The National Peace Committee for the 2015 general elections
led by former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), have
made substantial failed attempts to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to
soft-pedal on his campaign against corruption in Nigeria to the delight of the
generality of the masses. The masses have for long watched the national
resources being selfishly shared by public office holders from Television
screens powered by expensive fuel which adds salt to their fresh injuries.
Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the People's Democratic
Party, PDP in the person of Olisa Metuh has described the anti-graft war as a
new technique of victimisation of members of the opposition parties. He termed
Buhari's attempt to recover looted funds as some sort of 'political lynching'.
Charity begins at home they say, so if there is going to be a
sincere and impartial 'change', President Muhammadu Buhari should clear the
bush path from his own house as widely advocated.
Below are some eminent Nigerians that have an antidote to the
sickness called 'Buharism' which has relegated the former Petroleum Minister,
Diezani Alison-Madukwe to the hospital bed, and also given health worries to
the former First Lady, Patience Dame Jonathan with other top players from the
Jonathan-led administration:
(1) Chief Olusegun Obasanjo:
Obasanjo will always be remembered for the prominent role he
played both locally and internationally in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari
during the general election campaign which makes the former hold him in high
esteem. Buhari will be forced to look over the former president's monumental
record of corruption in the areas of the Halliburton bribery scandal, national
identity card project, power project, Transcorp scam.
(2) Former Governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi:
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and
President Muhammadu Buhari have received petitions from an Integrity group in
Rivers state as well as the Rivers state chapter of the People's Democratic
Party on the alleged corrupt practices of Rotimi Amaechi while in power. They
include the transfer of a sum of $105m from the sale of the Power Assets
proceed account with the Access Bank, unlawful payment and the conversion of
N4.6 billion by Clinoriv Specialist Hospital and Leisure Limited, enrichment of
Messrs Collect Nig Limited used as a conduit pipe to the tune of N1.5 billion
to defraud the state government.
Strong rumours have it that Amaechi heavily funded the
presidential campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari with the loots which makes
him qualified for a presidential appointment rather than a probe.
(3) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu:
Lagos state has been termed as Tinubu's 'private business'
and this is accounts for his 16-year political dominance over the state. Tinubu
was one of the most instrumental backers of Buhari's presidential bid and this
same supporter made the following assets out of government: Oriental hotel,
Falomo shopping Complex, First Nation Airline, Lekki Concession Company, The
Nation Newspaper, TV continental, Radio Continental, Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja
shopping mall amongst others.
(4) Senate President Bukola Saraki:
Saraki, the former governor of Kwara state who was accused of
assuming the post of the Senate Presidency of the 8th Assembly through a
'democratic coup' helped Buhari to secure the votes of electorates in Kwara
state and largely in the South-West region of Nigeria. Saraki's political
records are also tainted with acute corruption. He reportedly owns several
properties in Nigeria worth millions of naira including a N700 million house in
Victoria Island, Lagos that fetches him N96 million rent annually, he allegedly
defrauded Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, between the year 1999-2003, he
acquired 15 luxurious including a Ferrari, mansion worth four million, two
hundred and fifty thousand pounds in London, while his Wife, Toyin Saraki bought
a house worth 10 million pounds in London far back as 2001 e.t.c. She is also
on the EFCC watchlist for offences linked with her husband.
(5) Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola:
Aregbesola has plunged Osun state into abject poverty as the
civil servants haven't been paid for a period of 8-months. Imagine the plight
of breadwinners with large families. Aregbesola also delivered his state to
Buhari during the presidential elections. The National Publicity Secretary of
the Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere in the person of Yinka
Odumakin has submitted documents of corruption allegations against Aregbesola
to the EFCC but will anything come out of it?
(6) Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar:
Atiku was one of the financiers of the All Progressives
Congress, APC at the budding stage of the party due to his shortlived
presidential ambition. Atiku's long history of corruption started from his days
with the Nigerian Customs Service, he is allegedly worth $2 billion with most
of his money hidden away in the Cayman Island, Switzerland, the United Arab
Emirates. Atiku is placed on the United States government list of Specially
Designated Nationals (the OFAC SDN), a list made up of corrupt politicians,
terrorist financiers, mafia lords and miscreants across the world.
(7)Former military Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar
(Rtd):
Abdusalami is the leader of the Peace Committee of the 2015
general elections which is being termed as the 'Corruption Amnesty Committee'.
Abdusalami has been described as a man with a close affinity to Buhari but his
hands are not clean too. He has been linked heavily to the $182 Halliburton
bribery scandal. This is contained in the new records obtained by the
Paris-based Le Monde newspaper and the International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
(8) Governor of Imo state, Rochas Ewele Okorocha:
Okorocha was Buhari's face in the Eastern part of Nigeria
during the campaign period of the presidential election. This accounts for the
regular visits of Buhari to Imo state and even after Buhari lost to his
counterpart, former president, Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP in Imo state.
Okorocha has been accused of the sale of all the General hospitals in Imo state
to his friends from the Northern part of Nigeria, illegal deductions of
salaries of civil servants for government identity cards, appropriation of
state funds without recourse to budgetary provision, misappropriation of funds
meant for local government councils and the Imo State Oil Producing Area
Development Commission (ISOPADEC) and many other graft allegations.
*Sitting under the Mango tree at the village square with a
long chewing stick in his mouth*
Hmmm..... President Muhammadu
Buhari's anti-graft storm would forever be tagged 'partial and insincere' as
long as it doesn't sweep the above people away or better still prove them
innocent through a concrete investigation.
I am the Village Town Crier!
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