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Tag: anti-corruption war

Sagay slams S’ Court, SANs over election petition, anti-corruption war

•Says Wike, others climbed on dead bodies, human blood
•Accuses SANs of siding with treasury looters

The Head of Presidential Anti-Corruption Committee, Prof Itse Sagay, yesterday raised fresh concern over recent rulings of the Supreme Court on election petitions, particularly those of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

Sagay, who spoke with journalists at the Palace of the Olu of Warri, Delta State, warned that the rulings, which gave victory to candidates regardless of copious evidence of irregularities and heavy human and material casualties, constituted a dangerous precedence in the history of elections.

He said; “the judgements are very perverse, particularly relating to Akwa Ibom and Rivers. Everybody knows that there were no elections in those two states.

“Everybody knows that people like Wike climbed into the governorship seat over dead bodies and over blood of human beings. There were no elections, they wrote the results; the evidence is there.

“So, what the Supreme Court has done is to set the clock of electoral excellence and fairness and credibility back by, I do not want to say a thousand years, but certainly it is taking us back to where we were before Jega came in and sanitised the system. “We are going to have primitive and barbaric electoral culture; ‘kill as much as you can, destroy as much as you can, create as much catastrophe, but if you can find yourself on that seat, you are confirmed, regardless of the means by which you got there’.

“That is a very major setback to democracy and the rule of law,” he stressed,

Comparing the present Justices of the apex court to the past era, he said: “I remember 15, 20 years ago we had a Supreme Court that was the best in the world – better than the one you have in the US.

“That was when you had Justices (Kayode) Eso, (Andrew) Obaseki, (Adolphous) Karibe-Whyte, Bello (Muhammed) and so on. Those people brought a culture to the Supreme Court and most of us thought when they left the culture would remain but it hasn’t.

“New people have come, much younger people, and they have different approach to life because I don’t understand why you would have law, which is in conflict with justice and you prefer to apply that law – technical law, which is in conflict with justice, as we have seen in the case of Akwa Ibom and Rivers and a few other cases.

“So, I think their orientations are different. I think the older ones who are gone believed that justice was number one. In such a case, you ask where does justice lie? They now interpreted the law in line with justice.

“But now what we have is a group of people in the Supreme Court, who do not care where their legal interpretation is leading them. Once you have a divorce between law and justice, the whole legal system will break down and that is what has happened.”

Meanwhile, Prof Sagay has also called for disciplinary actions against Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and other senior lawyers found to be encouraging corrupt politicians and looters of the nation’s treasury.

He said: “There are some senior lawyers who have totally departed from anything that the calling of the law profession requires. They have thrown in their lot with the looters and have become, I won’t call them fellow looters, but definitely, they have started enjoying and sharing in the proceeds of crimes of these looters and because of that they are absolutely now against the anti-corruption law.

“There is need to have these Senior Advocates thoroughly disciplined and if they would not accept discipline, they need to be removed from the profession before they bring more disgrace to the profession and at the same time drag this country down economically.”

February 14, 2016
How anti-corruption war can be won, by CJN Mohammed

•AGF says EFCC recovered over $2t from looters in 12 years

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed said yesterday efforts to curb corruption and related crimes in the country will only succeed with the cooperation and collaboration of all arms and relevant agencies of the federal Government.

Justice Mohammed, while addressing a workshop on “combating financial fraud, cyber and cross-border crimes,” in Abuja yesterday, argued that nation’s desire for prompt disposal of criminal cases could only be achieved where “stakeholders in the justice sector work in tandem towards a common objectives as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”

The CJN spoke few days after President Mohammadu Buhari was quoted to have expressed reservation over the Judiciary’s commitment to his administration’s effort to tame corruption in the country.

Justice Mohammed argued that any effort to end impunity in the country must first consider and prioritize reforms of the nation’s laws, a requirement, he contended, was heightened by “the imperative for conformance with the primary concerns of law and order, national security and public interest.”

He said such reform effort must begin with the establishment of the Administrative of justice Commission as provided for in the Administration of Justice Commission Act, 1991.

In addition, the CJN argued that “the justice sector must be better coordinated and develop synergistic avenues for the exchange of information and best practices. It is time to leave the rhetoric behind and take visible steps forward in this fight against transnational crimes.

“I believe that if we work in harmony and in sincerity of purpose towards concrete outcomes, then, the efforts that we make will doubtless create a butterfly effect of positive change that is so sorely required in the justice sector.

