•Military generals’ connection
Mum is the word in the Villa on the Halliburton bribery.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who rode to power on the crest of anti-corruption, has ignored the popular call to revisit the scam and unmask the mysterious persons involved.
Enquiries to Aso Rock were brushed aside. Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, said in a text message, “Check this with the anti-corruption agencies,” when TheNiche requested his response.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also dodged the subject. Its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, directed TheNiche to send its question in a text. We did, but he never replied.
The untouchables
Sources said Buhari is foot dragging because the bribery allegedly involved a network of many Army generals, some of whom were heads of state.
These powerful men were said to be behind the recent visit to him by the National Peace Committee, which sought to dissuade him from launching full scale probe.
Bishop Mathew Kukah, who spoke on behalf of the group, said: “In our conversation with Buhari and members of the parties, I don’t think any Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against the president’s commitment to ensuring that we turn a new leaf.
“I think what we are concerned about is process; it is no longer a military regime and under our existing laws everybody is innocent until proven guilty.”
A source countered that “these generals are using Mathew Kukah, without even the man of God realising.
“They know that going the whole hog in probing corruption in Nigeria will be inimical to their interest. The same people involved in Halliburton case are the ones that have bought over the PHCN (Power Holding Company of Nigeria).”
Halliburton
Halliburton is an American multinational corporation, and one of the world’s largest oil field services companies with operations in more than 80 countries. It has an enormous leverage, even by United States standards.
In the run up to the Iraqi war, it was awarded a $7 billion contract for which ‘unusually’ only Halliburton was allowed to bid, a move allegedly facilitated by Dick Cheney, U.S. Vice President at the time.
Cheney retired from the company as Chief Executive Officer during the 2000 presidential election campaign with a severance package worth $36 million.
Halliburton allegedly compromised top officials of the Nigerian government, including former heads of state, when Nigeria launched plans to build the Bonny Island Natural Liquefied Gas Project (BINLGP) in the 1990s.
It allegedly wired $182 million in bribes to Nigerian officials in exchange for $6 billion in engineering and construction work.
A 2010 unofficial government documents allegedly included three former Nigerian presidents, a vice president, a minister, intelligence chiefs and corporate heavyweights on a list of bribery beneficiaries allegedly given by Jeffrey Tesler.
Tesler, a British lawyer, has since pleaded guilty in a London court for serving a middle man between Halliburton and Nigerian officials.
The U.S. government is believed to be interested in Buhari revisiting the Halliburton saga.
Recently, the Cable Network News (CNN) claimed it was investigating the bribery as it concerns Nigerian leaders.
A knock on Buhari’s one-sided probe
Buhari has resolved to probe, but he limited it to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a way of yanking off any loot that took place before 2010, including the Halliburton saga.
Many Nigerians, including Jonathan, think Buhari should extend his probe beyond the last dispensation.
United Democratic Party (UDP) presidential candidate in the last election, Godson Okoye, said the talk of probe and corruption was propaganda by the Buhari government to mask poor preparation for running the county.
“Halliburton is not the only scandal. There are many scandals. If you want to probe, take at least 10 years. That is fair enough by any standard. They are using it as propaganda to cover up the fact that he is not prepared for the job,” he said.
Labour Party National Chairman, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, insisted that “Buhari should find out everything about Halliburton, he should let Nigerians know.”
Public affairs analyst, Ogubundu Nwadike, said Buhari is not bothered about probing the Halliburton scandal because Jonathan is the target.
“I feel the fight against corruption be holistic to start the country on a fresh slate.
“If the war cannot be rewound to include the period from 1960 to 1999, I don’t see any reason why the fight cannot cover from 1999 to 2015.
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has so many pending questions to answer in regard to executive corruption,” Nwadike stressed.
When you become president, probe Halliburton, says APC
The APC argued that those asking for the Halliburton probe are opponents of Buhari’s anti-corruption fight.
“It is the exclusive prerogative of the president to determine the extent of the probe he wants to undertake,” said Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary.
“All those who want him to extend the probe to Halliburton or other regimes are enemies of the fight against corruption. They simply want to truncate the president’s fight against corruption.
“Buhari will not allow anyone to set his agenda for him. If anyone is passionate about probing the Halliburton scandal, the person should also get the mandate of Nigerians to becime president through the ballot box.
“He or she will then be at liberty to probe the Halliburton scandal or any other scandal of his or her choice.
“The Halliburton scandal did not take place under the watch of Buhari’s immediate predecessor in office. If those past presidents or heads of state who had the opportunity to do so, didn’t do so, why must you compel Buhari to do it?”