The original report of the Pius Okigbo Panel on the $12.4billion Gulf War oil windfall surfaced– unofficially – yesterday 17years after it was submitted to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.

The unearthing of the report may pave the way for the trial of former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida as demanded by some rights’ groups for alleged mismanagement of the fund.

A signed copy of the report, which allegedly indicted Gen. Babngida, has been sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, by the activists.

The groups had been asked by Adoke to produce the original report to enable him act on their request.

The groups are: Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Women Advocates and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Access to Justice (AJ), Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Partnership for Justice (PFJ), Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF), Nigeria Voters Assembly (VOTAS) and Centre for the Rule of Law (CFR).

Adoke’s Special Assistant (Media) Chuks Akuna told The Nation yesterday that when his principal gets the report he would not waste time in acting on it.

Said Akuna: “He’s (Adoke) been out of the country since Monday on an official trip. If anybody claims to have sent any report, that is not to my knowledge and definitely couldn’t have been to the knowledge of the Attorney-General. He has promised to work without fear or favour.

“If he gets an authenticated copy of any document that would help the course of justice, be assured he won’t spend a minute more than necessary. He has assured that, in the fight against graft, there will be no sacred cows. If you know him well, you will know he’s a man of few words.”

In a statement in Lagos, the groups said they had fulfilled Adoke’s condition and they expect him to act immediately on the report.

They said: “Now that we have gone the extra mile to fulfil the request by the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, we expect that you would now move swiftly to prosecute former president Babangida on the basis of the Okigbo report, and ensure justice to the victims of the mismanagement and corruption documented in the report. Time is now of essence; any further delay would be justice delayed, which as you know, is justice denied.

“As you will note on pages 208 to 234 of the signed original report, we are now sending to you, there are clear and strong statements, which constitute an indictment that cannot and should not be swept under the carpet for the sake of justice, and in the interest of the present and future generations.

“We believe the report was never missing but has remained in the custody of the government for years. We note that it was the government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo that first used the word ‘missing’ – apparently to cover up the outcome of the diligent investigation carried out by the late Dr Pius Okigbo Panel.”

“We, therefore, state that what has been missing is not the Okigbo Report but the political will by successive governments to act decisively on the report and, by so doing, demonstrate to the international community that when it comes to the fight against corruption in this country, there will be no sacred cows.”

The statement was signed by Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, SERAP; Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director, WARDC; Joseph Otteh, Executive Director, AJ; Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC; Kayode Ogundamisi, Convener, NLF; Olanrewaju Suraju, Head, HEDA; Olasupo Ojo, President, CDHR; Itoro Eze-Anaba, Managing Partner, PFJ; Moshood Erubami, President, VOTAS; and Tejumade Oke, Programme Director, CFR.

,
And Operation Stop IBB waxes stronger.