So many probes, not enough convictions

On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari had demanded “a full report of the circumstances of Maina’s recall and posting to the Ministry of Interior” to be delivered to his office before close of work that day. But almost five days after receiving the report of the controversial reinstatement of the former chairman of the Pensions Reform Presidential Taskforce, Abdulrasheed Maina, the president is mum on its content, despite growing calls for sanctions against those responsible for Maina’s recall.

The Senate has equally keyed in the Maina probe even though it has just recently set up a committee to probe the funding of foreign missions; another panel to investigate the allegations of corruption and misconduct leveled against the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kpotun Idris by Senator Isah Hamma Misau (APC, Bauchi).

About a fortnight ago, the senate also set up a 9-man panel chaired by Senator Aliyu Wamakko (APC, Sokoto) to investigate the allegation of $25bn contract scandal leveled against the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Maikanti Baru by the Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachikwu.

The Maina saga broke almost at a time when the NNPC’s BaruMaikanti controversy was almost heading the way of most probes in Nigeria these days: Oblivion. Before then, there was that of Mr David Babachir Lawal, who was suspended as Secretary to the Government of the Federation over his indictment on the multimillion naira grass cutting contract.

The Babachir issue, alongside that of suspended Director General of National Intelligence Agency Mr Oke, were investigated by a panel chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The report was submitted about three months ago to President Buhari, but nothing has been heard of it yet.

The legislature and the executive arm of government invest time and resources in conducting probes which report may never be made public, therefore leading to no convictions at all. In most cases, these arms of government are pressured by the public to embark upon these window-dressing probes.

For instance, the probe of 33 revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government over nonremittance, under remittance and misused of revenue generated between 2012 and 2016 amounting to N450bn has been on for over a year.

The N30tr revenue leakage is another probe that has dragged between 2006 and 2016. It’s been carried out by the joint committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport chaired by Senator Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo). The probe, which started in May, saw the committee conducting an investigative hearings and meetings with about 20 federal agencies and 63 private firms. The committee only submitted its report a fortnight ago.

On January, the senate constituted an ad hoc committee to look into the immediate and remote causes of the unending crises in Southern Kaduna. The committee was also mandated to look into the crises in Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Abia, Taraba, Kano, Delta and Edo states. In April, the committee submitted its report but it was unanimously rejected by the senators on the grounds that the work done by the committee was not thorough. Since then, it’s radio silence.

Despite the delay in completion of probes of the multi-billion naira scandals, the Senate only last week constituted three special panels to conduct probes of corruption cases. On the other hand, the House of Reps had investigated a total of 129 matters but resolved only six of them in one year alone despite spending millions of naira.

The probes were conducted between June 2015 to June 2016. The House had passed 129 resolutions within the period, directing various committees to investigate matters “of urgent national importance,” but have so far received reports of less than 20 of such investigations. An investigative committee comprises about 20 lawmakers and spends between N2 million and N50 million for its assignment.

Daily Trust observed that the few instances when the lawmakers expedited action on any probe were when their interest was affected. For instance, when officials of the Nigeria Prisons Service allegedly assaulted a female lawmaker, Rep Onyemaechi Mrakpor (PDP, Delta), the Interior Committee of the House concluded its investigation into the alleged attack and reported back to the House within five days.

For the period under review, a total of 17 reports had been tabled before the House by various committees for consideration, but it passed and took final decisions on only about six of them. There is no clear rule in the House’s Standing Orders on the timeline for any committee to finish its work.

A deputy chairman of one of the House’s committees told Daily

Trust that the allocation for an investigative public hearing by the House management was N2 million. “I did the budgeting of our committee’s hearing and everything must be within the N2 million allocation. You have to budget for verbatim; for those who record our proceedings, refreshment and even photocopy of documents to each member consume a lot. And don’t forget the sitting allowance to any member that is present. You have to budget for a maximum of 20 members - N50,000 times 20 is N1 million. All other things I enumerated must be within that remaining N1 million, including adverts,” he said.

Asked whether the situation was the same during the last Assembly, he said it was not. “During our Dana crash investigation, we received N50million. But you know investigations like that must be televised on at least two television stations and that is where the money is going,” he said.

Findings by this newspaper show that for the one year reviewed, there are 112 probes pending before the lower chamber of the National Assembly alone.

Some of the pending probes include the planned payment of N2.7 billion severance package to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) retired board members, probe into the activities of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding compliance to international standards by airline operators in the country, probe into a claim that 9,000 police officers were killed during the Boko Haram insurgency, the probe into the violations of Grants of Right of First Refusal in the award of oil and gas contracts, probe of CBN’s cashless policy to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.

These probes, even when completed, and individuals indicted, are rarely acted upon, like the nowinfamous case of Babachir, who was investigated by the Senate and the Osinbajo-led panel, but without any action taken by the president as of yet. Many Nigerians on social media are currently jokingly wondering if a probe to probe all these probes is not needed. If only the joke were funny.

These probes, even when completed, and individuals indicted, are rarely acted upon, like the now-infamous case of Babachir, who was investigated by the Senate