Stories by Vivian Okejeme
Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari was able to garner enough support to win because of an intense focus on fighting corruption, a problem that has constantly plagued successive Nigerian governments. In his inauguration speech, he memorably declared that “In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the re-positioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption.”
Here, he promised to take concrete steps to aid in restoring transparency and accountability to the public offices in nation.
However, after a review of President Muhammadu Buhari’s first hundred days in office, critics declared that not enough had been done to fulfill his promises on fighting corruption. In a seeming response, the president has recently taken steps in his fight against corruption by arresting key people allegedly involved in diversion of funds.
Now that the much anticipated fight against corruption is in full swing Nigerians have been shocked by revelations of how deep the rot goes, with some accusing even the president himself of involvement.
But the current anti-corruption fight has not been universally praised with some Nigerians supporting the general idea but criticizing Buhari’s execution.
Speaking to the BLUEPRINT some political watchers expressed their views on the anti corruption war by president Buhari.
Air retired Air Commodore officer, Air Commodore JT Dania (Rtd) said “This war on corruption by president Buhari is a God sent Effort. A God sent man pursuing a God sent agenda to redeem the country of God from the shackles of the devil. This country has been sleazed by those who should have been in position to rectify the ills in the country but at this God’s present time we have a president who is pursuing vigorously with a very serious program to see if the country can be restored to its past glory.
Check out the mind burgling revelation that we are seeing of how impunity were done. I am totally in support of this war on corruption praying for the federation that one day the nation come back to its past glory. Unfortunately for the last sixteen years PDP has been ruling the country, disbursing resources. The people that have been indicted on corruption charges are not denying they didn’t receive the money but saying were not aware the money they received are marked for arms purchase.
The partisan politicians are the one that will tag the war on corruption by President Buhari a witch hunt. One thing am happy about is that people are not just arrested, they go to EFCC, taken to courts where it’s proven they received funds. EFCC do not just go about arresting people, they do that following the rule of law. With the president that we have and every decipline men supporting the government the recovered money will go a long way in revamping the economy.”
A civil servant with Federal ministry of Agriculture, Abah Burha said: “I whole heartedly support the war on corruption by president Buhari. As you can see in the country some people are suffering why some are smiling packing our money meant to nation building and security. People are dying at the far north while some people are squandering the funds mapped out for arm purchase which to be used by the military for security and war on Boko Haram.
The progamm is not witch hunting in any way because I know Buhari will not spare any one found culpable, there will be no sacred caw PDP or APC. When all the stolen money is recovered, treasury will be filled and the government will be able to pay the promised five thousand naira per unemployed youth the government promised.”
Also bearing his mind, Nze Anayo Durable, a contractor and a business man opioned: “Buhari is doing exactly what I will do because where one belongs to does not matter when one prepared to bend the rule. It’s all about following the rule of law and anyone found culpable must be brought to book. So I don’t think the president is bias. People should stop preempting and counting numbers, if we will be patient enough with the system, more people will be indicted both from APC and the opposition.
It looks like it’s only the people from the PDP because they are the people who held swell for the past sixteen years.”
However, Mohamed Abbas, an NNPC staff is of the opinion that the war on corruption by president Buhari is a witch hunt. “The President war on corruption to me is a witch hunt coming from the Halliburton’s issue. When Buhari came to power and was shouting his corruption mantra, the issue of Halliburton was brought up by America to be reinvestigated if not they will not return back the stolen money in their custody but along the line it was swept under the carpet because of the caliber of people like Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsali mi Abubaka, Olusegun Obasanjo and co are involved in the case. Buhari could not continue the reinvestigation of the case because the people involved are the sacred cows and he cannot bite the finger that feed him.
The Dansuki gate is a very insignificant case of corruption in the country. On the case of recovered money which Buhari is boasting of, how are we sure the money are truly recovered, what are they going to do with the money recovered. Am of the opinion that names and the amount returned should be mentioned, to serve as a deterrent to others who are planning on embezzling government money.” He opined
In the same direction, Oluwale Bukola a Civil servant also said “Thus far, Buhari’s war on corruption seems to involve only the members of the opposition party.
The majority of the corrupt officials that have been arrested are People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members. The names that have been mentioned in relation to the $2 billion arms deal, including Bode George, Peter Odili, Attahiru Bafarawa, and Sambo Dasuki, Raymond Dokpesi, Chief Oliseh Metuh are all prominent members of the PDP.
Does this mean that there are no corrupt APC officials? Earlier this year, Fashola was accused of questionable expenditures. APC Senate President Bukola Saraki who was charged by the Conduct Bureau on 13 counts of corruption. Current Minister of Transport and former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has been accused of diverting money from his state treasury to fund Buhari’s campaign. Saraki’s trial has currently been suspended, and no formal investigations have been opened against the other two APC stalwarts.” He concluded
A business man in Wuse market who deos not want his name in print blasted people with the opinion that the anti graft war is witch hunt or one sided by call them partisan’s politicians.
“How can someone said that the war on corruption is one sided, they are all playing partisan politics. Didn’t The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also arrested a close political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari who was a former military governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Lawal Jafaru Isa . He is a chieftain of the APC and was also arrested by the EFCC for a probe into the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for arms purchase by officials of the immediate-past administration.”
