Assistant Politics Editor, DANIEL KANU, appraises the federal government’s interest in the probe of Goodluck Jonathan’s lieutenants, which is being interpreted in some quarters as a bid to get the former president.
At the historic inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Friday, May 29, he did not mince words that he would stop at nothing to bring the change that Nigeria needed.
Buhari said he would lay certain agenda, perhaps some hard, which he will be committed to for the positive transformation of the country.
He was forceful to explain what change meant for him: a country that you can be proud of anytime and anywhere, where corruption is tackled head-on, where the leaders are disciplined and lead with vision and clarity, where the stories that emerge are full of hope and progress.
Also, Buhari, among other promises, vowed that he would guarantee “a Nigeria in which neither you nor your parents, families or friends, will have to fear for your safety or for theirs”.
For his aversion to corruption, Nigerians believe in his promise of a Nigeria “where citizens get the basics that any country should provide: infrastructure that works, healthcare that is affordable, even free; respect for the environment and sustainable development; education that is competitive and outcome-oriented in a knowledge-economy”.
The retired military General, whose regime as head of state was cut short in 1985 by a coup, also promised to leave behind “a country that provides jobs for its young people, reducing unemployment to the lowest of single digits and providing safety nets, so that no one is left behind; a Nigeria where entrepreneurship thrives, enterprise flourishes and the government gets out of your way, so that you can create value, build the economy and aggressively expand wealth”.
In sum, Buhari said he would be committed to building a strong economy, strengthening the nation’s democracy and ensuring that good governance is instituted.
Of course, the task was a tall order akin to making an omelette where eggs must be broken. Prices must be paid, if the status quo must change.
Some observers say that Buhari’s comments during his presidential campaigns and after he won the election have always reflected seriousness, focus and demonstrated the resolve of a man who is determined to really make a difference.
Setting the tone
The earlier public perception of Buhari was that he was slow in hitting the ground running. But he dismissed the claim, insisting that it was too early to pass judgment on his performance in office.
Said Buhari: “It is too hasty to pass judgment on my performance. Nigerians should be patient with me because I know that the country will be safe under my care.”
What followed was the criticism that the appointments so far by the president were skewed towards a Northern agenda, although presidency denied the allegation. The appointment of new security chiefs, to an extent, provided temporary relief from the increasingly widespread opinion that Buhari has not taken off with a bang as expected. This was because, moving close to the end of his second month in office, his core team is not yet in place.
Buhari has even made it public that he was not in a hurry to constitute his team of ministers until September.
The president on Tuesday, July 21, in faraway America reinstated his earlier vow to bring to justice any corrupt Nigerian, no matter how highly-placed, even if the offender is a member of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Buhari swore to investigate and bring to book persons who looted the country’s funds.
“There will be nothing like sparing any sacred cow. There is no sacred cow in the fight against corruption, and even APC members who amassed wealth illegally would not be spared.
“It is not the issue of party members, if you have stolen; no party member can escape justice,” he assured.
Buhari on Wednesday said the federal government was examining pieces of evidence that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of some former ministers and other government officials for looting and stealing of the nation’s crude oil.
At the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, while answering questions at an interactive session with Nigerians in the Diaspora, the president had lamented that some of the affected officials were involved in illegal sale and diversion of crude oil monies belonging to the federal government to multiple private accounts abroad.
“We are now looking for evidences of shipping some of our crude, their destinations and where and which accounts they were paid and in which country.
“When we get as much as we can get as soon as possible, we will approach those countries to freeze those accounts and go to court, prosecute those people and let the accounts be taken to Nigeria.
“The amount of money is mind-boggling, but we have started getting documents. We have started getting documents where some of the senior people in government, former ministers, some of them had as much as five accounts and were moving about one million barrels (of oil) per day on their own.
“We have started getting those documents. Whichever documents we are able to get and subsequently trace the sale of the crude or transfer of money from ministries, departments, Central Bank (of Nigeria), we will ask for the cooperation of those countries to return those monies to federation accounts and we will use those documents to arrest those people and prosecute them. This, I promise Nigerians.”
Buhari’s position on probe
Presidency has made it clear that it would not extend its probe beyond the immediate past administration of Goodluck Jonathan, as going further into others before it would cause so much distraction to his government.
Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Buhari, Femi Adesina, said the president would limit his anti-corruption war to the immediate past administration in the country. He said the president will not waste time in probing the administrations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida.
He said even before Buhari was sworn in to office on May 29, he had categorically stated that he would not extend his corruption probe beyond the Jonathan government.
“If you recall, that was already settled before he got inaugurated as president. He has said he will not waste time digging into the far past,” Adesina said. “The far past will include Obasanjo and others. But the president has said he will not waste time to go that far.”
But before leaving office, Jonathan had said any probe by the new government would be seen as a “witch hunt” if it fails to go beyond his administration.
Wrong signal
So far, all the probes have been centred on members of Jonathan’s government that some Nigerians are beginning to feel that there seems to be more than meets the ordinary eye on the issue, perhaps an agenda targeted at Jonathan.
The first salvo shot by the present government was that Jonathan left an empty treasury.
Then finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, one among Jonathan’s apostles, was quick to debunk it, insisting that Buhari was economical with the fact and on vendetta mission.
