When the cat burgled a house, the police went after the dog but the monkey took to his heels because something told him that at the end of the day the arresting party would show up at his doorsteps; after all, didn’t everyone know that the monkey was a congenital thief? I pinched that story from Yoruba folklore. In the context of contemporary Nigerian politics, you are at liberty to determine who you think fits the bill as the Cat, Dog or Monkey.

There is no monkeying around in the current crusade against corruption. Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki is currently in the eye of the storm. He is fighting to stall his prosecution by the Code of Conduct Bureau for sundry offences. For Saraki who has seized every opportunity to pledge his commitment to the anti-corruption stance of the present administration, it was a strange turn of events. Some weeks earlier, his critics had condemned what they termed the senate's pre-emptive probe of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, alleging that Saraki was trying to intimidate the EFCC to save himself and some other colleagues who had been indicted by the agency from prosecution. As usual with cases of high wire politics of this nature, there is so much disinformation doing the rounds. What are the facts? No man is above the law.

What should concern Nigerians is whether the allegations against Saraki are true. If they are, let him face the music. If they aren't, the courts will acquit him. About two months ago, Bukola's wife, Toyin Saraki, was invited by the EFCC with regard to several contracts executed by companies said to be linked to her during her husband's tenure as governor of Kwara State. Last week, Kennedy Izuagbe, a former director of Societe Generale Bank Nigeria Plc and managing director of Carlisle Properties and Investment Limited (companies associated with the Saraki) was declared wanted by the EFCC for conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of over N3.6 billion. Then last week, the Code of Conduct Tribunal invited the Senate President for trial on a 13-count charge of false assets declaration, a breach of Section 15 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, Cap C15, LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 23 (2) as incorporated under paragraph 18 of Part 1, Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.

According to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Saraki made false declarations in his Assets Declaration Form for Public Officers at the beginning and end of his tenures as governor of Kwara State between May 29, 2003, and May 28, 2007,; and between May 29, 2007, and May 28, 2011. The CCB alleged that in some cases Saraki made anticipatory declarations while in others he made wrong declarations not attributable to his income, gift or loan and also concealed certain properties in the form.

For example, Saraki claimed to have acquired a five bedroom house and undeveloped plot at 15A and 15B MacDonald Street, Ikoyi Lagos valued at N300 million and N200 million respectively in 2000 through his company Carlisle Properties Ltd. But the CCB alleges that the properties were in actual fact sold by a government agency in 2006 to his company Tiny Tree Ltd and Vitti Oil Ltd for about N396.15 million. In the same vein, Saraki claimed to have acquired two undeveloped plots at 17A and 17B MacDonald Street, Ikoyi Lagos at N497.2 million which he wrongly claimed was from proceeds of sale of rice and sugar.

The Bureau also accused Saraki of refusal to declare, at the beginning of his second tenure as governor of Kwara State in 2011 his ownership of Plot 24 Glover Road Ikoyi Lagos, which he acquired between 2007 and 2008 through his company Carlisle Properties Ltd from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for a total sum of N325 million; and making false declaration in respect of properties in other parts of the country and cash deposits in banks. Saraki's spokespersons and sympathisers within and outside the senate have been speaking up for him. Some have asked why the case was being brought now, several years after the offence was allegedly committed. I think we should remind them that Saraki was in the People's Democratic Party, PDP throughout the period and that party openly shielded its members from prosecution. There was no way Saraki could have been arraigned under the Jonathan administration. Since there is no statute of limitation on crimes like this one, it really does not matter when the anti-graft agencies wake up; the important thing is that they rise from their slumber in the interest of the nation.

None of the pro-Saraki campaigns so far has refuted the allegations; all they continue to parrot is that it is all a witch-hunt. If that is the story they want to sell at the courts, they need more than good luck; they require a miracle at the courts.

The opposition PDP describes the drive against corruption as "official terrorism". Do these people have any shame at all? This was the same party which terrorised Nigerians for 16 years with corruption, brazen looting, incompetence and all manner of evil. Many of those making noise now may yet be arraigned for their part in past looting. What they are doing now is to try and muddy the waters so that when it is their turn to face the law they may claim persecution on account of their vociferous allegations of witch-hunt. If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid? In this high wire festival of daggers, Saraki's marabouts had better got their prognostications right.

Goodnight, Mama Awo

She came, she saw, she conquered. She had been a constant presence for decades. Like the Northern Star, her place in the political firmament was prominent and secure. The news of her demise at the age of 99 (67 days short of her 100th birthday) caught everyone napping. Like St Paul, Hannah Idowu Dideolu (HID) Awolowo, devoted spouse of late Western Region Premier, Chief Obafemi Awolowo - can proclaim: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of glory...."