Ladoja’s corruption case reopens as earlier report indicts seven ex-govs

Dayo Emmanuel

The last may not have been heard about the corruption charges against former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja.

The former Governor, who was first indicted and charged for money laundering eight years ago has now been dragged before a Federal High Court in Lagos as the war against corruption continues.

Meanwhile, an earlier report published by the Human Development Initiatives, Lagos in 2014 had pointed out cases of corruption against seven former Governors including Ladoja who was first arraigned in 2008.

Whether the cases against the remaining six persons would be re-opened like Ladoja’s is another kettle of fish.

The former Governor of Oyo State and former Senator after losing his bid at the Appeal Court to have all charges against him stopped, failed to have his prayers answered. Thus, his case on money laundering had since commenced before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

However, due to Ladoja’s absent in court last Friday, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Oluwafemi Olabisi had pressed that Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos should issue an arrest warrant against the absentee former Governor accused of N4.7bn fraud.

Meanwhile, Ladoja’s counsel, Mr. Bolaji Onilenla, who admitted advising his client to stay away from the court on Friday, urged Justice Idris not to issue a warrant for the arrest of his client claiming Senator Ladoja was not properly informed of the re-opening of the case and his appeal against the charges at the Supreme Court was still pending.

According to the publication by Human Development Initiatives prepared by Professor Bolaji Owasanoye and titled, “Justice or Impunity? High Profile Corruption Cases Crawling or Gone To Sleep,” a total number of 15 ex-governors had embezzled N146,840,800,000.00 between 1999 and the time the publication was compiled.

The embezzled figure represents 22.1% of the budget of Lagos State of N662,558,000,000 for the year 2016. The figure also represents about 10.7% of 2016 budget of the entire South Western States.

The lingering cases of high level corruption some of which had spanned through eight years; an equivalence of two terms of a Governor in office may as well be considered as swept under the carpets.

Meanwhile, the Buhari-led administration has assured Nigerians of flushing out corruption from the country. Some has said the retired General is fixated on anti-corruption, but all fingers are crossed, waiting for the fulfilment of such promises before 2019 when would have completed his first tenure in office.

As the saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied, delay in delivering justice against high level corruption cases may be setting bad precedence, such capable of fueling impunity in the land.

Other ex-governors indicted as published by Owasanoye’s report include Chimaroke Nmamani, former Governor of Enugu State, Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State as at the time of preparing the document. Fayose is now sitting Governor in same state. Others are Senator Rasheed Ladoja, former Governor of Oyo State, former Governor Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, Saminu Turaki, former Governor of Jigawa State, Orji Uzor Kalu, former Governor of Abia State and Jolly Nyame, former Governor of Taraba State.