How America pushed Jonathan to order Bankole's arrest-US diplomatic cable
Saturday, 11 June 2011 01:46 administrator
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By Yusuf Ozi-Usman

Facts have emerged as to how powerful America literally forced President Goodluck Jonathan to order the arrest of the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Oladimeji Bankole, who he refers to as "a principal supporter of mine," on corruption charges.

Bankole, after a dramatic chase by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from his official apartments at the Legislators Quarters at Apo, Abuja to his private residence at Maitama, was eventually arrested last Sunday by a team of 10 EFCC operatives.

A secret US diplomatic cable on Bankole's arrest, also detailing a meeting between the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terence Macauley, the US Undersecretary for African Affairs Mr. Johnnie Carson and President Jonathan, two days before his arrest last Sunday said "the once flamboyant Speaker "locked himself in a closet in his room when 10 EFCC operatives "busted in and grabbed him", adding that "when they pulled him out of the closet he had already peed in his pants.

"The EFCC operatives were kind enough to let him change into new clothes before they took him away. It is ironic that in a chat with us not long ago, Bankole told us that the EFCC under Chairman Mrs Farida Waziri was a toothless bulldog", the cable dated June 5, the day of Bankole's arrest, said.

Entitled "U.S. Diplomatic Cable on the Arrest of Speaker Oladimeji Bankole" and coded "USCVRBH006, OUT REUTE, FRENGU #987357,  ZSE VFRTTTG, NUTBN, DEC 10 FM MINFORE ABUJA, TO COUNCILSTATE IMMEDIATE 0000  OWNERSFGN/  INFO DEFENCE HDQ/TRAD RULERS/GOVSUNION", the cable revealed that two days before the arrest of the former Speaker, Mr. Macauley and the Undersecretary of State for African Affairs had met with President Jonathan at an undisclosed venue and assured him that the American government was keen to strengthen ties with Nigeria but it was concerned about corruption in the country.

Specifically the President's guests told him that his government was interfering with the work of the EFCC and they referred to how it had been difficult for the EFCC to arrest Bankole to answer charges of corruption.

According to the cable, marked as "CONFIDENTIAL STATE 22345 ASUU/NUC, FRSC/SMC/AFRC, ASUU, OPC, AREWA MASSOB, R.O 17543: Dec: 12/04/2035", President Jonathan was initially reluctant to give his permission for Bankole's arrest, saying that the allegations were "a campaign of calumny" spearheaded by "a faceless online site" and "I'm not going to let a principal supporter of mine to be hounded out of office or to be disgraced because some faceless online site is posting rubbish about him".

The discussions were deadlocked at that point and so it was decided they would be resumed after the President would have returned from New York where Jonathan is attending the UN meeting on HIV AIDs, the secret cable reported.

But then the American ambassador got a flash of insight and he quickly told Jonathan that the President of the United States, referred to in the cable as simply "POTUS" was keenly following developments in Nigeria and he would not come on a state visit "under this cloud" of corruption.
However, according to the cable, the Undersecretary of State promised to get President Barack Obama (not directly named) to meet with the Nigerian leader during his US visit if he would allow the EFCC to take Bankole away for questioning.  At that point, Jonathan's face lit up.

The prospects of a meeting and a handshake with POTUS (Obama) excited him.  According to the cable, that proposition was put to the Nigerian leader because the American officials had come to the conclusion that "Jonathan is more comfortable and attentive when he is outside Nigeria", so they hit on the idea of making the US trip "meaningful for Jonathan".

When Ambassador Macauley told Jonathan that POTUS would meet with him, the Nigerian leader asked anxiously whether it would mean a state visit for him. Excerpts: 

"Will that be a State visit?"

"Isn't it too early for that?" Ambassador asked.

"What about giving me the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the visit?" Jonathan asked.  "We already scheduled to give one to German Chancellor Angela Merkel," Ambassador said.

"Then add my name too," Jonathan requested.

"We don't dish it out like that," Ambassador said. "Maybe next time when you come for a State Visit."

The Nigerian leader reportedly thought about it for a while: "A handshake and a photo op at the White House will do me some good," Jonathan muttered, adding: "It will make those challenging my election to back off a bit."

"Yes," Ambassador said.

"Let's do it," Jonathan said.

"But President Obama won't be shaking your hand if the news from Nigeria is that the speaker of the lower house is resisting law enforcement efforts to get him to answer the charges against him," Ambassador said.

"In that case, I will instruct Waziri (EFCC boss, Farida Waziri) to go and get him," Jonathan said.  "That's my boy," the Ambassador muttered under his breath.

