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EXPRESSO >>By Steve Osuji

Tinubu Enthrones Kleptocracy: Nigerians, know ye all today that our president, Bola Tinubu has fully enthroned Kleptocracy into the Nigerian system. Yes, with the recent award of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on the Lebanese-Nigerian, Gilbert Chagoury, all doubts have been dissipated. Nigeria can be rightly described as a Kleptocracy!

Before we return to the subject of this write-up, we need to put into proper perspective, the true meaning and import of Kleptocracy.
It is a higher kind of corruption; it is the end stage of graft when a state or institution has been completely conquered and captured by a few in government and their cronies.
Ai describes Kleptocracy as a government where corrupt leaders use their powers to steal and embezzle public funds and resources for personal enrichment.
AI puts it even more pungently: it’s essentially, a “rule by thieves” that enriches the elite at the expense of the citizens.
Some of the key features of Kleptocracy is that it enthrones systemic corruption in all ramifications of government engendering lack of transparency and accountability. Rule of law is damaged and made ineffectual; state’s wealth is siphoned through transnational networks and illicit gains hidden abroad. State funds are moved across borders into offshore accounts, luxury assets or shell companies.
The results are that such a nation is vastly impoverished and the citizens disenfranchised. Domestic instability and conflicts are rife, while institutions are hollowed out, among other effects of this vile system.

WHO’S GILBERT CHAGOURY? This shadowy figure and undercover businessman has been in Nigeria for a while. The 80- year old Lebanese-Nigerian has been part of the large Lebanese community in Nigeria since pre-independence. They are mostly reputed for shady, underhand hustles. But Gilbert Chagoury broke ranks with the small time trading and manufacturing activities of his people to launch into the big game.
He became prominent in the days of the General Sani Abacha junta government.
Gilbert must have taken advantage of the pariah status of that dark- goggled Nigerian dictator. He pallied the Abacha family and became their “laundromat”.
Working with the Abacha children, Gilbert Chagoury (GC) reportedly laundered billions of dollars on behalf of Abacha. It is said that GC was the dangerously handsome smooth operator who moved out most of the infamous Abacha loot that runs into nearly five billion dollars.

When Abacha fell, the heat was turned on GC by President Olusegun Obasanjo and a combination of US and European financial crimes investigators. He had to return about $300 million to Nigeria.

This is just one example. This is the depth of sleaze GC unleashed on Nigeria in the 1990s.

He also paid heavy bribes to have his convictions erased from the records of the Swiss government.

TINUBU: BAD IS GOOD ONLY WHEN I DO IT: The Chagoury brothers practically controlled the economy of Nigeria during the Abacha days. President Tinubu who was a democracy activist in the 90s had GC put under the knife through THE NEWS, a rabid weekly magazine he funded.

Tinubu’s current spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, was the publisher of THENEWS and several reports were published on the atrocious ways of GC under Abacha including a cover story: The Chagouris: HOW A FAMILY HIJACKED NIGERIA. The story details most of the dirty deals Abacha and the Chagourys were encrusted in and how Nigeria’s economy was being disemboweled by this arch-kleptocrat. This was in 1997, about 31 years ago today. What has changed?
Could it be that Tinubu was railing against Chagoury and Abacha because he wants a piece of the pie.

ABACHA WAS A BEGINNER KLEPTOCRAT: From hindsight, the Abacha-Chagoury roguery was child’s play. Though Abacha handed Chagoury even oil mining licence, (South Atlantic Petrol), it still remains nothing compared to how Tinubu spoils Chagoury today.
Tinubu had described GC as his “daring partner” last year when he commissioned the first phase of the Lagos-calabar Coastal Highway (LCCH).

THE LCCH, hurriedly awarded to Chagoury by Tinubu almost on ascending office, must stand out as the most dubious piece of project contract today. An $11billion project ought to command international bidding processes. But LCCH was never suffered with a bid of any kind. Tinubu simply handed it to his “daring partner”!

It was the same opaque way Chagoury got the corner Eko Atlantic City, Eko Hotels, Banana Island, among others. These are the primest of real estate properties which ought to belong to the Lagos State government and people. But today, they are under the table partnerships of Chagoury and the Tinubu family.
These are the known cases. These column would wager that there may be dozens of other sweetheart deals mortgaging Nigeria to Chagoury. The French tax process deal for instance, that’s shrouded in opacity is one

AND NOW, THE BEATIFICATION: President Tinubu was not quite satisfied with his dark dalliances with this dubious Lebanese, he has to beatify him with one of the highest national honours in the land.
The Grand Commander of the Order of the Nigeria (GCON) recently bestowed on Gilbert Chagoury is reserved for Nigerians of the calibre of vice president, senate president, Speaker, Chief Justice of the Federation and the like. Now, this prestigious national treasure has been handed to a first class economic saboteur of Nigeria. Someone who was convicted for aiding, stealing and siphoning of about $5 billion from Nigeria’s treasury!

THE REAL REASON TINUBU HANDED CHAGOURY THE GCON: National awards are given once a year. Why has it become urgent and of national importance to honour a Chagoury in an off-season ceremony. Why can’t this wait till the next cycle?
Unbeknown to many Nigerians, this high honour comes with astounding privileges that can easily be suborned and pressed to deep corruption practices.

First, the GCON could comes with a diplomatic passport. This means the holder is conferred with immunity as he/she travels around the world. The holder is also entitled to gifts from the government including cash, land and real estate! All these are of course at the discretion of the government/president.

KLEPTOCRACY RULES OKAY: It’s Kleptocracy writ large when a man who ought to be in a long term jail is conferred with high national honours. It’s a dire situation for Nigeria when the legislature which ought to protect the people and the constitution has become a house filled with marionettes with strings pulled from the presidency.

It’s a dark time when the Attorney-General of the Federation seems like a figure head and has no say about the conferment of grand national awards. Even the security agencies are ignored or sidelined.

All the wild outcomes of Kleptocracy manifest all around the country… unbridled corruption, state capture, acute poverty, endless conflicts and insurgency, institutional decay and wasteful and lascivious living by the elite.
This Chagoury honour is a slap in the face of Nigerians that’s most unbearable.
The Chargoury award must be withdrawn forthwith!

LAST LINES: FIGHT AGAINST INSURGENCY STILL UNCOORDINATED!
The latest painful news is the Nigeria Police being in denial of the latest abduction of worshippers in ECWA church in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru LGA of Kaduna.
This suggests that Nigeria is still not on top of the situation yet. She is not capable of manning her territory yet and she still cannot even determine and isolate an attack scene even in days.
This is troubling. With some help coming from the US, we must make the best of it. Again, we say, let’s raise a WAR ROOM Committee, with a commander who leads a holistic fight that has closure in sight. Let’s get serious; let’s change our tactics!###