It is uncommon to find the name of President Muhammadu Buhari without the mention of his fight against corruption in Nigeria. Since the President assumed office on May 29, 2015, his name seems to have been synonymous with anti-graft war.
This did not surprise many people as President Buhari, apart from his promise to bring ‘Change’, had in his inaugural speech, identified national security, economy and fight against corruption as his cardinal points. However, the President has often been accused of putting too much energy into the fight to the detriment of other aspects of governance, which are equally important.
“Governance is beyond just fighting corruption,” Esan told our correspondent.For instance, by Sunday, May 29, 2016, Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, would have spent one year in office, but a lawyer and political analyst, Mr. Tunde Esan, has not been impressed with how the President has handled the other aspects of governance.
“The whole of governance cannot be reduced to fighting corruption and that is why we have the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It is a body that was set up specifically to fight financial crimes. If that body is there, along with other anti-graft agencies and the police, you cannot say that all you are doing is fighting corruption while leaving governance to slide.
“In Ekiti State, the governor has told his people to defend themselves from Fulani herdsmen because he could not trust the Federal Government and the police to protect them. All that we hear is corruption and corruption. Rice is now sold for N18, 000 per bag while four tomatoes go for N500, but all we hear is that the government is fighting corruption. If he keeps talking about corruption and people are dying every day from hunger, what kind of governance is that?”
Nevertheless, one noticeable difference since Buhari came to power has been how the country’s anti-graft agencies, especially the EFCC, appear to have suddenly and miraculously woken up from a deep slumber.
It seems to have found a renewed energy to fight corruption, even though, some analysts say many of its fights are being fought on the pages of the newspapers. Arguably, the agency’s most celebrated case so far has been #Dasukigate- the allegation that the Office of the National Security Adviser, formerly occupied by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), was used to disburse $2.1bn meant for the acquisition of arms to fight the deadly Boko Haram sect.
So far, they are all allegations and yet to be proven in court, but the web has already spread widely, allegedly touching many chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party and other influential Nigerians, including players in the media industry.
Some of the names that have allegedly been touched by the ugly web of corruption include the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh; former Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; former Military Governor of Kaduna State, Jafaru Lawal Isa; former South-West National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George; and Chairman of DAAR Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
But assessing Buhari’s anti-graft war in the last one year, Esan said the President needs a few lessons on the meaning of allegations before the law.
Esan said it was wrong that the President and the anti-graft agencies have been treating persons alleged to have looted public funds or unjustly benefited from them as criminals.
He said, “Somebody needs to tell Mr. President that when you say someone is corrupt, it is just an allegation. You need to go to the court of law and prove it. He who has alleged must prove. One of the things this administration has done is to demonise the judiciary and say it is the judiciary that is preventing it from fighting corruption.
“But the truth is that an allegation, no matter how heinous, remains an allegation. You are the one making an allegation. It is your responsibility to prove that allegation. Look at what is happening to Femi Fani Kayode, who is still being kept in EFCC custody; the way I understand dealing with crime is that if you are going to arrest a man for committing a crime, you must have done your investigation and homework. It is not for you to arrest him and then get funny orders to remand him in custody until you are able to conclude your investigations.”
Another lawyer and public analyst, Mr. Liborous Oshoma, said he would score the President low generally and 25 per cent in his fight against corruption.
Oshoma said the war against corruption could not be fought effectively and won without nationalising it by reforming the police and having a clear framework.
“So, I would score him 25 per cent because we hear much noise from the EFCC than what it should actually be,” he said, adding that the fight had been biased thus far.
“You cannot fight corruption without nationalising the fight against corruption. The Nigerian police are the statutory body empowered to fight crimes and all of these things, but what is their role so far in this fight against corruption? The answer is that there is no role. It appears it is a fight for the EFCC and its lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), alone. You don’t fight corruption like that.
“What we have now is that the President is the one fighting corruption; it is not a systemic thing. What we will have at the end of the day is to get back to square one. We are talking about corruption and not looking at the electoral practices.
“Elections in this country are only for money bags and when you spend N2bn to get to the House of Representatives, are you going there for a tea party? Is it a charity organisation?”
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