Ortom and his 23 cars’ ‘bonus’, by Dele Sobowale

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Dele Sobowale

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“As I talk to you, after I left office, vehicles that were given to me legitimately by government, this government went and seized them in a manner that was not befitting” – Former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State

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Last week, former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River declared that military rule was, in many respects, better than civil rule since 1999.

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I cannot agree more.

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I had the privilege of visiting about seven former military governors before 1999.

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No military governor had up to 23 cars assigned to the Governor’s Office or residence.

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By contrast, since 1999, a civilian governor with only 23 cars in the office alone would be regarded as extremely prudent.

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Many have 50 or more.

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Ortom’s 23 cars have triggered a dispute. Governors, on their way out of office, routinely take what they deem as their entitlements and thus render their states poorer than they met them.

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Most commentaries on the Ortom’s 23 cars have been superficial.

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The impression they have created is that only 23 cars were taken away.

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Nothing can be further from the truth.

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Ortom was not the only beneficiary of that largesse.

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It is quite possible that over 100 cars were taken away as parting gifts – with Ortom’s approval – as I will explain shortly.

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Ortom revealed the hidden truth by saying, with a straight face, that the vehicles were allocated to him and other members of his administration through the State Executive Council, SEC, after they had been used for more than four years.

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It was the worst defence for an assault on public funds ever uttered by a former official.

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It provided a window into the minds of top government officials everywhere – irrespective of political party affiliation.

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Every State Executive Council, SEC, comprises of the governor, the deputy governor, the Secretary to the State Government and commissioners.

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All the others are selected or appointed by the governor, and, with the exception of the deputy governor, can be removed from office.

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In other words, the SEC is created by the governor and can take no independent decision of its own.

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It is not an autonomous body.

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Stripped of the subterfuge surrounding it, the decision to allocate 23 cars to Ortom amounted to the governor deciding to go home with the cars and getting his echoes in SEC to endorse it.

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Ortom, inadvertently, disclosed that more cars than 23 were driven home by his government officials when he claimed that the SEC allocated the vehicles in dispute to him “and other members of his administration”.

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Since “the other members of his administration start with the SEC, it stands to reason that the deputy governor, the Secretary to State Government, all the commissioners, the Chief of Staff, several Special Advisers, heads of state agencies etc, were also allowed to go home with cars declared over four years old – even if by one day.

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Nobody has documented the number of cars Ortom and “the other members of his administration” took away. Over 100 vehicles might be involved.

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That leads to the next question because it strikes at the heart of why poverty is increasing in Nigeria.

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IS A CAR FOUR YEARS OLD READY FOR THE JUNKYARD?

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Most Nigerians known to me, including those driving corporate official cars, are driving vehicles more than five years old.

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Mine is 12 years old; and can still break the speed limit anywhere in the world.

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I also own a LAGRIDE Taxi, now four years old.

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The Chinese made car was offered four years ago at N4.8 million; down payment N1.82 million and balance to be paid in installments. Today, the car costs N25 million new; and offers have been made to buy my used one for N11-13 million. Obviously, when any government gives away, at far less than market value, to departing officials, the public loses.

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Ortom’s 23 cars, as well as the others allocated to members of his administration, would have fetched almost five times whatever they paid for them.

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To put the matter in perspective, Benue State would have to pay nothing less than N6 trillion just to replace the vehicles.

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Left untouched is the question: What else was taken away – furniture, generators, air-conditioners, borehole pumps?

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Outgoing officials are never satisfied with taking cars with them.

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“Laws grind the poor, and rich [as well as powerful] men rule the law” – Oliver Goldsmith, 1728-1774

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The other half of his self-defence concerns the legality of the allocations.

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That the law is an ass has been well-established; so is the fact that what we often call law might be injustice codified.

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Strictly speaking, everything Abacha did was supported by laws passed as decrees. Justice was never considered.

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Civilian governments also make laws which are inherently unjust to the masses.

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The regulation allowing some public servants, appointed by the governor, to take away very useful public properties cannot be regarded as equitable given the fact that those who served for 30 or 35 years cannot take away a single pin without being prosecuted.

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What exactly does an out-going governor want to do with 23 cars?

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Open a used cars shop?

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MEANWHILE, GOVERNOR ALIA SETS BACK DEMOCRACY IN BENUE

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Governor Hyacinth Alia, Catholic cleric, honourably, fought for justice by having the 23 cars taken away by Ortom retrieved.

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It is not clear whether other cars allocated by Ortom’s SEC members were also seized.

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If not, the measure would appear personal and discriminatory.

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It would appear to be partial justice and tainted with vendetta.

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Frequently, individuals transiently invested with near-absolute power, like Nigerian governors, cross the thin line between the divine and the ridiculous within a short time.

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When Alia, for the second time, blocked Peter Obi from moving freely about in Benue State, he betrayed democracy and the Constitution of Nigeria he swore to uphold. He failed the democracy test. He even failed the test of advanced education. His tenure is limited by the Constitution. Obviously, he will become an ex-governor one day – without armed escorts to protect him and clear the way. He has established a precedent; which will make it legitimate for any governor in Nigeria to block his right of passage.

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Two examples in Nigerian history should serve as warning to Alia.

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Military Head of State, Obasanjo, passed the decree under which General Gowon would have been executed in 1976 – if Britain had not granted the deposed leader political asylum.

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The same decree, with slight amendment, was used by Abacha to nail his former boss.

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He was saved by divine intervention.

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Malam El-Rufai, as governor of Kaduna State, had critics, living in other states, arrested, brought to Kaduna State and detained without bail for days – before media protests got them released on bail.

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Today, El-Rufai is in detention by the DSS and ICPC, without bail for almost six months.

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The same media, held in contempt by El-Rufai, has now undertaken the campaign to get him released.

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As one of our founding fathers, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, reminded us before passing to eternal life: “No condition is permanent”

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Governor Alia should climb down from his high horse and apologise to Obi and Nigerians.

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FROM SAD SAM TO UNCLE SAM: BIOGRAPHY OF A LEGEND

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“A well-written life is as rare as a well-spent one” – Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881.

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Uncle Sam’s life is a splendidly lived life. It has not been as well-written as I would have wanted for reasons too many to explain now. Time was my principal antagonist. From the time the idea of the book was conceived till the books rolled off the press, I had only seven and a half months.

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That was uncharacteristic haste. ATTAH: ARCHITECT OF A NEW DEMOCRATIC DAWN took 13 years; VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS lasted 34 years. The difference is clear. Uncle Sam has never wanted his biography written while alive. At least six people would have done it before me. I was also under that restriction for years. I was prepared to wait to write a post-humous book – until 2020; when cancer almost took my life. It was during COVID-19. Yet, Uncle Sam visited me every morning and evening during my five months in hospital. In my darkest moment in life, he provided the hope and reason for survival. Unknown to him and everybody else, I almost died before him

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Obviously, I could go before him without expressing appreciation; or he could go without ever knowing how deeply grateful I am. Two unacceptable options. As his 90th birthday approached, the inspiration came from somebody else; who was just as concerned that Uncle Sam might leave the world without anybody to let him know how several of us feel about him. It was risky assignment; with very little time to do it. Only someone with one foot in the grave, like me, could dare to do it. I just hope Uncle Sam understands. It will not be launched; in obedience to Uncle Sam’s wishes. Direct sales only. Kindly order your copy by calling. Thank you. Follow me on Facebook @ J Israel Biola

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