…It’s targeted at opposition – PDP …Buhari’s efforts under-reported – APC …‘Elite are against him’
President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on the mantra of change and one of his cardinal promises was to fight corruption.
Three and half years into his administration, how far has he fared? BODE OLAGOKE, TOPE SUNDAY and ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU seek answers in this report.
During the 2015 presidential election that ushered him in, the most prominent singsong in President Muhammadu Buhari’s lips was the fight against corruption.
And at every given opportunity, Buhari reaffirmed his avowed commitment to the fight against corruption.
Three and half years after, the anti-graft war is a subject of controversy with divided opinions over its success.
To some Nigerians, the President is making leeway, while others, especially members of the opposition party are of the view that the president and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are using the corruption war to cow dissenting voices against the government’s and party’s programmes, policies and agenda.
Buhari’s anti-corruption commitment The President, while expressing his passion and the determination to fight corruption in the country, described it as the second primary objective of his government, and concluded that Nigerians and the international communities have lauded his efforts in this regard.
Buhari in his May 29, 2018, Democracy Day broadcast to mark his third year in office, said: “Like I have always said, if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will destroy the country.
Three years into this administration, Nigerians and the international community have begun to applaud our policies and determination to fight corruption.
We are more than ever before determined to win this war, however hard the road is.
I therefore appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support us in this fight.” The President also scored himself very high and declared that various policy measures already put in place to stem the tide of corrupt practices are yielding remarkable results, stating: “The Treasury Single Account (TSA) has realised billions of Naira being saved from maintenance fee payable to banks.
N200 billion has also been saved from elimination of ghost workers in public service.
“The Whistle-Blowing Policy has helped to recover over N500 billion.
The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit set up with a mandate to validate controls, assess risks, prune personnel costs, ensure compliance with Public Financial Management reforms has helped to identify and remove over 52,000 ghost workers from the federal government , Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) Payroll; the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) aimed at expanding tax education and awareness has offered the opportunity for tax defaulters to regularise their status in order to enjoy the amnesty of forgiveness on overdue interest, penalties and the assurance of nonprosecution or subject to tax investigations.
“The Sovereign Wealth Fund project portfolio has been expanded with an injection of US$650 million so as to strengthen its investment in local infrastructure, power, health, re-construction of Abuja-Kano road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, East West Road (Section V) and the Mambilla Hydro-electric Power project as well as the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.
“The fight against corruption through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has resulted in recoveries of Billions of Naira, as well as forfeiture of various forms of assets.
This, alongside other efforts, has improved Nigeria’s international image and regional cooperation.’’ High-profile cases In May, this year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that the Commission had secured 603 convictions since President Buhari’s inauguration in 2015.
These convictions are roughly double the rate of convictions secured by the EFCC under the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration.
The EFCC also claimed to have recovered N500 billion, about $1.4 billion of stolen public funds.
Also, in the same month, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), presided by the Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ordered the refund of monies diverted by former Taraba state Governor, Jolly Nyame, after sentencing him to 14 years in prison.
The former governor was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly diverting N1.64 billion in May 2007.
In a 41-count charge of fraud, the commission accused Nyame of spearheading the fraudulent transfer of funds from the Taraba state’s treasury to a company, Saman Global, for the purchase of office equipment and stationery that were never delivered.
A month earlier, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Nwobike, was convicted on 12-counts of “attempting to pervert the cause of justice,” essentially bribing judges; and was sentenced to one month in jail on each count, to run concurrently.
As the judicial tsunami continued, after 11 years of legal tussle, FCT High Court in June also sentenced the former Governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye, to 14 years in prison.
Justice Adebukola Banjoko, the presiding judge, sentenced Dariye, a serving senator, to a two-year and 14-year jail terms to be served concurrently without an option of fine.
In 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged and arraigned him on a 23-count charge bothering on money laundering.
