Nigerians can no longer be fooled by the likes of Festus Keyamo. His antecedents speak volume about his values and orientation. He is deceitful, unprincipled and manipulative and that makes him pathetic. No wonder he is always in the news for the most unfathomable reasons that are expected of a public crusader. Nigerians are not fools.

Now he runs down the likes of Ribadu and Sowore, the same people who were a thorn in the flesh of the corrupt Nigerians. If he says Ribadu achieved nothing, where was Keyamo when Ribadu recovered $3.5 Billion Dollars that Waziri declared as being one of EFCC’s achievements. The same Ribadu changed the perception of the world about Nigeria when the corruption index dropped significantly. Festus is quick to mention a few names that Ribabu had not apprehended and brushed off all his outstanding achievements. Every corrupt politician is now wise enough to keep their dirty tracks away from the view of Sahara reporters, a credit to Sowore.

Right under Keyamo’s nose as EFCC lawyer, Igbinedion was set free on a bail of N3.5m after stealing several billions of public funds, the case files of corrupt governors suddenly got missing. Why has Waziri not started trying the people mentioned by Keyamo ? Does Mr. Keyamo want to pretend not to know that the AIG and Waiziri are stooges of the same corrupt past Governors and politicians who have held Nigeria bound in mediocrity. What does Mr. Keyamo, our supposed public fighter have to say about all this ?

Nigerian History has reserved a special place for the likes of Gani Faweyimi, Femi Falana, Beko Ransom Kuti, Wole Soyinka et al, because they unambiguously fought corruption and oppression of the masses. In the hall of fame of Public fighters these gentlemen stands out. What public battle has Keyamo fought except any that will land him cheap popularity? No wonder his battles never get anywhere. I am not too surprised when he began to measure his successes on the number of houses he has acquired, his choice cars and the numbers of lawyers who now works under him, that was what he was out for in the first place. Let him be reminded that this achievements cannot stand the test of time, if they did such names as Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Beko, Tafawa Balewa will no longer be remembered today.

Jakoko:

Debosky - You are perfectly within your right to doubt the credibility of Sahara Reports or even CNN. The issue you are confronted with here is as simple as this, this attachment by a British Press Gazette
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=38629 has said that Saharareporters did not report that Yar'adua had died as you posited severally in your blatant lies against the medium. It is your credibility that is at stake here. Every other explanation about why you don't think the earth is round is immaterial to this. To prove this wrong you ought to be able to provide evidence that SR did actually report that Yar'dy was dead, since this publication attributed that piece of news to Elendureports.. Even if they are revamping their site, you can find Google cache of popular stories such as this by doing a google search. I am still waiting , very patiently and selectively for this piece of evidence from you. Don't get upset please, do your home work, perhaps mother luck would smile on you.

Correct talk 

lagbaja:


Now he runs down the likes of Ribadu and Sowore, the same people who were a thorn in the flesh of the corrupt Nigerians. If he says  Ribadu achieved nothing,  where was Keyamo when Ribadu recovered  $3.5 Billion Dollars that Waziri declared as being one of EFCC’s achievements. The same Ribadu changed the perception of the world about Nigeria when the corruption index dropped significantly. Festus is quick to mention a few names that Ribabu had not apprehended and brushed off all his outstanding achievements. Every corrupt politician is now wise enough to keep their dirty tracks away from the view of Sahara reporters, a credit to Sowore.

Right under Keyamo’s nose as EFCC lawyer, Igbinedion was set free on a bail of N3.5m after stealing several billions of public funds, the case files of corrupt governors suddenly got missing. Why has Waziri not started trying the people mentioned by Keyamo ?  Does Mr. Keyamo want to pretend not to know that  the AIG and Waiziri are stooges of the same corrupt past Governors and politicians who have held Nigeria bound in mediocrity. What does Mr. Keyamo, our supposed public fighter have to say about all this ?