The EFCC did arrest Bankole two days after the meeting with Jonathan. Four days later, President Jonathan was welcomed to the White house in Washington DC by Obama with a handshake and an exhortation to "make fighting corruption a national priority".

With President Jonathan and his close aides away in the US, it was difficult getting any other official of his government to react to the secret diplomatic cable published on Friday by several online sites.

Calls and a short text message (SMS) that Peoples Daily Weekend last night put through to the GSM line of Mr. Musa Aduak, a Deputy Director (Information) in the Office of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, went unanswered.

   

Source:
http://www.peoplesdaily-online.com/news/national-news/14329-how-america-pushed-jonathan-to-order-bankoles-arrest-us-diplomatic-cable



Guys, the FG just released a statement strongly denying the above story, but what's your take??

One leak too many

One thing is sure in the next 4yrs is - Nigerians will get information, by:
- Applying FOI laws
- Yeye press release by Govt
- Gossip
- Beer Parlour stlye
- Tales by moonlight
- Etc

What a 4 yrs of ruff ride!

@OP
Only a foool wld read this junk of an article to the end!

And only a fool wil say it is junk without reading it

I knew there was more the the Banky saga than meets the eye.

intriguing. . .!

@poster
Do you really think anybody who knows how US operates would believe this badly written James Hardely Chase fiction

So who is fooling who ?

@naijaking

How is this different from wikileaks?

what does it matter, Banky is arrested case close

Reread and note d obviously fake codes and notice also dt d "cable" took a more sarcastic tone thereafter.

It's not real.

useless newspaper. the truth is no nigeria can have 1 billion dollar in an account

matemate:

useless newspaper. the truth is no nigeria can have 1 billion dollar in an account

Is that is a fact? or do u mean no politician, ?

There was an undertone to the banky tale, but not the way its carried here.
And yes,, we all know the u.s had a hand in it,

i was begining to belive dis story bt towords the end it was nt okey at all it looked lik it was forged

Fcking siss_y,he peed in his pants,coward.Nigerian leaders are cowards,that is why they are stupi_d

@POSTER,

NICE TRY. YOU DESERVE A PRESIDENTIAL HANDSHAKE AND A PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL PLUS A STATE VISIT FROM OBAMA HIMSELF

I just look up d profile of peoplesdaily-online.com, all i see is ethnicity and northern agenda at play.
If espionage is that porous. then reputable news outfit would have aired it.
Bankole is just a pawn in d political chessgame, dont forget, he did not chop d money alone, he shared it among his members, meaning they are jointly and severally liable. They should all be arrested.
Meanwhle, senate did similar illegal increase but nobody is asking question on how they managed it. The episode would have been different if Bankole is a northerner. The more reason why I want this country seperated. Imagine, d history of Nigeria as compiled by some idiot gave credence to the north- so absurd.
Take stock of Nigeria since 1960 and see who has always benefited, and we are here on NL criticising our own- how dumb?

o ya moderator, do your work, by removing this post.

I don't care who is right or wrong,d glaring fact is that bankole is a criminal just like d rest of nigerian "rulers"

Gej will one day be call upon to face judgement, Nigeria can never move on unless there is justice

People like obj,ibbi,anenih andco must answer to their crimes,if they escape justice by natural death there generations won't

are you guys saying Bankole never looted public funds? is now I tok dat thread " yourubas protesting Bankole arrest" seriously.

Every other thing seems to be in order, until the statement " That's my boy". Even obama himself dares not utter that statement to the president of Nigeria. While we can ignore the form of the report, but I strongly believe that the US is putting pressure on Jonathan to take several positive steps, such as allowing Jega to do his thing.

d write up is funny. My big question is why wil d U.S want bankole 2 be arrested by d EFCC by all means. But again why is EFCC putin all is energy on bonkole only knwin we hv sme former governors out there. Time wil tel if d whole bankole saga was all play acting.

He could have been sponsoring islamism with his loots.He sounds like a religious zealot sometimes and americansdon't like dat

if you believe this, you can believe anything,

, in that case Boko Haram are actually igbo men!

The supposed leak is rubbish!! there is no way international diplomacy will b so informal!!!

below is an article detailing the plight of the yoruba in modern nigeria!!


A MUST READ ARTICLE------------>http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/where-are-yoruba

this story is as fake as santa claus. even i can be a more creative writer than this. Jonathan asking for medal and photo op? nah

hercules07:

@naijaking

How is this different from wikileaks?

This nonsense write-up is not wikileaks, and you know it.