By Ayo Kehinde
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has raised doubts over the importance of Visa ban being threatened by the United States of America and the United Kingdom against poll violators in the ongoing general elections in Nigeria.
Reports say both countries, which are trading partners of Nigeria are compiling names of Nigerian politicians and politically exposed persons who aided and abetted violence, thuggery, ethnic profiling and vote-buying during the presidential, national assembly, governorship and assembly polls with a view to placing travel ban on them.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV Morning Show on Friday, Prof Akinyemi said, “every time we have election in Nigeria, the UK and US often raise this issue of sanctions, but after that nothing happens. We do hear once in a while of Visa ban on politicians who aided ethnic profiling, thuggery but the bans are not properly applied. They probably know that these people have fat bank accounts in their country, and therefore these countries are more interested in keeping those accounts.
“The hoodlums who carry out violence do not apply for Visa anyway, that is why I say it is just noise. In terms of Nigeria itself imposing sanction and punishing the election violators, I can only say that as a member of the Justice Uwais Committe, we recommended an electoral offences tribunal, nothing happened to the recommendations. It was because the late President Musa Yar’Adua died, that is why nothing happened, because he had promised us that he would implement the report without any amendment. He died and ex-President Jonathan did not have the heart to implement it.”
He however said apart from the Uwais reports, there are laws against hooliganism and breech of peace in the country. “You do not even need an electoral tribunal to commit people who commit bodily harm. So why don’t we use our laws?”
On whether the International Criminal Court, ICC could be involved in this matter, he said that was a possibility because similar actions had been taken against offenders in African countries such as it happened in Kenya and Ivory Coast.
“So, the ICC can prosecute Nigerians who engaged in ethic profiling and violence as it has done with Kenya, Ivory coast and elsewhere.” He however expressed doubts how far the Nigerian system can do justice because “the government appoints the Inspector General of Police, appoints the Judges, appoint Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. We need a change of mind. We need people who can stand their ground. I think each one of us has to do what we can as individuals and community to start a mending process towards justice in our country.”