Nigerian History has reserved a special place for the likes of Gani Faweyimi, Femi Falana, Beko Ransom Kuti,  Wole Soyinka et al, because they unambiguously fought corruption and oppression of  the masses. In the hall of fame of Public fighters these gentlemen stands out.  What public battle has Keyamo fought except any that will land him cheap popularity? No wonder his battles never get anywhere. I am not too surprised when he began to measure his successes on the number of houses he has acquired, his choice cars and the numbers of lawyers who now works under him, that was what he was out for in the first place. Let him be reminded that this achievements cannot stand the test of time, if they did such names as Awolowo,  Nnamdi  Azikiwe, Beko, Tafawa Balewa will no longer be remembered today.

Measuring success with material wealth is poverty of the mind which our current  rulers are greatly suffering from. Nice words Lagbaja. Something for you!

In my candid opinion,
I do not think Keyamo should have replied the way he did.
D response was devoid of maturity.
Silence would have been the best answer instead of digging into the guy's secrets, medical and personal life.
Also the listing/publishing of his assets through same medium is vague.
Ribadu, Waziri, Keyamo, Sowore and the others (Lawyers) are all thieves.
May God help Nigeria

[<sup>sup]Keyamo Ends Correspondence with Sowore
Saturday, 17 January 2009 17:05 Festus Keyamo
Dear Sowore,
I apologise for not reacting on time to your last letter. Expectedly, I always have a hectic daily schedule and I hardly find time to attend to other things which do not ordinarily fall within the purview of my daily routine as our correspondence these last few days have been. So, this will be my last correspondence on this matter as I intend to concentrate on other more pressing matters.

I do not intend to say much other than to sum up the white, black and gray areas that have emerged from our various correspondence. These areas are:

That I left Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in 1995 for my own private practice, and you said you met me when I was there. That should be between 1994 and 1995. So my claim that “we have known each other for nearly fifteen years now” is correct.

That you agreed you have been sending me mails and having telephone conversations with me these last few years, so we both agree to some cordial relationship.

You said, after much rigmarole, that you were eventually treated by one Dr. Allen Keller in New York for a year. So my account that you went for treatment is correct. But I will no longer insist on the medical records, because, really, that is beside the point.

I am happy you have changed your die-hard position on Nuhu Ribadu to “if today or tomorrow you find anything on Nuhu Ribadu that you think the public should know, do not hesitate to send it to us” and “no matter whose ox is gored, including Ribadu’s.” This is more in tune with the advice I gave to you not to be caught in an embarrassing position regarding Ribadu and my position that I cannot vouch for any public officer, whether it is Waziri, Ribadu or Aondoakaa.

On some of the accusations against Waziri and Aondoakaa, I want to say I respect your work as a journalist and the information you gather through painstaking investigation. One cannot wish away all the wonderful work you have done on account of some disagreement over issues concerning just one case, and I hope you think so of my work too! But unfortunately, I am a trained lawyer, not a journalist, even though I have been maintaining a column in a national paper for years now. Some of the evidence you gather, I cannot use as a lawyer, if not I run the risk of unprofessional conduct. Not that I run away from such charges, but there must be some modicum of acceptable evidence I can use to defend myself. So, one of our disagreement is the level of evidence you have supposedly gather with which I am expected to go to town. I disagree with most of them.

You made the point that I am in pole position to get further evidence myself from the authorities. But in your first letter, you did not require my co-operation to get documents and information for you. You only subtly accused me of maintaining a “stoic silence”. You did not admit that your evidence was insufficient. You appear to be sending me on wild goose chase over certain documents and facts. Now, your present position appears to be an admission that further evidence is required to prove some of your allegations which may be substantially true or substantially false.

But to highlight my point, I took up one of your allegations regarding withdrawal of monies from the EFCC account. My inquiries indicate that the dates and amounts you mentioned are not only false, but they are concocted beyond the acceptable limits of imagination. However, you may be innocent regarding this. Your source(s) may be one of those who thought Ribadu would be a life EFCC Chairman and may have fed you with total crap in a bid to pull down the present leadership of Waziri at all cost. Now, the embarrassing position you may find yourself over this now is the legal position that he who alleges must prove. You cannot insist I should make available to you the true figures and dates of my findings. It is you who alleged the original figures and dates that must provide evidence. This, you have failed to do.

I commend the work you listed that you did against some public officers in the past. I have also done countless in this regard. This is not a forum to blow our trumpets. The public is well aware of this. My accusation of non-action in this regard was not directed at you, but at your darling Ribadu who did nothing in the face of mass of evidence. Thankfully, you did not defend him again on this score.

