2015: politicians and fundraising electoral campaigns, task before EFCC

Emeka Ibemere

With the political climate in Nigeria already gathering storm among aspiring Nigerian politicians, who would want to run for elective posts in Nigeria and in diaspora, this is the time for fundraising dinner’s rituals.

 It is expected that there would be inflow of funds within and outside the shores of the country; because in Nigeria campaigns and elections are oiled with the looted funds.

 Soon, parties and their candidates across the divide of the parties would start their build up to the 2015 elections. This build-up which culminates into campaigns, usually start with launch or fund-raising dinners by politicians and their godfathers expected to sponsor their candidacy.

From the U.S. alone, if the report available to our correspondent, is to be taken seriously, at last there cannot be less than 35 Nigerians in some of American States who are itching to run for different offices in their zones and states in Nigeria come 2015.

 This is the number touted to have prepared for the 2015 and are working under ground.

It doesn’t include those in other European countries also sharing the same political ambition.

Perhaps, the expected fundraising activities are organized by these would be contestants for their campaigns with the hope and belief that the fund raised would facilitate their victory at the poll. This fundraising coming on the heels of the worsening exchange rate of the Naira to the dollar is expected to favour the politicians, who would return the looted public funds fleeced by some government officials to enable them contest election.

To this group of Nigerian politicians, the loss of the value of the Naira may be a blessing of sorts. Cursory investigations by our correspondent shows array of Non-Governmental Organizations sprouting out on daily basis pretending to be either fighting corruption or working as charitable organizations are such conduits with which the funds are either returning home or ferrying out of the country. Further investigations also revealed that such NGOs were floated by aspiring 2015 aspirants and their foot soldiers such to have a platform to launder funds through the organizations. But quite a few are also investing their time and money in Nigeria where they hope to run for office. The fundraising normally takes place in Nigeria and the base of such politicians. Already some of the politicians are perfecting plans to hold a fund raising dinner in their based areas with intention of inviting their godfathers in Nigeria to attend the fund launch. Most of these guests from Nigeria are mainly governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, businessmen and women, oil magnets, banker CEOs, Ministers, Presidency Aides, and other sundry government functionaries who have stake in the polity. Against all odds, these are the ample time for money laundering activities. Experts opined that fundraising activities usually provides time when politicians take their looted funds pout of the country or bring in the looted funds into the system under the guise of campaign funds.

Over the years of democratic dispensation, in 1979 to 1983 and 1993 to 1999, to the present time fundraising dinners organized by the political class have been conduits pipes through which money are shipped out of the country; only to be rerouted back to the country, during campaigns and election time for bribery and lobbying.  It is on these backgrounds that last year, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde cautioned politicians across the country to refrain from using public funds for electoral campaign.

Speaking on Monday, October 7, 2013, at a roundtable meeting convened by the Partners for Electoral Reforms and Civil Society Network against Corruption in Lagos, Lamorde warned against looting public funds for electoral campaigns.

 According to the EFCC boss, who was represented by Mr. Iliyasu Kwara, (Zonal Head of Operations, and Lagos), said the Commission, while mindful of the need to insulate itself from partisan political matters, would nevertheless continue to perform its statutory duties as contained in its Establishment Act.

 Lamorde specifically said that the EFCC would not hesitate to invoke its special powers as contained in Section 7 Sub Section 1 (a) (b) of the EFCC Act, which empowers it to; “cause investigations to be conducted as to whether any person, corporate body or organization has committed any offence under the act or other law relating to economic and financial crimes”. He also advised politicians to abide by the rules and regulations guiding electoral issues.

 Adding his views on the issue, the Coordinator of Civil Society Network against Corruption, Mr. Suraj Olarewanju explained that the forum was meant to discuss the independence of anti-corruption agencies in the run up to 2015 election while making critical assessment of citizen vigilance and oversight of anti-corruption agencies in the build up to the elections.

The meeting also discussed Political Parties and their preparedness for the elections.

Mrs Robina Namusisi, Country Director, International Republican Institute, lent an international angle to the discussions, when she said that her agency was involved in “working with political parties to have stronger platforms; training political parties to know their roles and also deploying observers to observe elections and ensuring that politicians are more transparent to the public in the next election”.

 In his presentation, Professor Sam Egwu, Team Leader, Governance and Peace Building, United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Abuja, said though corruption was rife and pervasive in Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, remained the only anti-graft agency making impact. He however charged the EFCC to work harder and make its impact felt more by Nigerians.

The meeting was attended by representatives of some political parties and different civil society groups.

Last year, the EFCC disclosed that close to $100million were seized from travellers at the airports, trying to smuggle the money abroad.

Since 2012 January to 2013 January, over $150million fund meant for laundering has been intercepted by the various security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nigerian Custom Services, Nigerian Immigration Services and some times, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the nation’s major Airports.

Murtala Mohammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja and Kano Airports are the most notorious routes through which the alleged criminals are using to courier their huge exploits.

Further investigations has shown that with intensive crackdown on money launderers and their cohorts in the banking industry, the currency traffickers in laundering scams have resulted into recruitment of some bureau de change businessmen to be taking the money out in bulk cash after settling their ways at the airports. Equally in the business of money laundering, investigation revealed are the politicians and those serving in governments.

Speaking on the increase in cases of money laundering through the nation’s airports, the former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, blamed it on politicians who have stolen so much from the country and now taking it abroad to avoid detection.

He said the new device by the politicians stemmed from the fact that going through the bank transfer would incur the wrath of the EFCC. “They will fall foul of the EFCC law and will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Tsav further stated that “There is too much of stolen money abroad. Our country had it so badly in the recent times.”