President Muhammadu Buhari came under heavy criticism yesterday for his
failure to act in the alleged indictment of his Minister of Defence,
Bashir Magashi, for a $550,000 security fund diversion. Presidential
spokesman, Garba Shehu deflected response on the allegation to the
office of the Minister of Defence when The Guardian sought the
presidency’s reaction on the matter.
Against a groundswell of
allegations of cherry-picking on whom to prosecute in his
anti-corruption offensive, Buhari is now directly fingered for shielding
Magashi, who is accused of stealing and shipping $550,000 from the
nation’s treasury to an offshore account. Magashi has been called out to
explain his role in the slush amount he received from the infamous
‘Abacha loot’ estimated by Transparency International to be at least $5
billion, out of which $3 billion has been recovered.
Nigerians
are incensed that Buhari still ignores the findings in the report. The
president’s indisposition to bringing his key appointees to account came
to the fore as Shehu maintained that it was not within his purview to
respond to everything. “Direct your question to the man (Minister of
Defence),” he told The Guardian when asked to respond to this latest
allegation against his principal’s defence chief.
A leading
online Nigerian newspaper provided more insight to corruption in the
Buhari administration as it spotted what appears to be at odds with the
administration’s sworn mandate to tackle corruption. It noted that it
has been 123 days since Magashi was exposed as having been indicted for
stealing and shipping abroad about $550,000 from the nation’s treasury.
Yet, Buhari has failed to take action on the indictment.
The
newspaper had on August 28 exclusively reported how Magashi, a retired
major general, while in service, got a slice of the infamous ‘Abacha
Loot.’ The Buhari government has since benefitted from several millions
of dollars in returned funds from countries where the money was hidden.
At the time, a presidency official, who asked not to be named because he
had no permission to grant media interviews, said: “I can tell you that
there is no way the president would have ignored that kind of matter to
appoint him if he were made aware.”
But 123 days after, many
Nigerians feel embarrassed that the president still ignores the findings
in the report. Even when the newspaper contacted Garba Shehu before it
went public with the report, he did not answer or return multiple calls
and text messages sent over two days on why the president had not taken a
stance on the allegations.
The silence of Buhari and his inner
cabinet is already being interpreted as consistent with the
administration’s policy of selective justice. Even critical government
agencies which provide background information like the Department of
State Services (DSS) have been fingered for turning a blind eye to
Magashi’s alleged corrupt past before the Senate confirmed him.
While
the presidency is taking a bashing for its allegedly choosy
anti-corruption battle, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) described
Buhari as a leader who fights corruption with two different boxing
gloves.
Ibuchukwu Ezike, CLO Executive Director told The Guardian
yesterday that Nigeria will not win the anti-corruption war with a
leader like Buhari who still thinks like a clan leader.
Also, a
Warri-based lawyer, Otome Adamidenyo, was emphatic that the
administration can only convince Nigerians it is committed to wiping out
corruption by looking inwards and bringing to justice members of the
Buhari inner circle involved in fleecing the country. On his part,
Executive Director, Association of Media Practitioners Against
Corruption and Instability (AMPACI), Ayodele Johnson, tasked Buhari to
do more to restore public confidence in the anti-corruption battle.
“It’s not enough to yell at public gatherings that the government is
fighting corruption. Let Buhari arrest and prosecute his appointees
indicted for stealing public funds,” said Johnson.
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