By Bala Ibrahim.
An issue is burning in my native Kano, and threatening to burn in a manner that could result in a boomerang. Yes, boomerang, because as the word implies, it has the tendency of bouncing back to hurt the initiator. I had wanted not to talk about it, because of the likelihood of my position being misconstrued, misunderstood, or out rightly misinterpreted by mischief makers. Because I speak for the ruling party, there is the tendency for my personal views to be viewed as the views of the party in power. A colleague, with similar penchant for writing, who apparently, seems confronted with similar conundrum, had also called to seek my advise, and based on the circumstances of the time then, I advised him not to prompt his pen on the matter. However, pursuant to the new twist in the matter, I have been advised by my conscience, to damn all consequences, and quickly come into the ring, where the wrestle would be between the court, conscience and the connotation called corruption.
Early this week, precisely on Monday, about 20 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in a statement circulated to journalists, made allegations around accountability, trust, and financial worthiness of some powerful political aides of the Kano state government, where fingers were pointed at the withdrawal and diversion of ₦6.5 billion from the state treasury. The CSOs, were quick to accuse the Director General, Protocol Directorate, Kano State Government House, Abdullahi Rogo, for diverting the money through some mentioned private companies and Bureau de Change operators in the state. Although the Government had denied the accusation, investigations by journalists, have confirmed that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in its investigation on the matter, has recovered over N1.1 billion from the said Director-General. I failed maths with honours, so I wouldn’t know what remains, out of the allegedly diverted N6.5 billion, but because recovery is said to have commenced, methinks, questions can be asked. More so, questions from those that are constitutionally tasked with the duty of asking questions- the journalists.
It is in the discharge of that duty, that journalist Jafar Jafar, the founder and publisher of the Daily Nigerian, an online publication, made public the story. And now, the same Director General, Directorate of Protocol, Kano Government House, Abdullahi Ibrahim Rogo, has gone to court, Chief Magistrate Court No.15, Kano, presided over by Malam Abdul’aziz M. Habib, asking him to begin a criminal investigation against Jafar Jafar, for doing that which he was trained and ethically tasked to do. In its wisdom, the court has granted an order, directing the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone One, to conduct a full-scale investigation into the charges. Also joined is one Audu Umar.
Two things gave me the impetus to change my mind and write. The first is the fact that, like Jafar Jafar, I am a journalist, and by our calling, we have been told to research and investigate news stories, gather information from a variety of reliable sources, and where we found the stories worthy of publication, make them public, without fear of any intimidation. The second is the fact that I am an indigene of Kano state, as such, I have a stake in the N6.5b mentioned. The last time I checked the dictionary for the meaning of corruption, it said, dishonest or fraudulent behaviour by those in power. And to me, the use of courts, particularly courts that are seen to be likely to be influenced by the powers that be, to intimidate others in the discharge of their statutory duties, amounts to dishonesty or even fraudulent misconduct. And Rogo’s action, which the Government of Kano refused to frown at, can not enjoy exemption from.
And that brings us to the issue of conscience, which touches on a person’s moral sense of right and wrong. Except for those with a conflict of conscience, or even the guilt of conscience, rushing to court to intimidate a journalist on duty is tantamount to corruption. And Rogo’s action, which the Government of Kano refused to frown at, can not enjoy exemption from. It was Mahatma Ghandi, the late Indian lawyer, politician, social activist, and writer, who became the leader of the Indian Independence Movement that said, “there is a higher court than the conventional courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts”.
I am aware of the fact that once a matter is undergoing judicial consideration, discussing it elsewhere is sub judice. But I also know that in the pursuit of justice, lawyers talk about the legal consequences of attempting to frustrate investigation, through the action of intimidation by any means, can take the connotation of corruption. And Rogo’s action, which the Government of Kano refused to frown at, can not enjoy exemption from. Rogo should have pushed for the ICPC to clear him, by issuing a rebuttal on the issue. Or better still, sue the CSO’s for wongful whistle blowing. But scapegoating Jafar Jafar on this, is an action that would surely boomerang.
