By Clifford Ndujihe, Deputy Political Editor
ONE of the major reasons Nigerians handed their mandate to President Muhammadu in 2015 is his integrity and perception that he is incorruptible and would fight the war against graft squarely and conclusively.
Indeed, President Buhari prioritized war against corruption and insecurity, and revitalising the economy as his cardinal programmes.
Twenty-nine months after, it is arguable whether or not the president has delivered on the three key programmes, especially in combating graft.
Unresolved allegations of corruption against some elected officers and appointees of President Buhari seem to put question mark on the trajectory of the anti- corruption war.
President Buhari
In his October 1, 2017 Independence speech President Buhari acknowledged the challenge before him.
He said: “We are fully aware that fighting corruption was never going to be a straightforward task. We expected corrupt elements to use any weapon to fight back, mainly judicial obstruction and political diversion. But we are determined to eradicate corruption from our body politic.”
Since that speech, more corrupt scandals have been unearthed in addition to others that have been on the front burner since 2015.
Reinstatement of Maina
The latest is the reinstatement and redeployment into the civil service of Mr. Abdulrasheed Mains, former head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, who had been in hiding after been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for alleged N100 billion pension scam.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Interior Minister, Lt. General Abdulrahaman Dambazzau, retd., and Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Oyo-Ita, have traded words over their roles in Maina’s recall.
President Buhari ordered Maina’s sack but not without the Presidency blaming the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for his recall. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Malam Garba Shehu, described Maina as one of the monsters created by the PDP, adding that some influential officials loyal to the previous government may have been the invisible hands in the scandal that saw Maina’s return.
Kachikwu vs Baru
Earlier this month, the polity was fouled by the messy fight between the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Group Managing Director, GMD, Mr. Maikanti Baru.
Kachikwu’s petition to President Muhamnadu Buhari, accusing Mr. Baru of insubordination, reorganising the corporation, awarding contracts to the tune if 26 billion dollars and making appointments without input from the minister and the NNPC Board, which Kachikwu chairs, brought the simmering feud to public knowledge.
Kachikwu said he resorted to petition writing, after many botched attempts to see President Buhari one-on-one. The Kachikwu-Baru tango elicited controversies over whether or not Buhari approved the NNPC contract while on medical vacation in London with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo taking responsibility.
Apart from Kachikwu and Baru other fights between and among elected and appointed officials of the President Buhari-led Administration include: the Senate versus EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu; the Senate versus the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, PACAC, Professor Itself Sagay, SAN; the Senate versus Customs CG, Col Hamid Ali; Police IG versus Senator Isah Hamman Misau; and the graft petition against the SGF following spats in the presidency.
There are also the allegations of Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and his two wives buying houses worth thousands of dollars in Dubai; of President Buhari Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari collecting N500m bribe from MTN to reduce the company’s fine; and the president’s inaction on the report of the panel on grass cutter scandal involving Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
Other scandals
Maltreatment of IDPs
On July 7, 2015, maltreatment of internally displaced persons, IDPs in the North-East was uncovered. Government officials were accused of diverting food items meant for the IDPs, who appeared under-fed and living in poorly managed facilities.
The Human Rights Watch also claimed that camp officials and security agencies were sexually abusing female IDPs.
Babachir Lawal was implicated by the Senate in the eighth million dollar fraud scandal around reluet funds meant for rebuilding the Northeast. He was accused of receiving, through his firm, controversial contracts from the committee in charge of the relief funds.
Budget padding
On February 12, 2016, the polity was awash with the controversy of padding of the 2017 budget by the National Assembly. The budget had earlier been declared missing in a rigmarole between the executive and legislative arms of the government.
With these scandals, all eyes and ears are open to see and hear what the president would do.
Will the issues remain unresolved? These and more are questions that President Buhari’s prompt intervention will answer.
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