The happenings within the President Muhammadu Buhari administration with corruption stigma dangling over the heads of top and influential members of the administration portray Buhari as not serious about tackling corruption in the country.
There is a lot of confusion in the hierarchy of the administration, that borders on corruption and corrupt tendencies of the officials of the administration and yet, the president has not taken any serious action on the officials.
There is the issue of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, who was accused of awarding millions of naira contracts and Buhari constituted a probe panel under Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that has made recommendations, but the president has refused to act.
Also, there is the issue of the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation awarding contracts worth more than N20 billion. This has set tongues wagging for the fact that it is happening under Buhari’s watch, whose antecedents as incorruptible earned him the position in 2015 through the ballot box.
He enjoyed an overwhelming support of the people of this country. In fact, the lower class of people are the ones that cast and protected their votes in the election of 2015.
There is also another corruption scandal between the Inspector-General of Police and Senator Hamisu Misau, accusing the police chief of cornering billions of naira.
These are all happening under the full glare of President Buhari, on whom a lot of people hinged their belief that he will fight corruption going by his antecedents as an anti-corruption crusader.
There is the latest accusation against Buhari’s wife on how the inspector general gave her two luxury cars out of the fleet of the Nigeria Police.
These are great burden on the president by the people, who placed their hope on him to right the wrongs of the past, especially the way corruption became so endemic in the country.
The recent happenings in the administration are sending a signal that it is not yet hurray for the good of this country in terms of weeding out corruption from the country. Also, the credibility of the administration is really at stake given the fact that members of the kitchen cabinet are encouraging and abetting the corruption.
That was why the wanted man, who chaired the Presidential Task Force on Pension, was able to be back and even reinstated into the federal civil service and even got promoted until the bubble burst by the media, that raised alarm on his come-back.
The President Buhari needs to sit up and do the needful by
sacking all those that have a hand in the saga. It is imperative for the president to swing into action and bring credibility to his administration that is in its second year. The people who surround him are bringing down the credibility of his administration due to their actions and inactions.
These people are the ones giving the administration a bad name. Therefore, President Buhari needs to rejuvenate his government.
Usman Santuraki
No2, Santuraki Close,
Jambutu, Jimeta, Yola
