It’s time to play by a different (ethical) set of rules (Part 7) Nigeria 1

___Sometimes the price can be very high in the fight against corruption.

I had the privilege of making Nigeria’s first GSM phone call back in 2001 when I called the regulator to say, “We’re live!” Who would’ve believed then that Nigeria today would have more than 167 million mobile phones?!

It all started out as a very exciting new chapter for enterprise in Africa. Shortly after President Obasanjo was elected, the new government announced an incredibly transparent international auction process for three national mobile phone licenses.

To participate in the bid, you not only had to raise money, but there had to be a member of the bidding consortium who was an experienced GSM operator. Econet Wireless met the requirements because of its experience in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our Nigerian partners, which included state governments, local banks and high net worth individuals, were financial investors. The largest shareholder had only 10%. That was the written agreement.

I managed to assemble a consortium of 22 investors to put up the money needed to bid. Our shareholders were all Nigerian, mostly institutional investors including leading banks and two state governments, Lagos State and Delta State. The license cost us $285m and was the most expensive license ever issued in Africa at the time. This was 2001.

We considered the investment not only about putting together a network, but also about building a nation. We knew it had the potential to transform Nigeria’s entire business and social architecture.

Most of our investors had between 1-10% shareholding. Econet Wireless Nigeria had only 5% of the shares, but that was fine because it was 5% ownership of a very big pie.

As the "technical partner and operator," Econet was the company with the expertise to build and operate such a business. Our financial investors recognised this, and also allowed us to receive 3% of the turnover as our fees. This was standard practice in the industry.

We were one of the winning bidders and they gave us just six months to set up business and get our network operating. We were under a lot of pressure but our network was live two days before the others! Customers were pouring in. We were number one in the market with an estimated 57% market share.

___Then came the fateful day when I was told that our company must pay a total of $9m in bribes to senior politicians (in state government) who had facilitated the raising of the money to pay for the license.

I refused to authorise the illegal payments. Meeting after meeting was held to try to get me to agree, but I would not. The money would not be paid as long as Econet was the operator and I had signing authority.

James Ibori, the Governor of Delta State, was demanding $4,5m be paid to him in his personal capacity. He was one of the most powerful men in the country and had a reputation for violence. When he heard that I was refusing to approve payment he issued an ultimatum:

___"Pay or I will chase you and your people out of the country."

I refused.

The shareholders met and voted Econet Wireless Nigeria out of management. They cancelled our management contract. James Ibori and his colleagues personally attended the meeting to remove us. After the meeting one of them (a prominent local businessman even today) came up to me and said: "Unfortunately for you, God does not have a vote."

I had to withdraw all my staff and their families: 200 people in all. We left Nigeria.

Most of our people had to be retrenched. The loss of the contract almost drove us to bankruptcy as a group.

They invited a big international operator to replace us as technical partner and operator. They changed the name of the company from Econet to V-Mobile.

Within days of their arrival, the managers of the new operator signed off the payments demanded as bribes.

Then what happened?

A few noble Nigerians had both the integrity and courage to carefully collect all the documentation on the movement of the money, and pass it all on to me.

___There’s a saying worth remembering in uncovering the trail of destruction that is corruption: “Follow the money”…

I bided my time... then I wrote a letter to the United States Department of Justice!

It was 2003.

Spiritual Reflection
I could easily have agreed to pay the bribes and I would have remained in the company earning millions every year. My shares could have increased and I would have earned billions. It was all there for me. All I needed to do was to accept that the payments be made. After all, the money was not coming from my own pocket I also knew the price I and my company would have to pay:

-Lucrative contracts would be lost.
-Our reputation and prestige would be affected as these people would tell lies about the reasons we had to leave. They had powerful friends everywhere including some of the press;
-Many people would lose their jobs.
-My company could collapse.
-I faced personal danger.

Knowing all that, I still said NO!
In Matthew chapter 4, Satan says to Jesus, "If you bow down to me, I will give you all the kingdoms on earth and their wealth."
Those who engage in corruption ( or ignore it) have bowed down to Satan. Whenever I see someone who is corrupt, or chooses to be quiet about it, all I see is someone groveling at the feet of Satan.
Let's be the generation that fights corruption... and ends it! Will you join me?

