When corruption fights back

SIR: As we have been warned, when you fight corruption, it will not succumb easily, but will fight back and it will be dirty and messy and this seems to be what is playing out with regards to the allegations of corruption against the CCT chairman Justice Danladi Umar at the House of Representatives, just because of his resolve to discharge his constitutional responsibility, dispassionately.

Allegations against Justice Danladi Umar were petitioned to the House of Representatives and the House committee investigating the matter summoned Justice Umar and the petitioner. After two previous sittings in which the CCT chairman was physically present, the petitioner didn’t show up and when he finally did, he couldn’t substantiate his petition with facts. Rather he diverted attention to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice whom was now confronted with questions in order to provide evidence for a petition, of which he knew nothing about and he responded appropriately by stating that the grounds of the petition were mere rumour.

With the way the matter is going – the adjournment again by the House committee – it becomes imperative and important to alert Nigerians about the game being played by anti corruption elements to tarnish the image of this judicial officer without facts and intimidate him in discharging his duty and we must raise our voices to condemn it in unequivocal terms.

Nigerians, be on the alert, as corruption, even though we all know is evil, will not give up easily. The message we must pass to corruption and its agents who are on the prowl is that a child who says the mother will not sleep has himself murdered sleep.

In the fight against corruption, there is no going back as we are more than ever ready to support the government to tame this monster.

• Nelson Ekujumi,
Lagos.