“Achieving success in fighting fraud, cybercrime and other cross-border crimes depends on all stakeholders working together towards developing intelligent initiatives, which will result in tangible and pragmatic solutions to ending and ridding ourselves of these emerging crimes,” Justice Mohammed said.

Minister of Justice and Attorney general of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami ((SAN) said his ministry, as a representative of the Executive arm, was working in liaison with the Judiciary to ensure the success of the government efforts to end impunity in the land.

Malami, who regretted the negative impact of corruption, fraud, cyber and other cross-border crimes on the nation’s growth efforts, noted that “more than $2trillion has been confiscated and recovered’ in the last 12 years by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He assured that the reforms efforts being championed by the Justice Ministry under his watch, is intended to lead to an improved anti-corruption and criminal justice system for the country.

“I am already working closely with the judicial leadership. In the past few weeks, my team and I have held several interactions with the Chief Justice of Nigeria and other judicial leaders. While the discussions are still ongoing on the best way the Federal Ministry of Justice can support the work of the Judiciary, we are hopeful that we will work in a manner that will reduce delay of complex cases, and improve justice delivery for ordinary Nigerians without compromising the rights to fair hearing.

“The essence is to establish a ‘collaborative buy-in’ between the Executive and the Judiciary in consensus building in the fight against corruption and organized crimes,” Malami said.

British High Commissioner in Nigeria Paul Arkwright, who expressed confidence in President Buhari’s commitment to taming corruption and impunity in the country, advocated the need for the government to direct its efforts at strengthening relevant institutions in this regard.

He said argued that if the Buhari’s government was able strengthen relevant institutions, including the Judiciary, fund them adequately and ensure their independence, it would be difficult for succeeding administrations to reverse the achievements recorded by the current administration.

“There are numerous agreements we have also signed with them. So, the President wants to make it difficult for people, even when then steal from Nigeria, there would probably be no hiding place for stolen assets.”

Buhari shouldn’t forgive looters, says cleric

The presiding Bishop of Christ Life Church, Francis Wale Oke has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to forgive any individual caught in his anti-graft war.

The cleric spoke yesterday while hosting journalist to a luncheon and a press conference to herald the 27th anniversary of the church coming up between February 8 to 14, 2016.

According to him, President Buhari was not elected to forgive corrupt individuals, if he does it means he is covering up iniquity.

“This people have stolen our common wealth and they should be judged accordingly. They were entrusted with our common wealth and not to be voted in office to steal our money. Due to corruption, our economy is bad, roads are dilapidated, hospitals are glorified mortuary and workers are been owed salary, and the masses are suffering” he said.

Bishop Oke stressed that looters in the country must pay for their wickedness, adding that government must not condone corruption at all levels.

Commending President Buhari on his anti-graft war, he said all Nigerians needs to change their orientation and shun corruption in order for the country to progress.

The cleric said all the recovered looted funds should be spend judiciously after joint public forum by national assembly members and civil society.

February 3, 2016
‘Extend anti-corruption war to schools’

A trainer, Dr Ayo Ogunsan, has urged the Federal Government to extend its anti-corruption war to all tertiary institutions in the country.

Ogunsan, whose firm, Executive Trainers Limited (ETL), runs local and overseas training programmes for workers of tertiary institutions, said such institutions need strong leaders and institutions to attain global standards.

He said: “The President should extend the corruption net to all higher institutions. Search them out; there should be no sacred cows. We need strong institutions and leaders. Higher institutions should be run like universities, not like an empire. They should be able to run without the presence of the Vice Chancellor or provost. Government should empower the systems in the higher institutions. Institutions are very difficult to manage and immediately the strong leaders leave, the problems would resurface.”

He urged the government to beam its searchlight on cultism at higher institutions to prevent them from growing into a network of cabals after graduation.

“President Buhari is a blessing to Nigeria. He should be strong and put his leg on the ground to change things. Tackle cultism and cabals at higher institutions, because it is these same cultists that grow up to be cabals later. Anybody caught should be immediately dealt with. We are ready and willing to support,” Ogunsan said.

He advised managers of higher institutions to be transparent.

“It is not going to be business as usual. Do what is right because it is more honourable, otherwise, you might tarnish your image for the rest of your life. Be good role models,” he said.

Highlighting plans for the year, Ogunsan said his firm, whose vision is to raise all higher institutions in the country to global standards, has a timetable of training programmes in various parts of the world to expose chief executives, Vice Chancellors, lecturers and other workers to international best practices.

