When I read the article titled ‘The Welcome Party for Ibori’ by Simon Kolawole, it was thought provoking journalism considering the context of Delta State’s ex-Governor, James Ibori’s much celebrated release from Belmarsh Prison, London, England. Many Nigerians mostly see Ibori’s celebrated release by mostly people from his home state of Delta as a national disgrace and most rightly so. However, when you consider Nigeria’s history of convictions for corruption, many who complain about Ibori’s smug prison release may simply be tribalists who would do exactly the same if “their man” was convicted and eventually released. The real crushing national disgrace for Nigeria is that it still cannot convict her Big Thieves in her own courts and rely on foreign governments to convict “selected” offenders. Yet, Nigeria celebrates Independence. Continue reading →