He was a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, an enviable position that made him the high priest of the Nigerian Constitution. A seer who took oath to serve Nigeria and his fellow citizens by helping all aggrieved to understand the spirit and letter of the Constitution.
But he was dangerous. Yes, Alfa Belgore has been allegedly identified as the man who helped a foreign company(P&ID) to win an award of $9.6 billion against Nigeria.
They paid, and he dissected loopholes in the Constitution as a legal expert to P&ID: “Acting as a legal consultant, Mr Belgore, head of the Supreme Court between 2006 and 2008, painstakingly analysed Nigeria’s laws, exploited its shortcomings and cited case laws for the benefit of the firm.”
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He is the most dangerous man in Nigeria. Yes, we have Yahoo Boys, 419ers, corporate raiders, and their cousins, but that a former Chief Justice can use his knowledge of Nigerian law in this way is despicable. Nigeria trained him to master those laws; today, he has paid us this way. I hope this is fake news – but Premium Times is never known for one.
Unfortunately, Justice Belgore is not alone – people sign contracts to defraud Nigeria in London, California and Beijing because of personal gains. That remains the Nigerian demon – no patriotism.
I am not a lawyer but this man should be excommunicated in the club of learned gentlemen even if he has not broken any written code. He is unworthy to serve.
For the former Chief Justice, it was all business.
It did not matter that he was providing an expert legal opinion against his country whose judiciary he once headed. It did not matter that Nigeria stood to lose the case on account of his testimony, neither did it matter that offering such service to a foreign company was illegal.
All that mattered, it seems, was money.
PREMIUM TIMES can today confirm that a key legal argument the British firm, P&ID Limited, used in securing the humongous arbitral award of $9.6 billion (N3.2 trillion) against Nigeria was provided by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alfa Belgore.
Acting as a legal consultant, Mr Belgore, head of the Supreme Court between 2006 and 2008, painstakingly analysed Nigeria’s laws, exploited its shortcomings and cited case laws for the benefit of the firm.
And he did break a written law, according to the Constitution. He is the most dangerous man in Nigeria and should be arrested and tried! I hope he has enough money to defend himself – stupid man.
Section 5 of the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution prohibits former presidents, vice presidents, Chief Justice of Nigeria, governors and deputy governors from working for foreign companies or enterprises.
[…]
PREMIUM TIMES has obtained full details of the advice provided by Mr Belgore to rubbish the Nigerian government’s defence in the suit.
In the written legal advice offered to P&ID, Mr Belgore, who is still a member of the National Council of State, a key advisory body to Nigerian presidents, specifically admitted that he was working for a foreign company.
“I have been instructed on behalf of Process and Industrial Developments Limited (“P&ID”), a company incorporated in the territory of the Virgins Island (“BVI”), to prepare a statement addressed to the Arbitral tribunal in answer to the questions put to me by P&ID in connection with this arbitration,” he wrote
[…]
He then presented extensive legal arguments to puncture the defence by Nigerian government lawyers.
Read the full statement offered by Alfa
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Good Afternoon Sir, I want to seek your advise on a matter. I recently received a nomination as a Fellow of Institute of Management Consultants, Nigeria. I want to know your preview on the pedigree of the Institute and if it will be wise for me to accept the offer. I am a business founder in mid-career Stage.
I have received a similar thing but I do not accept any award where I have to pay a fee. I think they ask you to pay something for seminar/course. That disqualifies them before me.
Hmmm……Of course, I was asked to pay a fee for a seminar/certification course.
In your own opinion, does the organisation have an international reputation to match with its profile? Do you think it is a wise investiture for a young professional like me to boost career presence?
I will be glad if I contact you personally.
Of course, I was asked to pay a fee for a seminar/certification course.
New professional bodies do this when they are starting out. Even some very popular ones in fraud and financial profession did it in the past. I paid $50 for one like that in 2008 and am still a member . It’s not really a bad thing to do but look deeper at the benefits of such professional bodies before you join them and it might actually benefit you to be a founding member.
Between treason and felony, or combination of both; this act must have a seat around there.
A former Chief Justice. It is finished!
In the meantime, any building, road, tree, forest, farmland, institution, bearing his name – the name should be scrapped. Then the GCON or whatever titles he has accumulated should be withdrawn. Subsequently he can be called to answer questions, he will remain dishonourable even after death; that’s how it should be.
Nigerians are the ones finishing Nigeria, as the breeze blows, we will be unmasking them one by one.
World of wonders!
Francis great words there
This is really very shameful that a former head of judiciary thinks this is the best way to pay back Nigeria
You are absolutely correct
No patriotism, no nation…all government actions nationwide should in the cooler, the most important duty of any serious government now will be to unite the nation, in a united nation, all will declare Fmr Justice Belgore and his ilks persona non grata but we will soon notice ethnic colouration etc.
Sad sad sad…. If a chief justice can do, what more can we not expect..
Very disappointing that conscience is traded for the quest for money for the general disadvantage of Nigeria and Nigerians.
I don’t think Alpha Belgore is much different from buhari and a lot of other nigerian politicians.
Even more so,the judges,considering the kind of corrupt judgement recently given shamelessly in support of buhari at the PEPT,it was epitome of shamelessnes,lack of patriotism and corruption.
I’ve come to realise that the people who shout most about one nigeria without restructuring are the people who don’t love this country,who harbor ulterior motives and are the most corrupt.
Sadly, and the most annoying is the fact that the justice may never be touched. Some people are just untouchable in Nigeria not because of their individual powers but because of where they belong. The jungle justice found in the streets of our major cities were actually copied from our government and elite characters.
We prosecute, Jail, and sometime kill small thieves but we cheer, eulogize, and applaud big thieves. Some of our military men who undertook covert assignment in the UK to bring back Umarodiko came back after detained in the UK and were lucky to had resumed service from where they left, whereas the man for whom they risked their lives to bring back for prosecution was received on red a carpet on his return by the same government..
Mr Oguaju and his thoughtful comments. The most painful part of your comment is that the more we are unveiling the saboteurs, the more new ones are being bred. The problem is from the root.
By the way, I was particularly touched by Prof’s outburst of emotions while I read the post. The tone of the piece made me recheck if he was the author. This is really deep.
Let’s be patient. Nigeria will get there.
I quite agree with Nigeria will get there