By Paul Onomuakpokpo
It is only
those who have been inordinately enamoured of the Buhari presidency who are now
shocked at the bleak fate that has befallen its anti-corruption campaign. But
for critical observers who have been contemptuously branded as the stabilising
forces for the regeneration of an era reeking with corruption, the campaign was
bound to suffer a calamitous end. It was expected, like most of the policies
that have been associated with the Buhari government, to be afflicted with the
reverse Midas touch. Indeed, the crash of the anti-corruption campaign that has
been so much-hyped as the lynchpin of the Buhari government’s quest for the
development of the country is symptomatic of the failure in every other
provenance of governance in this current administration.
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| *Buhari |
Clearly,
the policies of the government are sullied by a certain antithesis to the
improvement of the wellbeing of the citizens because they have been underpinned
by unrelieved provincialism that has made them turn out badly. In the case of
the anti-corruption, it was bound to fail because the presidency did not pursue
it in a way that would have ensured its success. There was no way it would have
succeeded when it was not targeted at all corrupt persons who have benefited
from the national treasury at the expense of the common good. It was rather
targeted at perceived or real enemies of the president, his cronies and
political party. This is why politicians who are patently corrupt keep on
decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek protection from
prosecution. And this is why those who consider their political careers
endangered by decamping from their parties keep on taking full pages of
advertisement pledging their support for Buhari and his anti-corruption
campaign. If they knew that whether they decamped or pledged support for the
anti-corruption campaign they would be prosecuted, they would not bother
themselves with all this.
Because it
was not to serve the interest of the country, Buhari did not bother to
prosecute the campaign in line with the constitution of the country. The
campaign that should have been for the whole country became defined by an us
versus them mentality. It was thus inevitable that Ibrahim Magu who knew that
he had breached fidelity to constitutionality in a bid to please the president
would end up resorting to the same illegality to enrich himself at the expense
of a genuine and selfless anti-corruption fight. With the approval of Buhari,
Magu prosecuted an anti-corruption campaign that brooked no obedience to the rule
of law. Court judgments were remorselessly disregarded. In this atmosphere of
illegality, a former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki is being held
in detention despite judgments from the nation’s courts and even the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice.
So, the fall of Magu is a sad reminder of the corruption scandals dogging some
of the prime actors of the Buhari government and the double life that has
smudged it. It is double life when the Buhari presidency claims to be fighting
corruption and yet tolerates its officials who have been accused of corruption.
Before the news broke about the scandalous patronage of Magu by those he was
supposed to prosecute for corruption, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
Babachir Lawal was accused of diverting money meant for the welfare of
displaced victims of Boko Haram insurgency. The chief of staff, Abba Kyari, was
embroiled in N500 million bribery allegation involving MTN. The chief of army
staff, Tukur Buratai was accused of acquiring property abroad with funds from
questionable sources. Now, it is only the rejection of Magu by the Senate that
has prompted our corruption-loathing president to decide to investigate the
charges of corruption against some of his officials. And this is coming after
the president’s triumphant declaration that none of his aides was corrupt. It
is part of the double life when the president tells the citizens to sacrifice
in the midst of a recession but he enjoys the luxury of a robust presidential
fleet that was only slightly reduced when he could no longer ignore the
citizens’outrage. It is double life when Buhari says he is cutting his salary
but he has not given up his security vote for the improvement of the wellbeing
of the citizens. Forget the reduction of salaries and allowances. After all,
our political leaders do not become billionaires at the end of their so-called
service because of their legitimate salaries and allowances.
To be sure, there is no altruism in the action of the Senate that has rejected
the confirmation of Magu as the EFCC boss. Indeed, since most of the lawmakers
are corrupt, their hostility to a Magu should be expected. Some of the nation’s
lawmakers are former governors who after wrecking their states financially came
to the National Assembly as a sanctuary against prosecution for their
corruption. Some of the lawmakers are already being prosecuted. However, the
lack of sincerity and patriotism on the part of the lawmakers should not make
us, like Ali Ndume, to seek the confirmation of Magu, or like that professor
who has become an uncritical defender of Buhari and his misbegotten policies,
to declare that Magu must remain the EFCC boss whether the Senate approves this
or not.
Buhari must
see the silver lining in the Magu saga. But of course, this is only possible if
he is really sincere with the campaign against corruption. The fact that the
anti-corruption campaign under Magu has been discredited is an opportunity for
Buhari to overhaul it. In this regard, he must not re-nominate Magu to the
Senate. Thankfully, the president appears to be embarrassed by the revelations
about Magu and this was why he reportedly blocked access to him.
Drawing
from the sad experience with Magu, the president must be diligent in recruiting
a new EFCC boss who is a person with an unimpeachable character. This person
must be allowed to do his or her work without watching the body language of the
president, but diligently hewing to the template of his or her constitutional
duties. He should be allowed to prosecute all corrupt persons whether they are
the supporters of the president or not. There is also the need to confirm the
appointment of the new EFCC boss on time. An EFCC boss whose appointment is not
confirmed would tread carefully to avoid hurting the president who would
nominate him or her for confirmation, and lawmakers who would eventually decide
his or her eligibility for the job.
The
president’s proposed cabinet reshuffle is another opportunity for him to
demonstrate that he is sincere with prosecuting a campaign against corruption.
He cannot claim to be fighting corruption and yet appoint as ministers those
who have been accused of looting their state treasuries. He must not only bring
to his new cabinet those who are competent but those who would not continue
their careers of corruption under the guise of serving the nation. Indeed, if
Buhari is sincere with his acclaimed zero-tolerance for corruption, he must
begin with convincing the public that his presidency is not weighed down by the
incubus of double life.
*Dr. Onomuakpokpo is on
The Guardian Editorial Board
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