The
preliminary report of the Senator Shehu Sani led Senate adhoc committee
on humanitarian crises in the North East and the report of the
directorate of State State Security, SSS, opposing the confirmation of
Ibrahim Magu as chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, lends the long held view in many quarters that the
anti-corruption drive of the current administration is a sham directed
at persecuting real and perceived political enemies of the President
Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In its report, the Senate adhoc
committee indicted the secretary general of the federation, Mr. Babachir
David Lawal, of sundry acts of corruption, illegal award of contracts,
abuse of public office, breach of the provisions of the Public
Procurement Act among others. The report accused him of awarding
contracts to companies of cronies who in turn paid him kickbacks
amounting to hundreds of millions of Naira.
Several documents in the public domain,
including bank statements and incorporation documents from the Corporate
Affairs Commission, CAC, verify these allegations.
In its report, DSS indicted the acting
chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on sundry charges of corruption,
living above his means, flouting presidential directives against public
officials flying abroad using first class by travelling for the lesser
Hajj on a first class ticket that cost three million naira among others.
Further to this indictment, DSS
recommended that Mr. Magu not be confirmed as chairman of EFCC, a
recommendation which was upheld by the Senate.
The Buhari presidency has failed,
refused and/or neglected to take any steps against both public
officials. Indeed, in a surprising stance the chairman of the
Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor
Itse Sagay, is recorded to have stated in an interview that Mr. Magu
will stay on in the job regardless of the position of the Senate.
The laissez-faire attitude of the Buhari
administration to these substantial allegations of corruption against
these senior public officials is telling. These allegations are in
addition to substantial allegations of corruption against other senior
officials of the Buhari administration, Chief Rotimi Amaechi (Minister
of Transport), Mr. Babatunde Fashola (Minister of Power, Works &
Housing), Major General Tukur Buratai (Chief of Army Staff), and Alhaji
Abba Kyari (Chief of Staff to the President).
None of the allegations against any of
these officials have been thoroughly investigated neither have any of
them faced sanctions of any sort. If anything, the Buhari administration
has been very dismissive of the allegations and has treated calls for
thorough investigations with disdain.
The attitude of the administration has
been very contrasting to its real and perceived opponents. For instance,
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a former spokesperson of the People’s
Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization, has spent about 90
days in detention (sometimes in underground cells) on allegations of
corruption.
In the same vein, the homes of justices
of the Supreme Court as well as judges of other courts were invaded in
the middle of the night by officials of the DSS. These judges are
currently facing criminal charges on the basis of recommendations by the
same DSS of which the Presidency is now so dismissive.
It is also curious that senior officials
and figures of the administration who called for justices of the
Supreme Court to step down while facing trial openly state that Mr. Magu
must remain in office in spite of the allegations against him.
These events lend credence to the view
that there is indeed no fight against corruption and that the claims of
the Buhari administration to the existence of such a fight is a mere
smokescreen designed to cover attacks on any and all opposition to
Buhari administration.
It has been my long held opinion, that
the Buhari administration has neither the will nor the know-how required
to successfully fight corruption in Nigeria. Sadly, the administration
has taken no steps to disprove this opinion.
Furthermore, it has shown absolutely no
indication that it can pursue the systematic and institutional reforms
required not only to curb the menace of corruption but to unleash the
economic potential of the nation.
Deji Adeyanju is director of Social
Media of the People’s Democratic Party. He is also a former aide at the
Presidency. He tweets from @adeyanjudeji.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
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