At the sight of a bullion van on Nigerian roads, what readily comes to mind is; conveyance of a Lump sum of money to or from the bank.There is a distinction anyway. The deafening noise of siren and the stern-looking security escort is an attestation to the fact that the van is not a “vacum”. It is loaded ! Aside the two visible features, the manner with which the driver of the van navigates the road and manipulates his way through, aptly confirms the obvious.The content is tempting. And nobody knows who is tempted by the roadside and who is trailing. That is more the reason why no traffic warder dare not to stop the on-coming van. Such a van must not be held by traffic congestion. Rather, it breezes into traffic to avoid any form of heist. Otherwise, such traffic warder would cross his hands behind his back inside the witness box of a court of law as a suspect and accomplice. His action could be perceived as a connivance, conspiracy, aiding and abetting. I respect Nigerian Lawyers. Being educated is different from being learned. Their mastery of the subject matter of legal jagons and registered words in law is commendable. There is no rugged road for an aeroplane. And so, Bullion van enjoys an unhindered privilege to ply the road.
With the above introduction, no sane Nigerian needs any soothsayer to tell him that bullion van is not designed as private use. It is neither a car to oppress nor a bus to show affluence. Though, it looks like Hummer jeep but it is much more than that. A bullion van is sophisticatedly designed for a unique purpose and can resist heat, collision or firearms. Bullion van is technologically immuned against thunderous shot. That sounds like the famous ‘Thunder Balogun’ of blessed memory. A man credited with fanta-terific shots in football game.The little story carved to express his thunderous shot and eulogise his footballing prowess was exaggerated. That is a way of digression. (Pardon me ! ). So, when a van is parked at a garage or infront of a private home, instantaneously, it attracts public attention.
At the twilight of 2015 presidential election, attention was momentarily shifted to the palace in Ikoyi of a King-maker who is at present, desirous to be a king. The King-maker has not just been enjoying such attention. He is an enigmatic, charismatic, maverick and astute politician. His ability to discover talents, nurture them before dispatching them to various fields is unprecedented in the anal history of Nigerian politics. He is the cynosure of all eyes. Calculating, determined and dogged. The politician in question is the most vilified and quizzed politician for financial-related offences with a view to exhuming the facts behind the acquisition of his wealth. He is stinkingly rich …. and generous.
Despite all the economic interrogations and financial inquiries by the eagle – eye EFCC, the professor and Doyen of Nigerian politics has never been found wanting. For this, he has always taunted his political foes.The 2015 attention soon became the ravaging headlines of both print, electronic and online media. Trust Nigerian critics, the papers were awashed with clamours for an investigation into the era of the potential king while at the helm of affairs at the commercial nerve of the nation. The uproar and criticism was targeted at knowing the mission of the van.
Like the rain that ceases to subdue and the siren that refuses to stop; Nigerians, especially opposition politicians have not relented in asking the question each time election approaches. What a recurring decimal ! Past is the key that unlocks the present but it is an irony that people do not learn from the past.
Does the law confer any right on an individual to request for the service of bullion van in his private home?
This is the major hypothesis of this piece.
I have taken time to study the extant law on the use of bullion van.
The task is essential because the issue would continue to resonate and reverberate as long as the answer to the questions of who directed the van to a private house and for what purpose, remained unanswered. One should not be taken by surprise that an issue of about four years has again become a screaming headline. We should not forget that election is around the corner and Nigerian politicians can do anything to gather the ashes of a cremated dead on a flowing river to prove a point.
First and foremost, it may be argued that the van contained no content. Nobody witnessed the offloading of the content of the van parked at Bourdillon. It may and may not be your guess (laugh out loud!) Evidence to substantiate the allegation of “contraband” may be a product of imagination or illusion.
Secondly, my enquires have revealed that private individuals have the right to hire or request for the service of the van to ensure safety of money and valuables in transit. However, it cannot be bought by individuals except big churches and security allied companies.
Lump sum is a colossal sum of money and every individual is at liberty to spend his; the way he chooses. It is the principle of prerogative.
I would not know whether there is a provision of the constitution that forbids use of money during elections. Even, if the content was cash, the politician in question did not err in as much as he had not taken the money to the poling booth. That would have amounted to vote-buying. But in this situation, the sum might be what was appropriated to the agents and other logistics. Logistics could be anything.
Let me cheap in this based on my experience as a full time official of the moribund National Electoral Commission, Lagos Island. Political agents could be bought over by the opposition. Did you hear me! Standing in as an agent at collation center is risky. At that point, the fate of a contestant is in the hands of the agent. If his master did not adequately fund him, opposition may triple his allowance under the contractual agreement of “overlooking”. By this, the agent is compromised. And once new, mints and captivating allowance exchange hands, his conscience and loyalty are swayed. He would sign any result at that moment. The issue of appending signature under duress cannot be proved convincingly at any tribunal. So, the assumed bundle in the bullion at Bourdillon could be the appropriated allowances of the agents.
On the suspicion of the van containing thumbed ballots, that may be unfounded because no further report came from that direction. People kept a serious vigil till dawn and no suspicious stuffing was noticed.
Nigerian politicians are master blackmailers. They are good at hanging bones at the neck of a dog to make life unbearable for the animal. As soon as election approaches, their ugly pasts resonate and they are always quick to and zealous to open the evil book of their opponents. Where there is no blemish, they seldom fathom one.
For instance, the death of my mentor- Cicero of Esa – Oke has been seen as a potent political weapon to discredit some politicians just like the assassination of the bearded former Commissioner in Lagos who was gruesomely murdered in his home at Osborne estate. In these cases, the nagging questions have always been: Who killed the Attorney? Who killed the Commissioner?
Ironically, as soon as the election was to their favour, the tone changes. Attorney died of pulmonary this while Commissioner died of cardiac that. Thus, the accused are exonerated. By this action, the blackmailers have abrogated and usurped the works of a medical practitioner who presents an autopsy and a judge who pronounces acquittal. Ironically, nobody has ever deemed it fit to sue the Bourdilon Landlord over this issue despite the murmuring.
Comrade Lekan Badmus is a columnist with Oduduwa News and a public opinion analyst.
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lekanbadmuscolumn@gmail.com