The Doris Uboh’s case you mentioned is particularly interesting. It is because of the respect I always had for your work that is why I decided to take up that libel case free of charge for National Daily believing you must always have further evidence to back up your claims, since the story emanated from you. I will not make my professional opinion know here, but time will tell whether we are vindicated or not on this issue in which we find ourselves together.

Finally, I note that you remarked that “it is on the strength of the regard I have for you as an uncompromised activist … that I wrote you the letter that is now the subject of our present exchange. It was simply asking you to stay the course. Anyone can see that it was not an accusation of impropriety on your part.”

I want to assure you that nothing can derail my commitment to the Nigerian project. As I write you, I have petitions concerning nothing less than ten (10) SERVING GOVERNORS and public officers before EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies. It is in tune with the new philosophy of “see something, say something.” This was a campaign that the EFCC launched on December 10, 2008 in Abuja which was a huge success as it was hugely attended by people from all walks of life in Nigeria including the President, Five (5) Governors, LG Chairmen, Traditional Rulers, Diplomatic Community, Civil Society Groups etc. Curiously, you reported the next day that it was poorly attended when even the most critical papers in Nigeria reported it as lead stories the next day and agreed it was hugely attended. Your sources in Nigeria may mislead you sometimes because it so hard for you to be in far away America and be reporting events in Nigeria authoritatively.

Finally, prosecuting alleged corrupt persons on behalf of the EFCC is not tantamount to running with the hares and hunting with the hounds. Why? Because, those renowned activists who were paid consultants to EFCC under Ribadu still stand tall in their believes and you have not accused them of running with the hares and hunting with the hounds.

I wish you well in the United States of America. I hope the cold is not too much out there?</sup>

These exchanges make an interesting reading. Curious? Yes! Interesting? Yes!! Informative? Yes!!! Educative? Yes!!!! Relevant? Yes!!!!! Worth our time? Yes!!!!!! Necessary? Yes oh!!!!!!!!

There are some of us who wonder why we as Nigerians(strangely for some of us who have criss-crossed this globe it is inherent in the entire human nature) believe that 'Justice is Selective'[i][/i]. So we find nothing wrong when Ribadu's brand of EFCC's justice targeted OBJ perceived political enemies.

If Ribadu knew how to exercise that justice fairly why was OBJ not tried for his abuse of office, while still the President of our great nation. I heard people saying if there was any shred of evidence then he would have been tried, is that correct?

Who wrote the check of N700million, OBJ gave to Fasawe? Whose account? Was that check or at least a copy of it available to the public? Yes! Was EFCC aware of it? Yes!! Was Ribadu aware of the existence of this check instrument? Yes!!! Was there an abuse of office by the President? Yes!!!! Was there any Economic & Financial Crime involved here? Yes!!!! Was there any breach of constitutional oath of office by the President? Yes!!!!! Would it have served the interest of the avowed fight against corruption that OBJ be tried simply on the strength of the N700 million check he issued to Fasawe? Yes!!!!!! Was it in the public interest that OBJ be tried? Yes!!!!!!! Did Ribadu's EFCC try OBJ? No! Why? For want of evidence!!!!!!!!! Case closed!

This contributor wonders sometimes even getting hysterical  and paranoid, when individuals try to cast aspersion on the likes of Bob Marley, Fela, Gani, Wole, Chima, Festus, Umar, Balarebe, et al for whatever reason under this sun. Have these individuals served humanity? We must allow history to judge that! Why are we in so much a hurry to write that history.

Go and listen to Bob Marley's words, if this world could act 40% in accordance with his message will the WORLD not be a better place for mankind. Look at the actions of our self appointed Christian Clerics under an OBJ utter misrule and let us advance Bob's place in history! Go and listen to Fela's songs at that time - do we as a nation need another 'prophet' in his(Fela) place? No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But it is not that we do not have bandits also masquerading as civil rights crusaders. I have not said that. Otherwise, outside Gani and Chima Ubani tell me which other so-called civil right crusader(including the Femi Falana's, Beko Ransome-Kuti's- I am not sure what role Festus played in that arrangement) opposed the political agreement that brought a General Sani Abacha to office.

