Talking Drums

The West African News Magazine

Alhaji Mohammed Goni's undelivered 'speech'

And so Alhaji Mohammed Goni, ex-Governor of Bu State has been acquitted and discharged on a seven count charge of corruptly enriching himself to the tune of NB.7m out of his security vote.

He has become in the process, the first ex-Governor the found not guilty of misusing his security vote, unlike Jim Nwobodo of Anambra, Adamu Atta of Kwara and Sang Lar of Plateau States, currently serving sentences

The chairman of the special military Tribunal on the Recovery of Public Property, Jos Zone, Brigadier Pr Ademokhai in acquitting Alhaji Goni, said that the prosecution did not prove that the ex-Governor had spent the said amount from the security vote dishonesty corruptly or otherwise enriched himself.

One does not know whether it is time yet to bring out the drums and sing congratulations to Alhaji Goni. After all, when Bola Ige was cleared of any wrongdoing in the first case to come before the Tribunals last year, he not only found his way straight back to jail; a month or so later, he was before the Tribunal again and this time he was found guilty. The lesson appears to be quite clear - you are not free until Gen Buhari says you are. What is more, Alhajii Goni is back in jail, "for security reasons". Ex-Cabinet ministers have been released and obviously constitute no security risks, but a Governor who has been acquitted and discharged on charges of corruption has to remain in jail for "security reasons.

All the same, one ought to be happy that at least one Governor has been cleared, but I wonder what the real significance of this verdict is.

On the one hand, the Second Republic supporters and the members of the GNPP in particular will be rejoicing that they have been vindicated albeit grudgingly.

On the other hand, Gen Buhari must be congratulating himself. "Those cynics who have been saying that our Tribunals do not dispense justice, must be ashamed of themselves here they have acquitted a governor (that species of humanity widely acknowledged to be very corrupt in Nigeria) on very serious charges. Now the whole world knows that there is justice in Nigeria."

One wonders though, and without wishing to compound the problems that beset Alhaji Goni, whether his acquittal had anything whatsoever to do with the reported stance he had taken since his incarceration. One recalls in particular a recent 'Maigani' item under the heading "The rulers of Borno State in the Talking Drums of December 10 1984, and it might be worthwhile to quote a portion of the piece to one's doubts.
"Alhaji Goni then proceeded to fill forms and another one for his predecessor as of Borno State. All very well, one might think, except that the person who A Goni's predecessor happens to be Maj-Gen. Tagbon, Chief of Staff and current strongman of Buhari administration.

It desn't stop there, for Borno State is an interesting place - -Tunde Idiagbon also succeeded as governor of Borno, a gentleman called Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari who left his position as governor of Borno to become the Petroleum minister.

Alhaji Goni is said to reckon that if there is anything wrong with Borno State, all three former governors - Buhari, Idiagbon and Goni- must share the blame and the recent incumbent currently resident in Kirikiri prison that he knows a thing or two about the performance and activities of his two eminent predecessors.
Is it at all possible that Alhaji Goni's acquittal had anything to do with the fact that his threat or bluff could not be called and mody wanted undue embarrassment? And could it be that his bluff has cut both ways - brought him an acquittal and tranformed him into a security risk? Surely, nobody would want to have Alhaji Goni outside the prison walls, waving some assets declaration forms that he would say belonged to his predecessors in the job of Governor of Borno State?

How very convenient for an opportunity to present itself for Gen Buhari to demonstrate the "independence" of his Tribunals and win points for his drive to get more people to appear before his Tribunals?

How very sad for other people who have been and will be before the Tribunals that they did not hold positions that had such very eminent predecessors.

Now, when Alhaji Goni starts his period of incarceration under new conditions - being in jail awaiting investigations and trial is quite different from being held because one is a security risk - he must surely be wondering in his cell whether he wouldn't have been better off keeping his threat to himself.

It is being said that Alhaji Goni had prepared the greatest speech of his life and had been seen and heard practising for delivery if found guilty, his one problem was that affer ex-Governor Bakin Zuwo's last appearance, he was not sure that he would be allowed to make a speech from the dock "in mitigation". Now that speech will never be made






talking drums 1985-02-11 open letter to rawlings