When he assumed office,on May 29,2015 ,expectations were high from all corners. It was so because the generality of the people who voted him into power after three failed attempts over a twelve year period (three electoral calendar period),belief in his intergrity couched in his no nonsense attitude to Corruption.
They quickly refered to the no nonsense posture of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime which he headed.
They never knew,as events of late has proved,it was Idiagbon that was pulling the strings.
Buhari arrives in Niger, travels to UK with President
Indeed,yours truly is one of those who spoke to high heavens with optimism that days of corrupt practices were over. Indeed,with the revelation of grand corruption and abuse of office during his predecessor,President Jonathan’s tenure,I was optimistic that Buhari has brought a real change.
However, barely one year down the line and exposure of his neposistic style to appoint only those he knew – those who ironically couldn’t ensure his victory to power,it is quite apparent that Buhari was out to prove optimists wrong.
I soon realised like many others too, that inability to form a cabinet until after six months was actually deliberate and preparatory to imposing incompetent men and women whose language Buhari alone understand into office.
While the corruption saga involving Babachir Lawal,the first secretary to the federal government under his regime blew into the open in what has become known as ‘grasscutters saga’ many began to question,Buharis credentials afterall.
They could not relate to his handling of the humongous affair running into Five hundred and fifty four million,N554m under his nose.
How could a citizen spent a whooping sum like N554m to cut grass for the Presidential Initiative for North East project, PINE, they queried?
Lawal merely stole from his people!
Two years down the line,Lawal was relieved of his job when news of the scandal became a source of embarrassment to Buharis government.
But we never knew we aren’t hear anything yet!
To nail Lawal,EFCC called eleven prosecution witnesses.
Five years after that episode,Lawal was one off the characters campaigning for a presidential aspirant in the ruling All Progressives Congress,APC.
But by the time the act of Budget padding reach a scandalous stage in the Ministries and Department in early 2016 when the administrations first budget was presented in the National Assembly, the eyes of doubting Thomasse’s of an effortless anti corruption War began to open.
That incident proved to be the fundamental plank of the beginning of grand corruption to last eight years.
Indeed,the pilfering acts of super Petroleum minister,Deziani Madueke, under President Goodluck Jonathan regime almost became a tiny dot .
Today, Deziani along with his thieving crooks like Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore in the oil sector,has several cases running into billions of dollars still hanging on their neck in various courts both local and international for their role in pilfering nations oil resources and underhand deals.
The thievery in Babangidas government almost became a child’s to Jonathan.
Indeed, former President Ibrahim Babangidas whose regime of kleptomaniacy was also known for its institutionalisation of corruption as ‘state policy’, described his regime as ‘saintly’ compared to Jonathans.
But with the series of revelations now coming to the public about stealing under the watch of Buhari, what would he say ?
By the time Buharis regime was half way in 2017, I told a colleague that with the rate at which corruption is eaten deep under Buharis watch, by the time he leaves power in 2023, he too would be shocked about revelations of corrupt practices of men who served under him.
True to forecast,last week,barely one week after he left power,Buhari, obviously responding to his discoveries of mind boggling graft in his government said,none of his ministers or and appointees should refer to him when they are questioned.
He had earlier declared his intention to stay far away from Abuja,the seat of power.
Said he,”I’ll relocate to Niger if they trouble me in Nigeria”.
As if reacting to the fate that befell Godwin Emefiele,his Central Bank Governor,who has been under DSD detention since last week, eloped to Niger from Daura mid -week and from there he accompanied his adopted countries President to London.
Last year, the former accountant General of the Federation,Ahmed Idris who replaced Ogunniyi Otunla – the later having been sacked over alleged misappropriation of N2.5billion security agency funds, also by available records surpassed his predecessor in stealing.
Idris,at a time thousands of lecturers and millions of students all over the country are idling away at home as a result of ASUU strike over poor condition of service, helped himself with N103 billion naira of funds meant for Education ministry.
