By Wale Odunsi on December 13, 2013

The Supreme Court of Nigeria, Friday morning
quashed the conviction of a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Bode George by a Lagos High Court.

The apex court, in discharging and acquitting
George, stated that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had no
evidence that he committed fraud at the
Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) as alleged.

According to the judges led by John Afolabi
Fabiyi JSC, the charges of “contract splitting” filed against George was unknown to the law.
The judgement, which no doubt will raise more dust from anti-corruption activists and Nigerians, was not unexpected as the politician himself once said his conviction would be overruled.

Sincere 9gerian: Those were some of the cases that were taken to court in the midst of the MEDIA DRAMA and PLAYING TO THE GALLERY that went into the 'war' against corruption during OBJ and Yar Adua era. As expected, Nigerians, being DRAMA loving people, cheered on while the DRAMA lasted. However, after the DRAMA and PLAYING TO THE GALLERY, many of those cases could not stand judicial scrutiny.

As for the case of Bode George, the Nigerian people have lost as again. The time, energy and resources that spent in prosecuting him are all LOST. He may even sue the state for damages and may be awarded billions or millions in compensation. And all those shenanigans happened in the name of 'fighting' corruption?

Meanwhile, the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in the fertilizer distribution system instituted by the current govt saved the nation about N25 billion in 2012. The N25 billion would have been lost to corruption if we had continued with the old system of distributing fertilizer. The Integrated Payroll Systeme has also saved the country over N120 billion per annum thru eradication of ghost workers.

Some Boko Haram and pension thieves suspects have been convicted. Many others, including fuel subsidy thieves are still in court.

It must be noted that many of the cases of corruption that are being prosecuted under this dispensation are the outcome of SILENT double layer investigation. The fuel subsidy thieves for instance were first investigated by a presidential committee on fuel subsidy (which consistented of experts in that field) and later by the EFCC before proceeding to court. This increases the chances of securing conviction in court.

Nigerians would have to choose between DRAMA/PLAYING TO THE GALLERY and real fight against corrupt that yields TANGIBLE BENEFITS.

Sunny_bobo:

You said it all. Nothing more to add.