Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria
Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria
Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria
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Ngige—like much of the <strong>Nigeria</strong>n press <strong>and</strong> many civil society groups—alleges that<br />
Chris Uba was beh<strong>in</strong>d the attack. 242 Several well-placed sources told Human Rights<br />
Watch that Chris Uba had recruited an Ogoni youth leader from Rivers State to help<br />
organize the attack on Government House <strong>in</strong> conjunction with thugs sourced locally<br />
<strong>in</strong> Anambra. 243 Chris Uba denied any <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the matter. 244 The police’s failure<br />
to <strong>in</strong>vestigate who was beh<strong>in</strong>d the attack, <strong>and</strong> specifically Uba’s alleged <strong>in</strong>volvement,<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s as a stark example of the impunity he has consistently enjoyed.<br />
Box 5: A Godfather’s Views on Governance<br />
The follow<strong>in</strong>g are excerpts from a Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview with Anambra State<br />
political “godfather” Chris Uba at his Enugu residence <strong>in</strong> February 2007:<br />
I have been <strong>in</strong> politics from 1999 <strong>and</strong> even before, but 2003 is the time<br />
I produced a Governor for the State. S<strong>in</strong>ce that 2003 I have been<br />
h<strong>and</strong>l<strong>in</strong>g the party—the PDP—<strong>and</strong> we have been do<strong>in</strong>g well <strong>and</strong> we did<br />
not have any problem <strong>in</strong> the party.<br />
When he [Ngige] became Governor he started play<strong>in</strong>g funny. That is<br />
where we disagree, we signed before he became governor. We said<br />
that I am go<strong>in</strong>g to produce [appo<strong>in</strong>t] six to seven Commissioners. He is<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g to produce [some] because he is governor already. I am go<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
produce more; he is go<strong>in</strong>g to produce lesser…<br />
I spent a lot of money to put him there but I never asked him for my<br />
money back. Ngige was try<strong>in</strong>g to be smart, try<strong>in</strong>g to run the<br />
policemen deployed to ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong> law <strong>and</strong> order.” Tony Edike, “Awka: A City Where Anarchy Reigned,” The Vanguard, November<br />
15, 2004.<br />
241 Ibid.<br />
242 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview with Chris Ngige, Bethesda, Maryl<strong>and</strong>, January 18, 2007; Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
with civil society activists <strong>and</strong> opposition politicians, Lagos, Abuja <strong>and</strong> Awka, February 2007.<br />
243 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terviews, Abuja <strong>and</strong> Port Harcourt, February <strong>and</strong> April 2007. Both sources are acqua<strong>in</strong>tances of the<br />
Ogoni youth leader concerned <strong>and</strong> said that they had been given this <strong>in</strong>formation by him.<br />
244 Human Rights Watch <strong>in</strong>terview with Chris Uba, Enugu, February 12, 2007.<br />
<strong>Crim<strong>in</strong>al</strong> <strong>Politics</strong> 70
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