He said the next training, which comes next month at Yale University, United States of America is to “train the trainers; bring to them what they do not know; expose them to the world; make them compliant with modern technologies; provoke them to get out of their comfort zones and learn to train others.”

January 21, 2016
Buhari’s anti-corruption war on course, says Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday said the anti-graft war of the current administration is on course and would not be swept under carpets.

Addressing reporters when the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, paid him a visit at the Freedom Park, Ikoyi, Lagos, Soyinka said he was confident that established cases of corruption would be brought to logical conclusion.

He said government’s determination to give Nigerians a breathier atmosphere was fully manifested in its resolve to tackle correction headlong, noting that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration remains determined on this score.

He added that no corruption case would be foreclosed this time around.

On his optimism, Soyinka said: “The reason is that we have not had corruption being exposed on this scale before.

“We haven’t had a situation where it is being alleged and proved that the money supposed to be spent on defending ourselves, nation and neighbours has been shared among individuals.

“We have never had a case of critical emergency where children are being kidnapped under our noses, we are helpless and our soldiers have been sent to the front to defend our very existence and we are not backing them up. It has not happened before.”

Soyinka further said the fight against corruption is going to be a hard one, noting that it has already started.

He maintained that the administration has advanced the country beyond where it took over from the last administration.

“There is no doubt the country has made progress. We are not where we were before this new administration took over.

“Again, we just have to be very careful and I make this remark again and again. Corruption fights back and the hardest fighters are those already within the cesspit of corruption.

“So, the fight is on two levels; one, directly against corruption and the second is that you are going to prepare for a counter attack. That is where we are at the moment and there is no retreat.”

The Nobel laureate explained that anybody who has anything against him is free to prove it, stressing that it was libellons and act of desperation by some mischief makers to link him with such act.

“I am a great respecter of the law; if you go properly I will answer you.

The minister said government was working round the clock to showcase Nigerian culture across the country, noting that his office has drawn up a compendium on Nigerian festivals.

He said the festival would be packed to drive government’s youth employment and empowerment programme.

“There is going to be a festival of arts and crafts and by the time we finish it, we are going to have at least 365 festivals, which means we will be celebrating one festival per day. This will boost employment drive.

“We are going to work with all the states so that we can ensure its success. The most important aspect of it is actually the job creation.

“I am told of a particular masquerade in the Southeast, it takes over 100 people to dress it up and another 100 to undress it. So when that masquerade goes out, you are employing 200 able bodied men,” he said.

January 10, 2016
APC: PDP can’t dictate Buhari’s anti corruption war

The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday slammed the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for attempting to stampede and blackmail anti-corruption agencies over ongoing investigation of alleged corruption.

It told the PDP and those it called the party’s agents that they “do not have the luxury of dictating how the present administration and anti-corruption agencies carry out their legitimate duty of catching looters of public funds, as long as they conform to the rule of law.”

The APC asked the affected anti corruption agencies “not to be distracted by these syndicated and coordinated attacks and continue to employ all legal and legitimate avenues to bring to book all looters of our common wealth.”

National Secretary of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, said based on three statements on Friday by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, as well as acting National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, “It is clear that the PDP is out of sync and out of step with the generality of Nigerians on the clamour to bring to book all looters of public funds. The days of impunity are over.

“The PDP and treasury thieves must pay for the recklessness and shocking mismanagement of public funds perpetuated under the defunct 16-year PDP rule.

“It is however reassuring that in spite of desperate and shameless attempts by the PDP and its agents to discredit President Buhari’s anti-corruption efforts, the war against corruption is being won.

“The PDP camp in baseless allegations accuses the president of a selective anti-corruption fight while members of the APC ‘with serious corruption allegations go about their businesses’.

“The PDP camp in continuation of its laughable conspiracy theories also speaks of ‘a calculated attempt to decimate and silence the opposition’ through the anti-corruption fight and an attempt to turn the country to a one-party state.

“The position of the APC has not changed. For the umpteenth time, if the PDP has any proof of corruption against any APC member as alleged, we advise that they approach any of the anti-graft agencies constitutionally mandated to handle such cases. The ongoing war against corruption is not selective.

“Anybody guilty of corrupt practices must face the law. The political will and sincerity of purpose of the present administration to tackle corruption from the roots to the upper echelons no matter whose ox is gored is unwavering.