Look at the looting of our Oil Money as a test case again. Our Nation - Nigeria earned more in Oil Revenue in OBJ's 8-years of Presidency than we as a nation earned under Tafawa Belewa+Ironsi+Gowon+Muritala/OBJ+Shagari+Buhari+IBB+Shonekan+Sani Abacha+Abubakar combined. Total it in a simple sum. Yet the mass media and civil liberty groups have not risen up with one voice and call for the trial of OBJ.

Instead what do we hear? IBB should be tried for Gulf War Oil Money Windfall that he embezzled with his cohorts. Who are these cohorts? Let us name who they are! And yet we cannot stand-up and with one-voice call for the trial of the man-OBJ who was (s)elected to rule us and indeed ruled for 8 solid years as the President of Nigeria, right under our noses. Did the civil liberty groups articulate and robustly resist this misrule as they were doing under other regimes.

Can anyone compare the 'statesmanship' of a teacher from the Sokoto Caliphate to the political decorum of a coup 4-star General from the South West. And we want to write this history!! What history? Can we with the roles we individually and severally played and are still playing have moral justification to write this history? No!!!!!!!   

Let us continue to deceive ourselves but history will judge us and our banditry! That judgement we cannot escape!! But let us leave the Festus Keyamo's of our time alone!!! He is providing succour to the emasculated and deprived masses of our nation! And he is right there amongst the people!!!! Some of us did not have the liver to stay-put and do that battle on the side of the people! And yet we can afford to blab for whatever reason. Mark my words - 'for whatever reason', I said - [i[b]]right or wrong[/[/b]i][b][/b], we as Nigerians in the Diaspora needs to listen more and talk less than we are currently doing!!

Remain blessed.

Amaechi Osmond Nwakuche, BSc(Hons)-Mechanical Engineering(Unilag Class of 1986), CEng, FNSE & APM

@nwakuche
having read you whole comments in its entirety,i must say that i agree with most of it,but absolving festus kayamo of any wrongdoing is totally and utterly wrong in my opinion,the fact is that he is as guilty as all the others and the fact that he stayed to fight will not negate that fact,so what if he stayed?has he not gotten more than enough rewards for that?
remember tinubu fought as well,does it now excuse his looting?i could go on and on about political/moral civil rights crusaders who have fallen by the wayside,pls let us leave base sentiments aside and address issues objectively!!

yes we know ribadu erred by not investigating obasanjo and his co horts,but there are some pertinent facts you musnt fail to grasp
1.so far till today,ribadu's records has neither been matched by the waziri led efcc,the governors under trial are not only walking round freely,but thumbing their noses at the efcc which keyamo is a part of these are the issues.

2.seeing as governance in any capacity is about continuity,i think enough is enough about the ribadu villifying,which i must admit i was a part of,where is the continuity?where are the efcc prosecutions??
why is the efcc getting weaker under the waziri woman with several allegations hanging over her head?yet keyamo has resolutely kept quiet?

please if you know him,tell him nigerians are no fools and he should get his head out of his rear end,and stand up for what is right

You see I will share with you my thought process of my perception of the Nigerian State so that you can better understand my frame of mind - Nigeria(don't get me wrong indeed the entire world is full of bandits - when I was in Algeria working for a Multi-National Corporation; I could not believe the looting been perpetrated by the so-called 'blue-blooded' white men. So it is not a phenomena peculiar to Nigerians) is a case that is deeply captivating when we view and review what is going on in that country.

Why are we talking about Waziri when we know that the man who calls himself the President of Nigeria was not elected by anybody and as long as we have a product of a fraudulent process calling the shots, we should not expect anything better. There are some of us who are waiting for a revolution to come and sweep through that Nation called Nigeria that we may have development.

Now read this,

A Silver thought for Chukwudi R J Nwakuche(August 12, 1960 – August 29, 1979)

Dear Chukwudi,
You remember as children we used to wonder at the fleeting wisp of smoke spiraling up from a smoldering fire, leaving the source behind in apparent defiance to the law of gravity as we watched. Just for a moment it is as if we believed that since it is proven that whatever goes up must come down, that this one will follow same physical law. Then the winds would come to take this sight on another journey. Whatever this turns out to be not even the clearest of vision would see.

