Date: 2018-06-24

THE year 2018 is when the year the bell tolled for some outstanding Nigerians. The life and times of two of the nation's incorruptible ones ended this year on a glorious note after having lived wonderful and impactful lives.

It is most apt, fitting and even inspiring that these two individuals: served at different times as head of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission ICPC.

Dr. (Rabiatu) Rose Abang Wushishi was among an elite group of Assistant Inspectors General of Police, a female one for that matter. AIG Abang Wushishi (Rtd) was a brilliant lady who loved learning. Even after bagging a PhD in Criminology from a foreign university, she still went back to study Law at the University of Lagos.

In the midst of this she was dedicated to her job and became an officer to be reckoned with; a thorough professional. She was married to an army general who was also a part of government even at a time of military rule. This never gave her any airs or desire for privileges, and she continued her desk without ever slacking. Most importantly, she bowed out of the police force without a single stain to her record- she was one person who abhorred corruption.

At the onset of the democratic era AIG Abang Wushishi tried to represent her people at the Senate but she was denied the ticket by her party. She then decided to lay off the political scene.

However, her sterling qualities as a clean cop were not forgotten. She later became the Commissioner South-South Zone of the ICPC. This was a bright, beautiful woman who was incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted, not avaricious or given to mindless frivolities. And she was never carried away by her ageless beauty.

In March 2011, Dr. Abang Wushishi was appointed Acting Chairman of the ICPC by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

And after a brilliant career of service to the nation, towards the end of the first quarter of this year, AIG Dr. Rose Abang Wushishi( Rtd) went the way of all mortal men, and the Boki woman of integrity has since been laid to rest.

Surely she was one of those people that Owen Wister would have described in his quote as "an aristocrat in morals as in mind".

As the Yorubas would put it: A Great Iroko Tree Has Fallen. And that was occasioned by the passing of a statesman and Pan-Africanist this second quarter, in the person of Justice Mustapha Akanbi. In his eighty-six years, Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi CFR, PCA (Rtd) was one person who brought not only dignity but honour to the judicial system, especially to the bench, rising to become a veritable icon of law.

Justice Akanbi was renown for his modesty- but also for his forthrightness. He was always spoken of, for integrity.

A former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Akanbi was appointed pioneer Chairman of the ICPC by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. From the bar to the bench and even to the academia, the choice of Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi as chairman of the anti-corruption agency was widely hailed nationally.

He was very particular about the independence of all the anti-corruption agencies, a matter he remained vocal about until his dying day. Even during his time as ICPC Chairman, there was an attempt to narrow the scope of the ICPC by way of a review of the enabling Act of the Commission by the National Assembly then. The idea was to exempt Senators of the Federal Republic from any investigation and prosecution for graft.

But it is said that Justice Akanbi, right there at the Senate Chambers maintained that he would rather resign as Chairman of the Commission than allow the Senators compromise the anti-graft Commission.

His position was that tampering with the ICPC would effectively bring the fight against corruption to an end.

He spoke at a public hearing on the proposed Amendment to the ICPC enabling Act. Justice Akanbi ended up having his way, and the ICPC has remained an independent commission to this day.

A great deal of dust was raised when the current Buhari administration had the homes of some judges raided and some of the discoveries found there confiscated, after which the judges in question were persecuted.

But not that many would likely be aware that the no-nonsense Justice Akanbi did not spare his fellow judges during his time as ICPC Chairman. Under him, the ICPC had some judges of the customary court, the Sharia court and JUDGES OF THE HIGH COURT ARRESTED.

The National Judicial Commission upheld all the findings of the investigation of the ICPC then: they dismissed all the judges that the ICPC had found to be corrupt.

Justice Akanbi declined a fresh tenure at the ICPC in 2005 and left it to establish the MAF- the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation. It was established with a mission to serve as a platform for promoting democratic values as well as fostering sustainable and viable democratic development in Nigeria. The headquarters of the foundation is the Africa People’s Hall, Ilorin, Kwara State.

The 12th Annual Lecture of the MAF is billed for September in Ilorin. In addition to robust discussions which add to the national discourse for good governance, the MAF also gives skill acquisition to secondary school students. Additionally, the foundation provides financial support to the sick, the aged and the disabled.

Justice Mustapha Akanbi, Commander of the Federal Republic and the Wakili of Ilorin was in his life time a devout Muslim. And so the man who has been described as an incorruptible judge passed on to eternity this year, even this month.

In the midst of the international perception of corruption associated in general with Nigerians (Fantastically Corrupt), it is beautiful to hold up the names of these two shining individuals, Dr. Rose Abang Wushishi and The Honourable Justice Mustapha Akanbi who both made their mark even as they have both left the world stage unblemished.

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