“We advise individuals being investigated on corruption charges to cooperate with investigators instead of declaring innocence on newspaper pages and other media outlets.”

The APC dismissed as an idle talk that does not deserve a response allegation by the PDP Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus that the APC is attempting to foist a one-party system on the country.

January 10, 2016
Akiolu backs Buhari’s anti-corruption war

Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in the war against corruption in order to sanitise the country.

The monarch said steps must be taken to prevent anything that will lead to a break down of law and order.

He spoke during the installation of Alhaji Tajudeen Adio Durosimi-Etti as the Etti of Lagos at his Iga Iduganran palace in Lagos.

With his installation, Chief Etti has joined the league of White Cap Chiefs in Lagos, bringing their number to 25.

Oba Akiolu cautioned the new chief against using his title to undermine the traditional institution.

He enjoined him to be passionate about the progress of the palace and the state.

Responding, Duosimi-Etti assured the Oba of his adherence to the dictates of the traditional institution.

He promised to consult the monarch regularly and also work with his fellow white cap chiefs.

December 22, 2015
Oyegun alleges plot to discredit Buhari’s anti-corruption war

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday spoke of efforts to discredit President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s anti-corruption war through sponsored interviews by those who have looted the nation’s treasury.

Reacting to a publication in a national daily quoting the Head of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, as saying the corruption fight was selective and cosmetic, Oyegun said the report was an indication that corruption was actually fighting back.

Sagay, a professor of law and constitutional lawyer, has denied granting the interview and challenged the reporter and newspaper’s editors to provide the public with a tape recording of the so-called interview.

Oyegun urged Nigerians, “who see merit in the war that the Buhari-led administration is waging against corruption, not to be distracted by this ploy of agents of corruption to discredit the war”.

The APC chairman reminded the citizenry of the President’s May 29 inaugural speech, where he said “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody”, stressing that the position of Buhari remained unchanged.

He added that “the syndicated and sponsored campaign suggesting a “selective” and “cosmetic” anti-corruption fight by the administration should be seen as a ploy meant to distract the citizenry from the successful ongoing war to arrest looters and recover Nigeria’s stolen common wealth.

On allegations of corruption against members of the APC, Oyegun said the burden of proof was on the sponsors.

He said: “Nigerians and the international community are still reeling in shock over the looting and diversion of public funds meant to purchase badly needed arms and ammunition for Nigeria’s Armed Forces to fight insurgents and protect the country’s territorial integrity.

“The President’s assurance that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will be encouraged to publish details of voluntary return of looted funds to the Federal Government’s coffers is evidently causing panic in the camp of looters.

“Whether by planted media reports, interviews or whatever form of syndicated proxy campaign, the looters of our common wealth do not have the luxury of dictating how the present administration carries out its legitimate duty of catching looters, as long as it conforms to the rule of law.

“The looted arms purchase funds could have saved the lives of innocent Nigerians, particularly ill-equipped soldiers who became easy preys to insurgents.

“In this light, the concocted interview is the height of callous insensitivity. Indeed, corruption is fighting back, but the will of Nigerians and the noble efforts of the present administration will prevail.”

December 22, 2015
PDP BoT backs Buhari’s anti-corruption war

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

Secretary of the BoT, Senator Walid Jibrin, in a chat with journalists at the party’s secretariat yesterday, said the party would support any leader who is ready to rid the nation of corruption.

Senator Jibrin spoke in the backdrop of the ongoing corruption and money laundering trial of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and other PDP chieftains.

According to him, the party would support every legal measure put in place to recover funds from those who looted the treasury, adding, however, that the process must respect the rule of law.

“The BoT of the PDP does not condone corruption in any form. Anyone found guilty should be dealt with according to the laws of the land. We are in support of any leader who is ready to rid the country of corruption”, the BoT scribe said.

Senator Jibrin cautioned against what he described as the stigmatization of the PDP as a party of corrupt people and selective prosecution of the anti- graft war.

“It is wrong for anyone to say everybody in the PDP is corrupt. Corrupt people are everywhere in the country. They are in every sector of the national economy and their activities have given Nigeria a negative image in the eyes of the international community.

“So it is the duty of every Nigerian to support the fight against corruption. But due process must be followed, in line with the laws of the land”, Jibrin added.

The party chief disclosed that the BoT members will meet on January 14 where a substantive BoT chairman will emerge.

The position is currently being occupied by Dr. Bello Hailru Mohammed in acting capacity, following the resignation of Chief Tony Anenih in July.

