nigerian leaders, the people apparently ignored in the process.
I don’t profess to understand the culture of this or other African nations, but it is clear that a groundswell of resentment is building. The least we can do is encourage those who are willing to take up the fight locally.

A British Lapse?

It is curious, given the security umbrella over Britain, just how the governor managed to sneak out of the country, even dressed as a woman. He had been granted bail and had his travel documents were confiscated. He was barred from going within three kilometres of any port.
The British High Commission said that it was disappointed that Alamieyeseigha chose to escape instead of honorably facing the criminal charges against him. The British authorities are either naïve or complicit for reasons of their own. He added:

“The Metropolitan Police in London will apply to the court that granted him bail to issue a warrant for his re-arrest if he ever ventures to step his feet on London soil.”

However it is taken, the failure of the security system should be a concern to Brits who have been convinced by their government that a heavy blanket of security is in place.