He was accused of diverting N1.126 billion from Plateau state government’s ecological funds Lost cases However, the EFCC under President Buhari also suffered a major setback when the Supreme Court dismissed the three remaining charges of false asset declaration brought against the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.
In a judgement on July 6, the court affirmed the June 2017 decision of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) that the prosecution failed to prove the case against Saraki.
Saraki was arraigned on an initial 16-count charge of false assets declaration by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in September 2016.
He was accused of making anticipatory declaration of assets as well as withholding information regarding his assets while he was governor of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011, as well as when he became a senator in 2011.
The charges were subsequently amended to 18-counts.
Similarly, in what appeared to be another setback to the Buhari’s fight against corruption, the federal government also lost two high corruption cases in 2017.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola, a Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who was arrested in a crackdown by the administration on judges perceived to be corrupt in October 2016, was declared not guilty by the Judge, Jude Okeke.
All 18-count charge of corruption and illegal possession of firearm brought against Ademola, who the federal government alleged received $520,000 as gratification from some law firms between 2013 and 2016, insisting that there were 14 witnesses ready to testify against him, were dismissed.
Okeke, in his ruling, said the prosecution did not adduce enough evidence to warrant the defendants to enter defence and also argued that the prosecution did not establish a prima facie case against the defendants, as well as that no iota of evidence to prove that the defendant was guilty of the charges levelled against them.
The federal government also lost the case against former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in 2016, over N1.97 billion fraud, bothering on the diversion of funds meant for the compensation of owners of property on the Eket Urban Section of the East-west Road in Eket, Akwa Ibom state.
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, in a letter to the Chairman of ICPC, submitted that the case of misappropriation does not exist, and further prosecution cannot be justified.
Consequently, Orubebe was, therefore, discharged and acquitted as the ICPC withdrew the case against him Dissenting voices Records indicate that the Buhari-led administration has won more corruption cases that it has lost, just as a number of prominent Nigerians are still facing corruption charges.
Among them are the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col.
Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who is facing a 47-count charge of criminal abuse of public trust and money laundering before three different courts in Abuja.
Also, the former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, is being tried for corruption, money laundering and receiving N400 million from the former NSA, Colonel Dasuki.
However, the PDP views the anticorruption war as one-sided and an attempt to cow and silent the opposition in the country.
This ruling APC and its sympathisers continue to counter this claim.
For APC, those who had soiled their hands by dipping their hands into government coffers are those being called to account for their stewardship while in government.
War targeted at opposition Expectedly, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr.
Kola Ologbondiyan, has described Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign a total failure.
Ologbondiyan to Blueprint Weekend that: “There are many corrupt cases under the Presidential Villa’s nose, a case of a Minister who forged her NYSC certificate, what corruption is more than that? This administration has practiced the worst form of corruption and nepotism by protecting people who are corrupt, like former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal; Minister of Finance, Mrs.
Kemi Adeosun, who deserted the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and forged the certificate, or is it bringing back the NHIS executive secretary and others.” On the acclaimed successes of the anticorruption war, Ologbondiyan debunked it, arguing that: “This Buhari’s administration has not instituted a case of corruption against any individual since it came on board.
So, when you talk about corruption, PDP fought corruption, PDP arraigned its members, PDP established all the institutions that are now being used for the fight against corruption, PDP reviewed our laws and the judiciary system.
“So, what has this government done? President Buhari is not fighting corruption, but his is fighting perceived opponents, as well as perceived enemies or have they explained how they raised their campaign fund in 2014? They should look inward, if the government wants to fight corruption in all honesty, then it should start from the party, the APC and the Presidency.’’ President’s efforts, under-reported Pointedly, the acting National Publicity Secretary of APC, Yekini Nabena, told Blueprint Weekend that the opposition PDP thought the current administration would use the EFCC the way the commission was misused under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government to fight political enemies.
“We can’t behave like the PDP.
We all know what the PDP did with the EFCC when they were in power; how the then President Obasanjo used the EFCC to chase almost everybody, but our party will not involve itself with the activities of the EFCC.
