"Iborification" of corruption in Nigeria is a system of narrowing the cankerworm of corruption plaguing Nigeria to one man named James Ibori, who once ruled Delta state of Nigeria as governor for eight years from 1999 to 2007.
This system was foisted on the public psyche by a section of the media whose proprietors, angered by the exclusionist tendency of the Yar'Adua administration. decided to take it out on the most visible beneficiary of the regime.
Fact is that Mr. James Ibori and others like Bola Tinubu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Boni Haruna, Josiah Dariye, et al, when they held the helms in their states were alleged to have plundered the resources of their respective states to enrich their private pockets and those of their hangers on.
When most of the accused persons lost their constitutionally gurranteed immunity from prosecution, they, including James Ibori were arrested by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), arraigned in various courts and were granted bail.
Usually, those being prosecuted allege political persecution. While this allegation most times are unfounded, they have been found to be true in some cases.
chidi opara reports recall that Mr. James Ibori have never been the political darling of a prominent Ijaw leader known to be the President's mentor. We also recall that while the President was Vice-president during the Umaru Yar'Adua administration, Mr. Ibori was named in schemes to humiliate the occupant of the office.
So immediately the then Vice-president was proclaimed Acting President, a group of elders from Delta state filed a petition to EFCC, detailing brand new allegations against Mr. Ibori. Ibori alleged political persecution, disappeared and was consequently declared wanted with all the security apparatus unleashed on his trail. chidi opara reports also recall that at the time of Ibori's pursuit, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai, known to be in the same political camp with the President, who was declared wanted earlier, surfaced and was granted "administrative bail" by the EFCC. Though El-Rufai have been arraigned in court, the enthusiasm of the Ibori case is clearly missing.
We do not by any means absolve Mr. James Ibori, who have been arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates of the allegations against him, we are of the opinion that if the security apparatus deployed in the Ibori matter was also deployed in other high profile cases being handled by the EFCC, the nation's anti-corruption war would have been atleast half won by now.
The EFCC should not allow Ibori's allegation of political persecution to stick, this can only happen if other high profile cases are not handled with equal enthusiasm. The EFCC should never allow its attention on other equally important cases to be diverted by this "Iborification" of corruption in Nigeria. James Ibori is just one of the many high profile accused persons.
