nd counting’ — ex-governors still on corruption trial a decade after

It is said that the wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine. However, in Nigeria the broken wheels of justice turn forever and often grind to an asphyxiating halt.

Since 2007, five former governors – Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Jolly Nyame (Taraba), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Saminu Turaki (Jigawa) – have been on trial for corruption. The curtain is yet to be drawn on their cases.

Out of 13 former governors, whom the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed fraud charges against, only two have been convicted – Lucky Igbinedion (Edo state) and James Ngilari (Adamawa state). Though their conviction was with wooly penalties.

In December 2008, a federal high court in Enugu fined Igbinedion N3.5m in a N25billion financial fraud case. The former governor pleaded guilty to the charge against him, and he was subsequently given a slap on the wrist. He was allowed to walk the walk of freedom.
Also, in March 2017, a high court in Adamawa convicted Ngilari of contract fraud, but it gave him the option of picking any prison of his choice to do time – selective sentencing. However, a few days in jail, he was released in controversial circumstances. The appeal court afterwards invalidated his conviction. End of story.

Owing to serpentine, compromised, and crude judicial processes, the corruption cases of some former governors have sputtered in courts for 10 years. A decade! It means child born at the time the trial started is already in secondary school.
Thecable.ng