The media circus over the travails of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who was arrested in London by the British National Crime Agency (NCA) over alleged money laundering and bribery offences is one more example of the odium Britain imposes on Nigerians and which partly accounts for Nigeria’s image crisis worldwide. The steady flow of bad news about Nigeria hurts badly and the plight of her citizens in jailhouses in different countries is heart-rending. No doubt, this situation diminishes the prestige of Nigeria and its citizens. However, even for such a controversial figure like Alison-Madueke, whom most Nigerians love to hate, her arrest was discriminatory, humiliating and on the surface should be seen as a grand design to continually subject Nigerians to repeated abuse. There must be a higher value placed on past and present holders of high public office abroad. The deafening silence of the federal government over the issue is reprehensible; the Buhari administration must unequivocally declare it as unacceptable.
It is indeed disturbing that the NCA which arrested Alison-Madueke and four other suspects as part of its investigations has neither bothered to formally notify the Nigerian High Commission in London; nor the office of the attorney-general of the federation that a former Nigerian Minister has been arrested and is to be tried. Rather, the British anti-graft agency said it kept its investigation secret from the EFCC and ICPC because it could not trust the Nigerian government. In what initially looked like a coordinated action, EFCC agents raided Alison-Madueke’s Abuja home, ostensibly as part of the investigation. But in an update on its website, the NCA discounted any connection, saying its investigations began in 2013, and there was no specific corruption allegation against Madueke prior to her arrest. After she was granted bail, the NCA said it has no plans to charge the former Petroleum Minister, though it secured a court order to impound the $54,000 seized from her till April 2016.
Nigerians are justified to wonder what motivations informed the NCA’s actions. If the NCA will not charge Alison-Madueke, then why arrest her and seize her cash? Truth be told, Nigerian government officials and politicians are burdened with perennially low reputation. Notwithstanding the public’s resentment of Alison-Madueke, it is clear she was not arrested at the request of the Nigerian government. The invidious brigandage displayed by the NCA negates all that law and morals stand for; and it is a telling lesson to the Nigerian people. Despite President Buhari’s commitment to wage war on corruption, the NCA have unabashedly demonstrated to Nigerians that their elected leaders cannot fight corruption, let alone change Nigeria.
Nigerians overwhelmingly support President Buhari’s anti-graft war. It is spurious and leaves much to be desired that British crime agencies should be seen to be trying to push the President’s hand. If only for the purpose of regaining Nigeria’s national respect and bringing sanity to the war on corruption, the British anti-graft agencies should collaborate with Nigerian anti-graft agencies by furnishing whatever information they have on illicit assets and foreign bank accounts owned by Nigerian government officials in Britain. Where necessary, Britain should expedite the extradition of persons accused of corruption and embezzlement to face trial in Nigeria, as demanded by international law.
The concern of Nigerians, and rightly so, is the hypocrisy and double standards of Britain when it comes to corruption involving other countries like Saudi Arabia. A case in point is the 2006 corruption scandal involving British BAE’s huge $86bn al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Amid mounting evidence of alleged bribes and kickbacks, BAE pleaded guilty to using secret shell offshore companies to make covert payments into a Saudi intermediary’s Swiss account. BAE also admitted to secretly paying $38m to lubricate Czech and Hungarian weapons deals, in addition to lying to US investigators. It is worth noting that the inquiry of the al-Yamamah deal by the British Serious Fraud Office was shut down, following pressure from Saudi officials, who threatened reprisals. Then British attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, cited national security when he announced the inquiry was being abandoned. Then Prime Minister Tony Blair shamelessly came out publicly to say he took full responsibility for the decision.
Meanwhile, over $12bn was paid in bribes and corrupt commissions, via an array of agents and middlemen. Millions went to Prince Bandar – son of Prince Sultan, (Saudi defence minister) who used the money to buy the entire Cotswolds’ hamlet and surrounding 2,000-acre sporting estate in Glympton, Oxfordshire. According to US sources, another $30m was paid into Bandar’s Riggs Bank account in Washington. More millions were paid by BAE to Bandar’s agent, Syrian-born Wafic Said-linked accounts in Switzerland. Large amounts were transferred through an anonymous offshore company, Poseidon to Mohammed Safadi, a Lebanese, representing Prince Turki bin Nasser, who controlled the Saudi air force. In addition, BAE maintained a $120m slush fund to keep the “royal guests” sweet on their visits to Britain; providing lavish holidays, fleets of classic cars, choice drinks, trinkets and blond sex maids.
In all these instances, there were no arrests or trials of the officials involved in the corruption scandals.
This is hypocrisy that stinks to the high heavens. For those who might be tempted to argue that Saudi Arabia is not in Africa, it is worth recalling that BAE also pleaded guilty to corruption charges over a highly controversial sale of a military radar to poverty-stricken Tanzania, which then Development Secretary, Clare Short said at the time “stinks” of corruption, but which Tony Blair, forced through the cabinet. BAE paid $60m penalty as “an ex gratia payment for the benefit of the people of Tanzania”.
So, what is it about Nigeria that brings out “the best” in British anti-graft agencies? Why is Britain all too willing and ready to arrest and humiliate Nigerian officials? Now and again, British authorities have taken delight in putting Nigeria in the spotlight on issues that do no credit to Nigeria’s image. The British seem to relish a reputation for embarrassing Nigeria. However one looks at it, the arrest of Alison-Madueke; who left office as the sitting president of the oil cartel OPEC, amounts not just to a lack of decency for a woman with a terminal illness; it is a disregard for Nigerian sovereignty and constituted authority and a deliberate flaunting of a bad habit taken too far. It is also an expression of lack of respect for Nigerian institutions and those who incarnate them; a superiority complex, or at best an ego-offensive posturing that considers Nigeria as a banana republic. This is unacceptable and must stop!

source;http://africanfreepress.com/?p=5896

You have a point sha, at least the government of Nigeria is supposed to be intimated before taking any 'humiliating' activities on our senior citizens.

We all know MADAM has eaten many tubers of our yam, but the image of Nigeria must not be sacrificed. ....not evn for Britain

Ok

FYB:
You have a point sha, at least the government of Nigeria is supposed to be intimated before taking any 'humiliating' activities on our senior citizens.

We all know MADAM has eaten many tubers of our yam, but the image of Nigeria must not be sacrificed. ....not evn for Britain

you are quite correct bro...