Nigeria: Looking Beyond the Ibori Trial…

Hat-tip to blogger Solomonsydelle at Nigerian Curiosity. The blogger offers an insight into the arrest and trial of James Ibori, the former governor of the oil-rich Delta state of Nigeria. Mr Ibori has been charged with at least 100 counts of corruption and abuse of executive power, excerpts:

I am more interested in the precedent this sets for ordinary people on various levels. First, I hope that we all are learning that corruption on all levels is not just wrong, but that it will have negative consequences. Secondly, I hope that the government’s cases against corrupt individuals will eventually allow ordinary people to sue, as individuals, their former governors and other representatives. For instance, the mother in Rivers State whose child died from tuberculosis because money earmarked to provide services went directly into the bank account of a public official. Some day, she should be able to sue the individual whose inaction or fraud caused the negligent death of her child. I cannot wait for the day that Nigerians, as individuals or as an affected class, can “Sue The Bastards” (as my old Torts professor used to say). Once that begins to happen, Nigerians will truly discover that politics is not just about brown paper bags filled with money, chieftancy titles or the like. Politics is and should be about public service, first and the perks are secondary.

Read full text: Ibori, the EFCC & the Future of Nigeria’s Anti-corruption Crusade