Onyeka Nwelue: Why James Ibori is not a sinner

For Christ’s sakes, I know some book launches James Ibori attended. He signed cheques and the writers were happy.

James Ibori has stolen a lot of money. People have been telling me and I’m still reading about it on the internet and in the papers. There are pictures of the mansions he bought with public funds. There are cars. There are also women he bought with the money. His children, too. They were all bought with the money. I am very sure he bought a lot of friends with the money. There were no enemies until now that he has been locked up.

A certain writer I respect so much remarked on the Ibori case on his Facebook and he said: “There’s some good news for Nigerians on James Ibori.” And then he went on to say how happy he is that James Ibori has been convicted in the UK for money laundry and other things. I laughed when I read that. For a bit, I asked myself questions: what is the big deal? It happens everyday. All of a sudden, I asked myself another question: why is this good news? Will the conviction of James Ibori stop anything?

I was at the airport and picked up a copy of a certain newspaper and I saw pictures of the things he bought with the ‘stolen’ money splashed all over the pages. Sorry, I am a bit confused about ‘stolen money.’ Who did he steal this money from? Some individual who packed wads of naira notes in his house? And how did the individual get such big money into his possession?

Writers organize book launches and the first set of special guests they have in mind, are POLITICIANS. I am one of them. I won’t deny this. So, I will need to start with myself.

In 2009, I was about to present my first book, ‘The Abyssinian Boy’ to the public. My publisher wanted a quiet book reading and stuff like that. People around me felt he was crazy. How can I not use my ‘connection’ and invite all the politicians my family members know? How can I not invite the Governor of Imo State since my uncle was closest to him? How can I not invite the Senators we know?

Letters were sent out and these politicians started responding to save their faces. We banged on their doors and they opened and praised me and promised to be at the launch. On the day of the launch, some of them who couldn’t come sent people to pledge money on their behalf. I thought I had conquered the world. As I’m writing this, I haven’t been able to get hold of any of the pledges. I quit pursuing them at the beginning of 2011 when I realized I wouldn’t succeed.

That is by the way. So, there I was banking on certain people to give me money? From where? Their personal bank accounts? How? How did they make the money? Of course, they have to launch my book with money from public funds. Was I crazy to expect more? And the most painful part of it is that these writers publish to launch and cunningly take money from politicians. For Christ’s sakes, I know some book launches James Ibori attended. He signed cheques and the writers were happy.

Some of them even set out to write biographies of ‘great politicians’ because of poverty. They are scared of dying of hunger. They sit down and pen some amazing anecdotes about some messed up politician and he gathers his fellow politicians and they ‘launch’ the book pledging a lot of money, which the writer eventually takes home. After that, the same writer assumes the position of critic. He has a column in some newspaper, so he begins to condemn them, he begins to run the politicians down and he begins to tell them how imperfect and undeserving they are.

Onyeka Nwelue is the CEO/Founder of Blues & Hills Consultancy.

Comments (6)

  1. I am glad you started with yourself – many of the people that took alleged "stolen money " and were glad to have that money for their event then now have all gone silent.

    The truth of the matter is that the whole thing is a 419 by oyinbo people who want to keep the money that they have eyed for soooo long. I am a Christian Film maker & Lobbyist and unfortunately NEVER met His Excellency before all of his trials and tribulations, and anyway the Word says that God hates robberies through injustice, in other words anyone that does not want to do justice is doing robberies and so it is in this case, with different players.

    The Extradition for instance and you can google this yourself , was illegal he should not have been taken to London BUT should have been free to go back home see articles 3 & 4 of the UAE /British Extradition TREATY .

    British courts operate under section 19 C of the Race Relations amendment act 2000 and sch 3:3 of the New Equality Act 2010 , both says that any judge in any court can discriminate against blacks and ethnic in a court of law ( God calls it Robberies) they basically cheat black people and deny them their rights.

    The Judge did this and denied His Excellency his protection of the Rehabilitation of Ex offenders act law where it states that once a conviction has been spent it is spent and the person CAN call themselves clean, even if asked it would not be lie if they said NO they don't have a conviction.

    Shall i go on?…..

  2. If this article is any indication of your creative prowess, I recommend to anyone who was charitable enough to pay for your book to demand a full refund.

  3. Who said anything about sinning?? His sins are none of Nigeria's business.

  4. We still havnt gotten to the part where he tells us why Ibori is not a sinner nah?! Is dis like a joke?

  5. I would love to read segun adeniyi's re-joinder(if any) on this.

  6. The Article seems unfinished…

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