MALAMI: AN ACCUSED WITH ARCHAIC ANTICS
By Bala Ibrahim
Abubakar Malami, SAN, and the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who has been in detention under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for some time now, is calling for the immediate recusal of the Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, citing what he called bias, because of the provision of Chapter 9 of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report. This is good, and by the provision of fair play, bias is a good ground to get someone excused from a case under his watch.
But Malami needs to be educated on the meaning of conscience and the doctrine of karma. By the law of karma, to every action, thought, or word, there is a corresponding reaction or result to be expected. Those who act in a good way, should expect to generate good or positive result. And the vice versa. For those with conscience, whose moral sense of right and wrong is working, karma is expected to be a guide to their behaviour. If Malami is not guided by this, then he is acting with an archaic antic.
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According to a statement signed by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami said the EFCC Chairman’s continued involvement in the case is legally and constitutionally improper, given his prior role as Secretary to the Salami Judicial Commission set up during Malami’s tenure as Attorney-General. He said, chapter 9 of the Salami Report examined the conduct of senior EFCC officials and raised issues of institutional accountability that allegedly created professional exposure for individuals now exercising prosecutorial authority over Malami. Based on this history, a reasonable apprehension of bias exists and that under Nigerian law, recusal is mandatory where such apprehension arises.
Malami, who is currently undergoing investigations by the EFCC over alleged bridge of trust while he served as AGF from 2015 to 2023, is now realising the meaning of bias, without taking into account the corresponding meaning of nepotism. To act like that is archaic, because it conflicts with the meaning of reasonableness, I think. It may interest Malami to know that the memories of Nigerians is still fresh, with regards how, when he was in charge, he made way for the shameful removal of Ibrahim Magu, a celebrated and adjudged anti corruption czar, as the acting chairman of the EFCC, and his shameless replacement with his own nephew, Abdulrasheed Bawa. By Malami’s way of thinking, that action does not constitute a conflict of interest, or runs at variance with the meaning of bias or nepotism. As the minister overseeing the affairs of the EFCC, he should have called for his own recusal, because the chairman is his blood relation.
Another archaic submission of Malami is that, he is being persecuted because of his political affiliation with the opposition African Democratic Congress, ADC. He said, the EFFC has revoked his bail and introduced stringent conditions following his attendance at a political gathering in Kebbi State, his home state. “It must be clearly stated that the condition restricting him from participating in political activities in Kebbi—his home state—constituted a violation of his fundamental human rights, including his constitutional right to peaceful association, freedom of movement, and political participation. Imposing such a condition is inconsistent with democratic principles and raises serious concerns about its intent.”-Malami’s aide. Again, this is a bunkum that can only be bought by those who think like Malami, the architect and supervisor in chief of such shenanigan.
Nigerians have not forgotten how the families of Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser under former President Jonathan, dragged Malami to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), over his unprofessional conducts and utter disregards to the rule of law. Malami was accused of making unsalutary and unprofessional statement to denigrate the court, violate the constitution and encourage the continued breach of the fundamental human rights of Dasuki, who has been clamped into detention since December 2015. The same Malami was accused of humiliating his kinsman, the former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, and ex-minister of defense, Haliru Bello Mohammed, and his son, Abbah Mohammed, for their alleged role in the diversion of funds meant for the procurement of arms in the office of the National Security Adviser. Ditto the case of Attahiru Bafarawa, the former Governor of Sokoto state, who was accused of diverting the staggering sum of ₦4.6 billion, initially designated as security funds, from the office of the former NSA, Sambo Dasuki. In all these, Malami had never reckoned with the coming of karma, or the meaning of fairness in the treatment of others.
While I admit that two wrongs can not make a right, and I am not in support of persecution in place of prosecution, but people can not go to equity with dirty hands, and expect equity to do the cleaning for them. It doesn’t happen that way. And those who think like that, are behaving like Malami, who is an accused that is acting with archaic antics.
MALAMI: AN ACCUSED WITH ARCHAIC ANTICS