According to him, the three months stipulated by the party’s constitution for any occupant in acting capacity and one month period of grace had since elapsed.

He added that the meeting will also discuss the ongoing corruption trial of some of the party’s chieftains, with the view to taking a common position on the matter.

Senator Jibrin added that other court cases arising from the conduct of the last general elections will also be discussed.

The BoT meeting held yesterday failed to form the needed quorum. Jibrin attributed it to the inability of many of its members to connect flights to Abuja as a result of inclement weather.

He also cited what he described as very crucial party activities going on in states like Ekiti, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers which prevented some BoT members from attending the meeting.

December 19, 2015
‘Anti-corruption war should go beyond rhetorics’

Dr. Bongo Adi, senior lecturer in Development Economics, at the Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, in this interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf holds the view and very strongly too that President Muhammadu Buhari anti-corruption stand notwithstanding, only holistic action plans, not mere rhetorics can help to address endemic corruption in the system. Excerpts:

Considering the fact that the nation is facing biting economic crunch, do you think the strident calls for the repatriation of illicit funds out of the country as something to cheer about?

Of course, it is a very welcome development because if the effort succeeds the repatriated funds can be utilised to provide social infrastructure like good road networks, healthcare delivery, qualitative education among other things for the teeming masses.

But the question really is, how easy would it be to repatriate such funds in the first place if they are traceable? Herein lies the problem.

We can only succeed with these efforts depending on the amount of political goodwill allowed by the respective countries where these funds are warehoused, especially in the US.

But in a place like Switzerland, where there is an oath of secrecy regarding safety of investors’ funds, it might not be an easy task so to speak. Of course, this has a way of dampening morale in this whole effort. So, considering the cumbersomeness efforts to repatriate these stolen funds present, it is not going to be easy at all. But of course, let’s pray this whole thing succeeds.

A lot of people are optimistic that the repatriated funds can indeed provide the much needed funds required to further develop the economy, especially at this time of credit crunch.

Absolutely. But again, the question you ask yourself is, what are the institutional mechanisms that have been put in place to protect the funds in such a way that they can be converted into funds readily available for productive use? That is the problem.

This is because we have observed in the past how similar monies repatriated ended up been stolen again by politicians and their collaborators in the civil service.

It is good move by President Muhammadu Buhari quite alright but the management of the economy does not lie solely in the hands of the president. Anti-corruption war is not an individual’s fight. No matter how willing the president is, we need to know whether his lieutenants share the same sentiments with him. Clearly, there is a distance between good intention and action. Corruption is really deep-seated in our system, so it requires stringent measures not kid gloves to handle.

You mentioned that institutional mechanisms need to be put in place to protect the illicit funds once repatriated. Isn’t that the mandate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the first place?

As you said, the EFCC and the ICPC as well as other law enforcement agencies are there. But their presence has not discouraged anything, especially when it comes to malfeasance in the system. The fact is they have been around all this while but that has not deterred the politicians and their collaborators from fleecing the system.

As l said, it is not just the president that would make things happen. No. As far as l can see, not much has really changed. The problem really is not the crime. It is with the operating environment we have in place. If we have a right system in place, things would work. But in a situation where the system provides the right incentives for criminals to operate, then there is a problem. Our system absolutely rewards bad behaviour and unless we disincentivise corruption, it will never stop.

Corruption happens because people find opportunities. What most criminals do around here is to weigh all the options and once they find the opportunity, they go for it. But if you know you will get caught and face severe consequences, the attraction for crime will no longer be there.

Beyond disincentivising corruption, what other steps can be taken to curb endemic corruption in the system?

As l have said many times, corruption is also encouraged by our constitution. We don’t have a truly federal system in place. In a situation where the whole power is concentrated at the centre, this fuels desperation on the part of politicians who fight to the death to get to power. We just have to restructure the system. If we can devolve power by making politics less attractive, it will help to reduce significantly, the present craze for crass materialism and croynism in the system.

December 13, 2015
Hasty assessors of Buhari’s anti-corruption war

If I were a student, there are two Nigerians I would do anything to avoid if they were lecturers in my school. The first is the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh while the second is Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo. I fear that lecturers like them may not read a student’s script beyond the first few lines before they jump into conclusion and award marks. That much can be deduced from the hasty manner they have produced President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard on his anti-corruption crusade barely 100 days after he received the mantle of leadership.

