By Ishaya Ibrahim
The G9, an umbrella body of all self-determination groups in the country, on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately stop the activities of the cabal in Aso Rock.
The group alleged that the cabal had consistently embarrassed the Buhari government. Stopping the cabal’s nefarious activities, therefore, would stop them from “further dragging his (Buhari) administration in the mud.”
The G9’s position was contained in a statement by its convener, Akogun Tola Adeniyi, the Jagun Oodua.
Lamenting what it called the enthronement of dangerous double standards and provocative precedents, G9 cited the cases of “Ali Modu Sheriff’s alleged laundering of N300 billion Borno State funds, ex-Governor Adamu Muazu’s alleged corruption, ex-Governor Isa Yuguda’s alleged money laundering, Senator Kwankwaso’s alleged diversion of N3.08 billion local government funds, Shekarau’s alleged N950 million fraud, the Wamako case, Akpabio’s alleged N108 billion fraud, Orji Kalu’s alleged N3.2 billion fraud, and several other cases that were swept under the carpet once the alleged ‘fraudsters’ joined the ruling APC.”
Recalling “so many other recent alleged frauds perpetrated by big names in the current administration that were left untouched,” the group was at a loss as to why “the same government pretending to be fighting corruption is vilifying people in the opposition parties as well as perceived enemies.”
However, G9 traced the malaise to the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“In regard to provocative precedents, G9 laments that since the unprecedented desecration of the office of the IGP by the government of Obasanjo with the vindictive persecution and humiliation of IGP Tafa Balogun, the office of the IGP has not been accorded the historic respect and reverence from the Nigerian public again.”
The statement read:
“While G9 believes that nobody is above the laws of the land, it also believes in the sanctity and sacredness of institutions. Institutions are the pillars of civilized societies. We are duty bound to protect our institutions and should never sacrifice them on the altars of political expediency and jobbery.
“Under President Buhari, the Cabal fingered as the puppeteer of his administration has notoriously desecrated the hallowed offices of both the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Buhari will go down in history as the first President to put his Senate President in the dock! It is a provocative precedent to destroy the national Assembly by getting it invaded by another arm of Government.
“It is the same scenario at play now with the same Cabal about to destroy the Judiciary with an unprecedented assault on the dignified office of the Chief Justice of the Federation. It is believed that those who appointed Justice Onnoghen would have done due process before his appointment. It is strange and highly suspicious that all Security and Intelligence agencies that okayed him for appointment will suddenly wake up from their slumber and discover with political torch that there were beams that they ought to have seen which they did not see!
“While we are not surprised that all these anomalies are happening given the antecedents of a head of state who once crated a human being to be flown like a cargo, G9 would like to warn that all these uncivilized behaviours will only end up further cheapening the value of Nigerians in international reckoning.”
The group, therefore, called on “President Buhari to immediately stop the Cabal beating the drums to stop further action on Onnoghen, allow for foolproof and transparent due process while, for God’s sake, he should desist claiming ignorance of what is going on in the country he is supposed to lead.”