‘Corruption is fighting
back’.That phrase has long assumed cliché status.As a lot of us have learnt,it
is the easiest way to justify a hypocritical war on corruption. Corruption
isn’t fighting back when Buhari sits on the SGF probe or refuses to look into
how some states are still owing workers 8 months salaries despite bailouts and
huge Paris Club refunds, it is winning.
Over the last
week,we have been treated to one revelation after the other on how an EFCC
fugitive and Former head of the presidential task force on pension reforms
under President Jonathan, Abdulrasheed Maina was recalled to the ministry of
interior affairs. Maina got away right under the Presidency’s nose and its lame
attempt at saving face by ordering his sack wouldn’t buy back even an ounce of
lost integrity.As we watch with keen interest the blame game on who helped the
Attorney-General Of the Federation perpetrate this contemptible act between the
Minister of interior affairs, Abdulrahman Dambazzau and Head of Civil service,
Winifred Oyo-Ita,it is also important questions are asked of the EFCC boss,
Ibrahim Magu. The same Magu who was indicted by the DSS for hobnobbing with
questionable persons and corruption.Where was he and the agency when a person
wanted by them was employed as a director in a ministry?
Just before
Mainagate, the EFCC had approached a court seeking the forfeiture of properties
belonging to an NGO belonging to the former first lady,Dame Patience Jonathan.
Not forgetting it has successfully gotten an order on a 5-storey hotel of hers.
For the umpteenth time,why is the EFCC scared of prosecuting the woman if it
has any compelling evidence against her? Why hasn’t it as much as invited her
for questioning if indeed it is serious about ‘investigations’? Admittedly
though, it would be expecting more than we should of an agency that didn’t do
that after her public claim to ownership of $15m in a bank. The EFCC wound up
being sued by her instead. Add the audacity to her recent claim of witch-hunt
by Magu which was countered by the Presidency and you’ll have to conclude she
not only has the EFCC by the balls but President Buhari too. Maybe she and her
husband know something about Buhari we don’t. President Jonathan was never
questioned about his role in Dasukigate despite being named by the man himself.
In what many
deem a technical foul, the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari slammed the
state house clinic for not having a single syringe. That clinic has received an
average allocation of a billion naira annually over the last 10 years. The
President kept mute and didn’t order an investigation into how a clinic that
couldn’t treat his ear infection with a billion naira budget utilized its
funds.
I always say
the Buhari government became a failure the very first day we started comparing
it to the Jonathan administration. That we fared better under GEJ makes our
case more pathetic. Buhari may very well be the biggest scam ever pulled. If we
start to compare him to Jonathan on corruption,the most prominent reason why we
opted for change, then we are in more trouble than we can imagine. While it is
true most facts start to reveal themselves after governments have stepped
aside, the little we have seen so far of our anti-corruption crusader suggests
we would be fooling ourselves to think he is playing clean. Senator Isa Misau
just days ago alleged the IG of police bought 2 SUVs for the President’s wife
after a request was sent in for a Toyota Sienna and a hiace bus. The police
subsequently claimed the cars were for the security in her convoy and this much
was corroborated by her Director of information. I couldn’t help wondering if
the DSS were the ones who bought the ‘personal’ car she rides in. Does the
police actually buy cars for a Presidential convoy?
Considering
she is holding that office contrary to a breach of campaign promise by
President Buhari to Nigerians, one would expect her to thread with some
caution.But sadly,that hasn’t been the case. The woman wore the one of the most
expensive wrist watches at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New
York. A £10,000 choppard diamond wrist watch. The biggest lies are ones we tell
to ourselves. Corruption is winning.
We have to
accept that.
Hassan
is a lawyer based in Kano.
Source: The Cable
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