Since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office and launched an offensive against corruption, many Jonathan supporters have gone to town complaining that the war is being targeted at Jonathan’s supporters and members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At the vanguard of this perpetual alarm is Metuh, who has literally turned complaint about Buhari’s alleged witch hunting of his party men into a mantra. So much so that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, recently expressed concern that the PDP spokesman was beginning to sound like a broken record. “A broken record that repeats itself ceaselessly is of no use than to be thrown away,” he said.

At a press conference he called in Abuja early in the week to react to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s arrest of former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following a petition from some indigenes of the state that the ex-governor misappropriated the sum of N108.1 billion belonging to the state, Metuh said: “The best example of the curious nature of the war against corruption is the fact that former PDP governors and ministers are being hounded and arrested over apparently orchestrated petitions while their APC counterparts, who have more damaging petitions, are being nominated for ministerial positions.” But the one whose comments have attracted the most attention is Chief Adebanjo. In an interview he granted a national newspaper recently, he accused President Buhari of fighting corruption the same way former President Olusegun Obasanjo did.

These, understandably, are frustrating times for the PDP and supporters of the immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Their defeat at the polls on March 28 appears to have been robbed in with systematic dismantling of some of the former president’s unwholesome legacies, particularly the edifice of corruption on which many of his supporters hinged their loyalty. The most that could be deduced from their comments is that they would rather have Buhari nurture corruption like their hero did than fight the monster. Otherwise, there is absolutely no basis for jumping into the conclusion that Buhari is out to use the anti-corruption war as a weapon to hunt the opposition when he is yet to spend 150 days of his four-year tenure.

The sincere question to ask as a patriot is whether those who are being questioned by the anti-graft agencies deserve to be questioned. The scripture says that no sinner will go unpunished. Where is the victimization in the case of Akpabio whose arrest was based on a petition written to the EFCC by his kinsmen, led by a respected lawyer? Where is the victimization in the case of former minister of petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, who was arrested in far away Britain and who the British authorities said they had investigated for three years before making the arrest? You cannot honestly accuse the Buhari administration of witch hunting in the case of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki after the PDP in Kwara State admitted that his arrest and arraignment was based on a petition it filed to the Code of Conduct Bureau about the former Kwara State governor. In any case, Saraki is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) like Buhari. So also is former Adamawa State governor, Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako, who the EFCC has dragged to court over the allegation that he and his son siphoned the sum of N15 billion belonging to the state.

On the basis of his pedigree, any sincere observer of events would give Buhari the possibility of the doubt in his avowed mission to wage war against corruption. Here is a man who has occupied many high profile public offices from which he could have become a billionaire after occupying any one of them for just six months if he were to act like many of our rapacious leaders. Before he became the head of state and ruled for close to two years, he had functioned in such juicy portfolios as Federal Commissioner of Petroleum and Natural Resources, which today is called the minister of petroleum. He was the military governor of North Eastern State. He was also appointed by the late former head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, as the chairman of the multi-billion naira Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), the government agency responsible for the construction of roads and provision of other social amenities with funds derivable from the nation’s oil wealth. But the assets he declared on assuming office as the elected president of Nigeria recently points to the fact that he does not qualify to be called a wealthy Nigerian.

Of all the former military rulers Nigeria ever had, his regime demonstrated the most genuine concern for the restoration of sanity to the Nigerian society. Convinced that whatever problem the nation had was rooted in indiscipline, he launched the famous War Against Indiscipline (WAI) through whose instrumentality Nigerians imbibed the culture of orderliness. The queue culture became a part of our daily life, such that at bus stops, banks, filling stations and elsewhere, the people learnt to queue up without anyone prompting them. It is only unfortunate that the administration was truncated with a coup that ushered in the Babangida junta, during which corruption became the directive principle of governance, with the resultant disorganisation of our social and economic lives.

For the foregoing reasons, I see the election of Buhari on March 28 as a divine intervention to give the nation another chance to right its wrongs. The least Buhari deserves in the circumstance is to be given the chance to implement the programmes he promised to deliver on, the first of which is to bring corruption to its knees. Even if his anti-corruption war is selective like former President Olusegun Obasanjo was wrongly accused of doing, I think it is the better than openly glorify the evil like Jonathan did. If you ask the gods to strike a man dead for doing too little, what would you ask them to do to the one who did nothing?

If every administration that comes on board is able to make its own selection of corrupt people and punish them, many corrupt public office holders will pay the price with time while others would be put on notice that there will be reckoning day at one point or the other.

October 24, 2015