A former minister for justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, is currently going through trial over alleged corrupt practices. One of the persons who have worked with and under him, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, is not happy that the former minister who served during the Buhari era, has been accused of corruptly enriching himself in a frightening dimension.
In this interview with TNN, Obla recalled his experience during his working days with Malami and reasoned that apart from Buhari, all those who have known him are now disappointed in the former minister.
He also has a message for him.
Excerpts:
What does the ongoing trial and travails of the former AGF, Malami mean to you? What was your first reaction when you heard of his arrest, trial, detention?
I will not comment on the ongoing trial of Abubakar Malami, SAN, because the matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction and therefore subjudice. It would amount to contempt of court or disrespect to run a commentary on a matter already before a court of law.
However, I will comment on my perception of his tenure as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between October 2015 and 29 May 2023, which I would describe as a huge disappointment—dismal and uneventful—especially regarding the war against corruption, which was a major policy plank of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
On 16 July 2023, the Assistant Editor of the respected Nation Newspaper, Jide Babalola, interviewed me, and I said:
‘It was mere lip service. In the first place, the Attorney-General was never interested. The Attorney-General, who was supposed to be the Commander-in-Chief in the fight against corruption, was half-hearted and ambivalent. So, how can you really fight corruption?”
Again, on 24 May 2024, the Sun Newspaper interviewed me, and this is what I said about Abubakar Malami, SAN: My wife went to see Malami because we had known each other. My wife is a lawyer, and when we were in the CPC (the defunct Congress for Progressive Change), I was among the lawyers—including Malami and my wife—who went to court on behalf of CPC to nullify Jonathan’s election. So, he knows my wife very well.
‘ My wife was not around when all these things happened. When she returned, she said, “Ah, Malami is your friend, let me go and see him.” She invited one of her friends, Chidi Nwanu—a lawyer was also in our legal team—and they went to see Malami to ask, “Ah, what is this? What are you doing to your friend? Malami told my wife, ‘Don’t you know it is our government? I am the most powerful figure in government.’ He said I was not a team player and made several disparaging remarks about me. Initially, I thought it was the Vice President, but I later discovered it was Malami who masterminded everything against me. He was never comfortable with me. It’s a long story.
He was never comfortable with me because he, El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Yahaya Bello went to (Yemi) Osinbajo when Osinbajo was Acting President and said, “Look, the war against corruption is not going well. ICPC is very quiet, it is inactive. Let’s bring in Obla as Acting Chairman of ICPC because he is from the same zone—the South-South—and he is from Cross River.’
Nta Ekpo was the chairman at the time, and he is from Akwa Ibom. They said, “Okay, since you’re from the same area, you should replace him.” Rotimi Amaechi called me and told me that this was what was going to happen. After about two weeks, Osinbajo invited me and said, “Look, we would have sent you to ICPC, but the Senate will fight you. So, you will go to the panel. This is an enlarged effort against corruption,” and so forth.
Then, they said Malami was supposed to give me some documents about high-profile cases. Malami never gave me any file. From what I have stated above, you can deductively arrive at the conclusion as to why he is currently going through the travails he faces.
Malami and others think he is persecuted because of his die-hard support for Buhari. How true?
Why would any objective person suggest that the predicament Malami is presently facing is because of his die-hard support for the late President Muhammadu Buhari? It is disingenuous, outrageous, and a complete misnomer to drag the late President Buhari into this matter. Please, we should allow him to rest in peace. He had completed his mission on earth and has gone to his Creator—the Almighty God. We should respect that and desist from dragging his revered name into earthly matters.
The President Buhari I knew—if he were alive—would be deeply disappointed that someone he trusted so much could abuse the trust and confidence he reposed in him in such a despicable manner. Everything Malami has allegedly done, including using his office to acquire immense wealth and properties, as we have been told, cannot be the actions of someone who truly believed in President Buhari’s philosophy and principles.
President Buhari was a man of immense discipline, honesty, humility, and Spartan lifestyle. He was ascetic and had a deep distaste for ostentatious living, avarice, and greed in any form. Therefore, what Malami is alleged to have done is a shame, and I fervently believe that if President Buhari were alive, he would have been deeply saddened, shocked, and flustered. Those of us who believed in and admired President Buhari are also disappointed.
Therefore, anyone who suggests that Malami is facing his present travails because he is a die-hard follower of President Buhari is not only unfair but also an ignoramus.
If you were to visit him in his detention cell, what would you look at his face and tell him?
I do not think I would like to visit him. But since your question is hypothetical and not a live one, I will tackle it from a philosophical and academic perspective. I would lecture him on the ephemerality of life and the fleeting nature of power. I would tell him that life is all vanity, and therefore, when we find ourselves in the corridors of power, we should not become supercilious, haughty, or arrogant. Instead, we should remain humble, simple, and accessible, and strive to use power to improve humanity. I would remind him that everything in life has a way of coming back to us.
How do you assess members of the National Assembly from your state so far?
Some of them are decidedly negative, analogue in their thinking, and completely bereft of leadership skills, dialogue, consensus-building, and meaningful engagement with the critical segments of the people they represent. They consistently put their foot wrong, act presumptively, and take the people for granted. Contemptuously, they assume that the people are poverty-stricken, and when they choose to engage, it is only to seek opportunities to fleece them or extract money.
They refuse to pick up phone calls. They refuse to read messages. They refuse to hold town hall meetings—especially those representing us in the legislatures at both the national and state levels. Suddenly, they develop airs, becoming supercilious, haughty, and arrogant. Some of them, since their inauguration three years ago, have never held a single town hall to interface and interact with their constituents, to gather feedback that would help them become better representatives.
They believe leadership is about paternalism and tokenism. During festive periods, they appear only to distribute rice and some cash to the very people they hold in contempt and disdain, refusing genuine engagement. They think some of us will subscribe to their herd mentality, their “follow-follow” approach, and applaud them blindly.