“How can someone say the fight against corruption by the APC government is onesided when a serving APC Senator is currently in jail.
People should know how this thing works.
There must be a petition against anyone first to the EFCC and if there are petitions against both the members of APC and other opposition parties, then, the EFCC will act on these petitions, while court will determine whether such persons have case to answer or not.
“The reason it seems most of the PDP members are having issues with EFCC is that most of them have been in power for 16 years before we APC took over.
So, if I have not held any public office before or had anything to do with public money, I won’t be called to answer anything.” On the success of the war against corruption so far, the APC spokesman said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has done a lot which are under reported.” Speaking further, he said: “You see, the problem is that we need to do more to showcase the serious work and the achievements of the President Buhari-led APC administration.
We need to embark on a lot of publicity for the people to see what the President has been doing.
People always think that it is only in the area of anti-corruption that the President is working.
No.
“If you look back some years when the PDP was in power, most of the contractors we had were portfolio contractors.
Now, look at the agricultural sector, these are things that can speak for themselves, the major problem is that people are expecting the flow of easy money like it used to happen during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, but this time around, you must work for every kobo you get, no more free money anywhere.” Elite against Buhari Also, a member of the APC in Kogi state, Hon.
Momoh Yusuf Obaro, scored the anti-corruption of the president very high, saying that the Nigerian elite are against him because he had made their to account for their misdeeds while in government.
Obaro, who is also senatorial aspirant for Kogi Central, said: “The fight against corruption is a huge success is that this government has been to demonstrate and expose the extent at which corruption has ingrained in our system.
Before now, people did not know that some people would just take away about $ 2.3 billion, and I am sure that Nigerians are shocked, and many of us are not yet recovered from the shock of many revelations about corruption activities that have taken place in this country.
“So, this exposition of the extent to which corruption has entrenched in our system is a success.
Of course, the elite that the president has ruffled their feathers are really crying.
Imagine, people who had a lot of money before, but had been made to make some refunds, would make some noise.” Govt has tried On his part, President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Comrade Sukubo S.
Sukubo, said despite the challenges, Buhari’s administration has fared well in its fight against corruption.
Sukubo told Blueprint Weekend that: “It depends on which angle you want to assess the President Muhammad Buhari’s campaign against corrupt practices.
One is the recovery of looted treasury, then the fear of corruption and the conviction of the corrupt persons.” “In all fairness, there is no government in Nigeria that has been able to recover huge sum of money and even property like this government.
What this government has recovered is indeed a good step in the right direction.
While on the under hand, unlike in the past, there is fear among all politicians and even public servants, they are careful not to get involved in corrupt practices, that is another success on its own.
“However, on the aspect of securing conviction, this government has not done well.
We can’t solely blame this on the executive but on the judiciary.
We all know how our judiciary functions, so there is an urgent need for that arm of government to also step up its game in order to complement the executive efforts in the fight against corruption.” Bello commends president Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, declared the support of the people of the state for the the president’s fight against corruption.
The governor in statement in Lokoja on Friday urged the media to support the present administration under the leadership of President Buhari.
He commended the President for his “unwavering fight against corruption,” stating that his administration had keyed into the vision of the president for Nigeria as a nation renowned for “incorruptibility and development.” He said: “A set of leaders held the nation down for many decades; destroyed our public schools, public transport system, and public healthcare system and almost endangered our generation with wanton corruption.
“The leadership of President Buhari has restored our pride as a nation.
He has made a bold statement to the international community, that we are not all about corruption and that we have leaders who can live above corruption.
“President Buhari is not just a pride to our nation, but to the entire African continent.
With him at the helm of affairs in Nigeria, the world is beginning to regain their trust in our dear nation.” Bello thanked the President for remaining undaunted by the “sustained resistance of corrupt people against his administration,” adding that the corrupt people are beginning to “settle in the same bucket to fight Africa’s most incorruptible President.”