By the time the dust is settled, Idris has through the EFCC forfeited 15 houses and other properties in choice locations in Kano and Abuja and coughed out N30 billion to federal covers.
Today, Idris is on bail while he may escape with ‘a slap on the wrist judgement’ considering the state of our judiciary and legal process.
Mifed by the likelihood of the recovered looted funds from being relooted,EFCC under Abdulrasheed Bawa, once advocated the opening of an account where recovered loots could be saved to attract interest.
“Let us open an account where monies realised from the management of the assets and properties of the person’s indicted shall be paid”he declared gleefully.
But then,not surprising though ,Bawa,who was confirmed as EFCC chair under curious circumstances on February 24,2021, himself fell under the Banana peel of corruption as has joined Emefiele in DSS detention facility over several infractions bordering on graft,abuse of office and conduct unexpected of an officer of his brief and calling.
A case of pot calling the kettle black.
Again,barely a week ago,the mark and stench of stealing deepened by Idris in the OAGF department was discovered to have remained ingrained on staff left behind as an Assistant Director and some other staff were discovered to have continued the attitude of padding salaries.
This they’ve been doing in collaboration with the office of Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee,RMAFC.
The new sum of N30.6bn fraud involved workers across ministries and parastatals who connived to pad-up salaries of unspecified number of low level staff was recently uncovered.
In one instance,a level 7 officer on salary of N60,000 per month had his salary padded up to over N400,000 which is equivalent of a Directors salary.
Hence,it is clear budget and salary padding in our ministries is bottom up and a malignant tumour.
If Idris and the OAGF staff pilfering is humongous,then the on -going revelations on the sordid activities of suspended CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele is heart breaking and mind boggling.
The series of corruption charges ranging from alleged terrorism sponsorship, enrichment of legislators with granting of licences to operate Burreau De Change ,BDC, where $3million dollars were given out monthly to 130 legislators at the rate of N445 naira, and who later engage in round tripping to the detriment of our economy thereby pushing the naira further down.
If it is also true as being alleged that the owner of Dangotte Industries,Alhaji Aliko Dangotte is involved, in unapproved granting of Forex, then hope is dimmed that capitalist monopoly of Nigeria has extended to corruption of the private sector and the business elite.
The economic sabotage is limitless.
Also limitless,is Emefieles I’ll thought currency redesign scheme which caused ceaseless pains,sorrow and anguish to Nigerians while it lasted.
Though allegedly targetted at preventing then Presidential candidate,Bola Ahmed Tinubu from winning the presidential election,Emefieles ‘Janus faced’ policy further impoverished Nigerians and drove the economy down the slope.
If it is also true that former President Buhari did gave instructions to Emefiele to disburse N500million to Minister for Humanitarian Affairs,Sadiya Umar Farouk, monthly for disbursement to the ‘poor’ ,then the level of impunity under the regime will indeed make Babangidas ‘settlement’ word for institutionalising corruption a far cry to Buharis hypocritical rhetoric of anti- corruption crusade.
As Emefiele is cooling his heels under Department of Security Services,DSS, detention, Hadi Sirika, erstwhile Aviation minister is also under fire to explain how the sum of N30 billion released for botched Nigeria Air project was spent.
The actual budget of the processes for floating the indigenous airline was said to be in the neighbourhood of N80 billion but then ,officials claimed the amount released could only procure a borrowed Ethiopian aircraft draped with Nigerian colours!
The plane disappeared as soon as it landed few days to the end of Buhari regime.
It is clear to all that the display of the aircraft is ostensibly arranged to be part of Buharis achievement in giving Nigeria another national career after former President Olusegun Obasanjo,sold the defunct Nigeria Airways with glee during his tenure.
From all indications,by the time Emefiele is arraigned in court to face charges against him, most of the Ministers who dine on same table with Buhari would have one story or the other to tell that the pretense of fighting corruption, the mantra of which brought Buhari to power, is riddled with hypocrisy amid plundering of the nations wealth .
The Nation waits to see how far the Tinubus government will go in cleaning the Augean stable.