From Jonathan’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Gordon Obuah, to the National security Adviser (NSA) of his administration, Sambo Dasuki; and Steve Oronsaye (former head of service), observers say it has been a story of humiliation in their trial process.
Legal practitioner, Funmi Korode, told TheNiche that Buhari ought to caution the security agents, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives, on the abuse of the fundamental rights of those they call for questioning, arguing that “giving what we hear in the media, the way they are treated as confirmed criminals is unacceptable”.
She said that Buhari should be wary, so as not to allow some overzealous security agents tarnish the image of his government.
The impression in many quarters is that what is happening to Jonathan’s disciples appears that Jonathan is the target. And this, political observers say, will spell doom if the president is pursuing a vendetta mission.
PDP kicks
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday cried out loud that Buhari’s government had been treating members of the main opposition party as criminals and prisoners of war.
Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, PDP accused Buhari’s government of engaging in witch-hunt of PDP members under the pretext that it was probing acts of corruption.
The party condemned the federal government’s arrest, intimidation and denial of PDP members who served in the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan administration their fundamental human rights.
PDP is optimistic that despite all the alleged intimidation and victimisation of party members by the Buhari government, it will win the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
It added that the APC administration had been busy victimising public officials in the Jonathan administration rather than provide a policy direction for Nigerians.
“We are being treated as if we are criminals or prisoners of war. We are being treated as if we are refugees. We are not afraid; we have faith in our strength and unity. We have faith in the peace, unity and progress of Nigeria.
“If the ruling party believes that there is anyone who has served in the (Jonathan) government and is guilty of corruption practices, they are free within the law to investigate as long as they go through due process and observe the rule of law.
“PDP is not afraid of the intimidation, harassment and arrest of its members by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, if the arrest is done within the confines of the law.”
The party said it would leave Nigerians to judge the activities of Buhari’s administration in the management of the country’s affairs. It said that Nigerians would soon confirm if the government of the APC has brought any change to their lives.
“Nigerians would soon know whether the change was moving forward or moving backward. Let Nigerians judge. We will not be guided by the misinformation, misdirected attacks, insults and abuses bequeathed by the former opposition party,” PDP submitted.
Nigerians react
John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has advised Buhari to take it easy with his anti-corruption drive, so that his actions are not misjudged.
Speaking recently at a dinner organised for Catholics in politics at the Church of the Assumption, Asokoro, Abuja, the cleric said Buhari needs to carry out his anti-corruption fight in a way that he will not be seen as being bias.
For Onaiyekan, the fight against corruption can only succeed where there is transparency and honesty.
He said: “This challenge obviously lies squarely on those who now have the power to rule our nation. I want to beg them, and I am glad the chairman of the ruling party is here, to resist the temptation to rub in the plaques of defeat on the losers and try to avoid policies of persecution, some even talk of execution, of losers.
“We have to tackle dishonesty and I believe we need to retrieve stolen goods, especially those that are just piling up other people’s money. While we do that, it is my strong feeling that we should try to avoid as much as possible humiliating or disgracing people who may indeed have tried their best to serve the nation.
“How to do this and keep these two elements together requires a lot of sagacity and clear-mindedness. But we should pray for our leaders to be granted the grace.
“We must be clear-minded on this matter and not allow ourselves to be naïve, thinking that it is just enough to make few arrests here and there and the matter is settled. Let us pray that God will guide our nation.”
Also Public commentator and businessman, George Nwokoro, counsels Buhari to tread cautiously in his probe adventure.
Nwokoro said while the probe was a welcome development, it must not be a vindictive exercise or one tailored on political witch-hunt.
He told TheNiche: “My take on the issue is straight and simple. As a Nigerian who is well concerned on the genuine transformation of this country, there is nothing wrong in probing, given that the country is in a very serious economic downturn or depression.
“Actually, a lot of misconduct and impunity has been going on before now, even before President Jonathan. But if the president wants to be sincere with the probe, Nigerians expect him to go beyond his predecessor’s tenure, it must be a universal probe that all those involved in the economic siphoning should be brought to book. But they should be given the opportunity to defend themselves.
“It must not be a vindictive probe, else it will lose relevance and trust of Nigerians. They should not be treated as common criminals because there are many of them that served that are very sincere and honest.
“Let President Buhari not stop at Jonathan’s tenure or he will be misunderstood, even if his action is genuine enough. He should go beyond Jonathan because the decay did not start with Jonathan. All the respect Nigerians have for Buhari and his credibility will come to nought if it is discovered that there is a hidden agenda behind the probe.
“There is nothing wrong in probing, but all efforts must be made to ensure it is transparent and treated with the rule of law in action.”
Nwokoro also has a message for those in government.
“Unless the political class becomes born again and seriously commits to a massive reduction in the cost of governance, any expectation of a boost in infrastructure and social welfare will remain a very dismal prospect,” he said.
According to Mamman Yaro, there is nothing to fear about concerning the probe because Buhari does not have the character to witch-hunt anybody.
“Buhari means well for the country. We know he is a brand. We know he wants to bring back Nigeria to its feet and he means well. Those who mismanaged our economy must give account of their stewardship; it is normal. I don’t think the president will reduce himself to witch-hunting anybody. We should give him a chance,” Yaro said.
