We’ve Revoked Aondoakaa’s Visa – US
The United States Government on Thursday confirmed that it had barred Nigeria’s former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, from entering its territory.
A blog, Saharareporters.com, had reported on Thursday last week that US President Barack Obama ordered the revocation of Aondoakaa’s visa for unspecified links to corruption.
Aondoakaa swiftly denied the report, saying that he had not received any communication from either the US Department of State or the US Embassy in Abuja to that effect.
He had said, “In the first instance, the revocation of visa of a citizen entering the US does not go through Obama. It is just a matter of the state department revoking your visa.”
However, the US Embassy in Abuja, through one of its top officials, confirmed to one of our correspondents that the former AGF and his family had indeed been barred from entering the United States.
Reading from a prepared text on the telephone, the diplomat said, “The United States has indeed revoked the visa of the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 7750, which provides authority to deny entry to the United States to persons with links to corruption.”
Prodded for further details, the diplomat said the information was restricted to the text.
By this development, Aondoakaa’s position as a member of the governing council of the United Nations Institute for Unification of Private Laws may be hampered.
Former US President George W. Bush had on January 12, 2004 signed Proclamation 7750, to restrict foreign officials and their family members allegedly linked to corruption.
The full text of the proclamation is posted on http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-957.pdf.
The proclamation had earlier been used to bar a former governor of Plateau State, Chief Joshua Dariye, and his family from entering the US in 2004.
In retrospect, a Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, had in early June, restrained Aondoakaa from holding the office of the AGF or any other similar public offices in future in Nigeria.
It had, therefore, advised the government to always consider Aondoakaa unfit and incompetent to hold public offices because of his conduct while serving as AGF in the administration of the late former President Umaru Yar‘Adua.
Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, who delivered the judgment, had also referred the ex-minister to the Nigerian Bar Association for appropriate disciplinary action.
The judgment was on a suit filed against Aondoakaa by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Uyo Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Obot.
Obot had challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission and PDP for substituting him as the party‘s candidate for the 2007 election with Mr. Bassey Etim.
The Election Petitions Tribunal in Uyo had in its ruling sacked Etim and asked INEC to issue a Certificate of Return to Obot. The judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeal sitting in Calabar.
The Court of Appeal had before its ruling ordered that a new panel be reconstituted to retry the petition, but Aondoakaa, in a letter dated January 8, 2008 to the President of the Court, had asked him not to comply with the directive.
Aondoakaa had also used his position as the AGF to volunteer a letter on February 16, 2009 to the former Chairman of INEC, Prof. Maurice Iwu, asking him not to issue a certificate of return to Obot.
He had also written the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, imploring him to allow Etim to remain in the House despite the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
Obot had, therefore, approached the Federal High Court to determine whether or not the conduct of Aondoakaa in the three separate letters did not constitute abuse of powers conferred on him by Section 150(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
In his ruling, Adetokunbo had observed that there was no counter-affidavit filed by the defendant (Aondoakaa) to deny the letters and challenge depositions in an affidavit filed by the plaintiff.
He said, “It is also settled in law that the documents tendered and admitted in court are like words uttered and do speak for themselves. They are more reliable and authentic than words from the vocal cord of man as they are neither transient nor subject to distortion or misinterpretation but remain permanent and indelible through the ages.”
The judge had also noted that the conduct of Aondoakaa was a desecration of the office of AGF, adding that the position as created by law was meant for learned and eminent members of the Bar and not for political charlatans, jobbers or latter day praise singers.
He said, “A declaration is hereby made that Aondoakaa undermined and subverted the rule of law, the due administration of justice and the independence, authority and integrity of the judiciary in the letters of January 8, 2008, February 16, 2009 written by him in his capacity as the AGF.
“A declaration is hereby made that Aondoakaa is not a competent, fit and proper person to hold office as AGF having regards to the Oath of Allegiance and Office.
“A perpetual injunction is hereby made restraining Aondoakaa from occupying the office of the AGF and Minister of Justice and such other similar offices in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Thursday, Aaondoakaa, however, denied knowledged of the revocation.
He said, “I am not aware that my visa has been revoked. The US Embassy had said before that they hadn’t revoked the visa. If they have done so now, maybe somebody, somewhere does not want me to take up the United Nations’ Job.
“If this story is true, I expect that the matter will be taken up diplomatically. The job which I am to take up at the UN is not Aaondoakaa’s job. It is a job that I am representing not only Nigeria but the entire Africa. I have been in public office for two and half years and I expect the Federal Government to protect me if what you are saying is true.
“The US embassy has not informed me that they have revoked my visa. It is only when they do so that I will ask for the basis of their action. It is at this point I will then react.”
source: punchontheweb.com