From the date you passed on, we are the ones now sitting and waiting. Believing that since you were a father figure to us all even at such a tender age, that the good LORD will give us our father back after a while to guide us through this experience or rather experiment called ‘living in Nigeria’. In Nigeria we have had governments that have swung like a pendulum in alternation between civilian and military.

Sometimes we rejoiced, at least we have a civil rule like the rest of the civilized world only for the experiment to deteriorate that at one time Nigerians went into a period of fasting to wish it away. Then the Khaki boys came and the politicians were thrown into jail; with their families vowing that there children would never go into politics. At least not in this generation.

We then had another gap toothed and amiable Khaki boy who while he kept us all guessing on what is to come next gave us a stint at civilian selected governance.  Most people are yet to fully understand why this experiment is better than ‘a free and fair election’.

Being part of this ever resilient polity (by the way a survey has confirmed that we are the happiest bunch of living beings on the face of the earth) we still waited. Another Khaki boy came who while giving us fiscal policy stability threw the financial fraudsters into jail and sent any ‘democracy-thinking’ mind either to join you immediately or to prepare for that journey in installments.

And we waited and prayed; knowing that as Nigerians God has not given us the spirit to change our government to meet our collective aspirations. For a minute, God seemed to answer our prayers, only for us to go into another ‘arranged democrazy’ with yet the same man who asked us to tighten our belts in the late seventies while not watching his own waistline.

So we are forced to move on or at least pretend to live the good life once again in another setting. This time we had a ‘re-election’ that confirmed that the only way of celebrating ‘continuity’ was to remind us that the issue of ‘appropriate pricing’ of petroleum products must be settled once and for all. If for nothing but to thank those that ‘selected’ him to finish the ‘good job’ he has done for us as a nation.

Remember we had agreed that four years cannot be enough to gauge the performance, when it took us five years to go through college with Baba Yaba waiting to give us a ‘verdict’ that you never waited to see. Now everything seems to be both aging and going your way or is forced to the great beyond by those who tell the rest of us marooned Nigerians that their leadership of this great nation is ordained by God. Our schools, universities, infrastructures, Dele Giwa, Papa Awolowo, mama, Uncle Bola Ige, Uncle Johnson, Uncle A2, mama nnukwu, Teenteen, just name them. That is now a popular side.

We are waiting knowing that there maybe yet another ‘good morning’ for us all who tarry. At least the same man our good LORD gave us as ‘savior of sorts’ to soot our wounds, has sprung up a miraculous scourging menace of improving our standard of living by making us pay more for everything with the money that falls from the side pockets of less than 1% of Nigerians. Praise God!

We await the Second Coming in another three years of the man who would ‘settle’ every Nigerian to continue ‘living well’ as usual. We will wait for that time as we would want God to give Nigeria to a known thief to rule; as we are being continually wearied with self-appointed clerics stealing us dry even with God’s supposed servants urging them on. Yet the experience we were forced to accept in the early hours of August 29, 1979 left us without your wise counsel.

Papa Oh, you should have warned us that in Nigeria, what we took joy in watching as children are ever true of the Nigerian State. That whatever goes up must disappear. Time has passed since you left us but we remain to see yet another day and wait a time like this to shed a tear in memory of you. This letter is to let you know that you missed much by bowing out early. This ‘suffering’ sure feels good. Sleep well, our dear one.

yes,but that still doesnt excuse the fact that keyamo is still part of the proverbial five fingers that make up the leporous hand,one thing i caught in your comment was that you "are waiting fir a revolution "to come sweep these people away,in my opinion,that is not only a defeatist attitude,but arrogating responsibilities to others,its something i have always said on here that if we are not willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with the average nigerian in nigeria, on the revolution we are quick to call for while living abroad,then why should we expect anyone to die for us??

in the piece you have posted,the only answer i ahev for it is that,as long as we nigerians have the same attitude to politicians we currently seem to have,then we will be getting the same results,while politicians are not saints we push them to spend billions by demanding bribes before voting and then turn around to complain he/she is feathering his/her nest,he has to recover all the money he has spent while campaigning.

So our dear Sowore of SR is a FRAUD!!!