RE: THE MAKING OF ANOTHER PRESIDENCY’S IBORI

In recent past, I read in the national dailies a short article entitled "The Making of another Presidency Ibori". In it, the writer tried to point out to us that the Jonathan presidency is trying to create an "Ibori" as in Ibori existed for Yar’Adua’s presidency. The article further revealed that the "Ibori" is looking good from a south-south State. It should be recalled Ibori bankrolled to a large extent the electioneering expenses of the late President Umaru Yar’Auda. Thereafter Yar’Adua’s ‘victory’, Ibori continued calling the shots at the presidency. He even tried to block then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from being made the acting President, let alone loved seeing him as a substantive President which he is now.

Jonathan on assumption of office did not give any pretence: He made sure that Ibori was hounded and we all know what and where Ibori is today. If you look at it from one angle, it was wrong that Ibori was being treated that way because exactly what Ibori was to Yar’Adua, Jonathan is prodding one other sitting governor from the same south-south zone to become his ‘Ibori’. Does it mean that he really hated Yar’Adua because of Ibori? Nevertheless, not apprehending Ibori was one of the real reasons former IGP Onovo was removed from office.

The picture is getting clearer as to whom the Jonathan Presidency’s ‘Ibori’ is: It is the governor that presides over the highest monthly federal allocation. This governor has been noticed hobnobbing, drumming for Jonathan and Jonathan is dancing adequately to this. The EFCC would not be sent after this governor, who the people feel he merited being visited by EFCC officials, judging from avalanche of petition against him. But there are alibis; he has been compromising EFCC and now he has moved with his State’s fund into the Jonathan’s campaign, just as Ibori moved with Delta State’s fund into Yar’Adua’s. I feel Nigerian leaders have not been baptised the way they are supposed to; they still sweep in avoidable corruption more than ever before.

Dr. Segun Osobu, Osborne Road, Ikoyi-Lagos – (osobus@yahoo.com).