Exposing the fantastic lies behind Buhari’s anti-corruption war
Editor’s note: President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to combat corruption in Nigeria no matter whose ox is gored. The Buhari administration is currently probing several politically exposed persons alleged to have embezzled the nation resources during the previous administration. However, as laudable as this anti-corruption campaign sounds, Kess Ewubare of Naij.com exposes the deceit behind the so called war on corruption.
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to combat corruption in Nigeria no matter whose ox is gored.
Buhari’s promise to rid Nigeria of corruption
Nigeria has earned the reputation of being one of the most corrupt countries in the world, so when British prime minister, David Cameron described Nigeria as a “fantastically corrupt” country in a conversation with the Queen, during the recent anti-corruption summit in London, he was only echoing the sentiment the international community has about Nigeria.
Aware of this fact, Muhammadu Buhari made the fight against corruption one of his core campaign promises prior to his election. He promised that if elected president he would among others, tackle corruption head on.
Buhari said: “On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference.”
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) even went as far as saying that corrupt politicians would be jailed in Kirikiri maximum prison, sending fear among the opposition who alleged that Buhari was on a vindictive mission.
After Muhammudu Buhari was declared the winner of the 2015 general election, chieftain of the Peoples democratic party (PDP), Bode George said he may go on exile. The same sentiment was shared by other members of the opposition who felt they were marked for jail by Buhari.
Buhari’s anti-corruption war
Upon assumption office, President Muhammadu Buhari swung into action unraveling the infamous Dasuki scandal involving former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who allegedly shared funds meant for the procurement of arms for the military with prominent members of the PDP.
Former NDA, Sambo Dasuki is facing trial for allegedly diverting fund meant for the purchase of arms in the Boko Haram war.
The Buhari administration also exposed some retired and serving military officers who were involved in the diversion of funds meant for arms purchase.
Now, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered evidence showing how N3.145bn was transferred to the private accounts of some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation in the build-up to the last presidential election.
According to the anti-graft agency, those indicted in the multi-billion naira graft are a former aviation minister and director of media for the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organization, Femi Fani-kayode and a former secretary to the government of the federation and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olu Falae; a former finance minister.
Others are; Nenadi Usman; a former Imo state governor, Achike Udenwa; former minister of state for foreign affairs, Viola Onwuliri and politician Okey Ezenwa.
The truth behind the so called corruption war
While it is commendable that the Buhari administration is unearthing some of the colossal fraud in high places perpetuated under the buffoon Jonathan administration, it is however suspicious that no a single member of the APC is being investigated for alleged corruption.
The minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is alleged to have bankrupted Rivers state while he was governor so as to finance Buhari’s election.
This is more surprising on the grounds that most of the top founders of APC are former PDP members who looted government treasury when they were in PDP.
It is even alleged that former River state governor Rotimi Ameachi, who is now the minister of transport, bankrupted Rivers state while he was governor so as to finance Buhari’s election.
The Buhari anti-corruption war has been labelled as selective by members of the opposition who allege that the arrest of 49 members of the previous regime indicates that the anti-corruption campaign is politically driven.
However, the president has described such accusations as absolutely false and unfounded, claiming that corruption has no political party, no religion and no ethnic group and as such there would no partisanship in the fight against the scourge.
But what appears on ground tells a different story, if not, how can the EFCC sincerely confront the PDP about campaign funds and not once turn the light on the APC and ask the same question? Where the huge funds used to fund the APC elections not public fund?
The above question shows that the present administration is insincere in its war on corruption, it seems Buhari, our incorruptible messiah, has dined with corrupt friends in his journey to the presidency and has chosen to look the other way after being crowned ruler.
Buhari’s lopsided stand on corruption was even made more glaring by the Daily Trust report on the CBN recruitment scandal which exposed how the apex bank recruited 909 staff between June 2014 and February 2015, in violation of due process and federal character principles.
The report followed a news story by news website, Sahara Reporters showing how children and relatives of some influential Nigerians were secretly hired by the CBN including President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew; minister of internal affairs, Abdulrahman Danbazzau’s son, and minister of state for petroleum resources, Ibe Kachikwu’s son.
Others included Inspector-General Police, IGP Solomon Arase’s son; former vice-president Atiku Abubakar’s daughter, and former speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’aba’s daughter.
Since the employment scandal broke, our incorruptible President Buhari has kept silent on the issue. When Sahara Reporters contacted presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu for comments he said a response was being prepared by the presidency but the presidency failed to address the issue directly or indirectly.
In another case, while Buhari placed a ban on government officials from using a first-class tickets, PDP officials in April discovered a plane a ticket which showed that Hanan, the 16 year old daughter of Buhari had flown first-class from London to Nigeria, despite her father’s ban on officials using premium travel. Also, though our self-proclaimed people’s president’ claims to be poor, he has spent about £150,000 on educating his daughter Zahra, who is a Surrey University student.
The above instances show that President Buhari who was once thought to be stern and uncompromising has failed in some instances failed to live up to the high standards expected of him. It is glaring that Buhari’s corruption war is a one sided affair, meant to chase looters in the opposition while plunders in the ruling party enjoy unofficial immunity.
While the present administration has claimed that its campaign against corruption is impartial, I stand to say that it is a fantastic lie because the facts on ground are there for all to see.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.
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