Danlami Saad,
Writes:
Plesae i want you to write about your experience in nigeria because i was at a time following your case at the court but stop and i was later told that you have won your case.

My reply:
I always save the best to last Danlami.
Nigeria is next. I have 4 posts on the Nigerian saga. We fought legal battles in courts in 4 different countries at the same time:
Nigeria, South Africa, UK, and Netherlands.
We also had international arbitration in 3 different international jurisdictions: London, The Hague, Denmark, and Nigeria.
WE PREVAILED!
-six people including a Governor (James Ibori) were jailed.
-Nigerian courts ruled in our favor all the way to the Appeals courts. Producing world class judgements.
- we received record compensation.
- our shares were given back by the courts, and we remain a shareholder to this day.
"We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth."

It’s time to play by a different (ethical) set of rules (Part Nigeria 2

___As citizens, we have a duty to speak out to stop the rot

Nigeria has an agency known as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). After we had to leave the country, a few noble people at the company tipped off not only me but the EFCC about the payment of the bribes, which had by this time risen from $9m to $13,5m.

I had never actually heard about this agency myself until I got a call from the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa to say they wanted to come and see me to interview me as a witness.

A team of very senior EFCC officers came to see us in South Africa. They were solid and professional in their enquiry. It was clear they wanted to do something about it.

However, when these officers returned home to Nigeria, they got into very serious trouble. Their investigations into the irregular payments had been brought to the attention of James Ibori (Governor of Delta State)…

Soon thereafter, the most senior officer leading the investigation was demoted and sent to a remote part of the country as an ordinary policeman!

Agencies like EFCC in Nigeria sometimes have brave and gallant law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, as I observed, they’re often let down by their political bosses, and sometimes even by the courts. This can change if activism from the citizenry emerges to support their work.

___We should not only support official efforts to stop corruption but also help these agencies and organisations in their investigations. If you have relevant information about illegal activities, passing it on could make all the difference between impunity and imprisonment.

In my letter to the US Justice Department, I detailed the full history of the demands for a bribe. I had dates, times, records. I then reminded them that since the big international operator had a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, they were duty-bound to launch an enquiry. Why did I go to them?

The United States government has a law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The United Kingdom has a similar one called the British Anti-Bribery Act. Whatever you do, make sure you never fall foul of those laws because, if they ever use them to come after you, you’re a "gonner" my friends.

A few weeks later, US officials wrote back advising me that an enquiry had been launched. They contacted the big international company seeking answers to my allegations. My contacts at the company called to tell me, "All hell has broken loose at the company."

The parent company of the South African-based multinational sent external auditors and lawyers from London to Nigeria. They immediately dismissed all the senior executives sent to Nigeria to run the company, and they left in a hurry!

Although they fled the scene of the crime and returned to their country -- after admitting even to both the US Justice Department and the EFCC that the money had been paid out – the stolen funds were never returned to the Nigerian people, even to this day.

Meanwhile, the departure of the other mobile operator did not mean we could return to Nigeria. The shareholders found another operator, this time from the Middle East.

They sold this new operator the control of the company even though Econet Wireless Nigeria had the "right of first refusal" over any sale. They simply ignored that provision in our agreement. This was illegal, both according to our shareholders agreement and Nigerian Company Law. It was left for us to take up the fight in another forum, the Nigerian courts.

Afterthought 1.

The British counterparts of the EFCC were able to bring James Ibori and his associates to book (as you will see in the next post) because they were well supported by both the political and the judicial system in the UK. I also believe that much of the evidence to bring him down came from officers in EFCC who passed it on to the British knowing that their counterparts were better placed to bring him to book. In other countries, agencies like EFCC exist but for a completely different purpose...but that is for another day.

Source:

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=496453373762496&locale2=en_US


You can scroll down his profile to read up from part 1

lalasticlala
Seun
mukina2

Wow... Can't really believe I read it all...

No be today corruption Don deh yansh naija oo

I wonder how much bribes MTN and the other telecoms are paying. Little wonder they're allowed to behave irresponsibly without repercussions.

now that we have a no nonsense man as a president, is there the possibly that a new operator will emerge because ncc said that after 5 years since the inception of etisalat, they will roll out another license?

Thank u my mentor,coach and Church member.
Pls expose them all
God bless cec
God bless strive M

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