The war against corruption may gather more steam soon, going by
President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest pronouncement. The President has
told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other
anti-graft agencies to probe even his own children or members of his
family implicated in corrupt practices.
He said he would not forgive the anti-graft agency if
it fails to pobe any allegation of corruption against his children and
family members.
A sketch of Buhari’s tough anti-corruption mindset and plans was
contained in a book, “Muhammadu Buhari: The challenges of leadership in
Nigeria”, which is authored by Prof. John Paden.
The book reveals how Buhari inspired the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu as a school boy to develop anti-graft traits.
It adds: “Buhari’s attitude is to let the chips fall where they may in
particular cases, although reform of the judiciary is one of his larger
goals. “Buhari has often said that if any of his own children were
accused of corruption, and the authorities did not investigate, he would
never forgive the authorities.”
It was also learnt that the President has rebuffed pressure to save his
allies in the All Progressives Congress(APC) from being probed by
anti-graft agencies.
In spite of their close family ties, it was learnt that President
Muhammadu Buhari has failed to save the former National Security
Adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki because his policy is that there should be no
sacred cows in the anti-corruption war.
It was also revealed for the first time that Buhari does not have any
grudge against Dasuki despite the latter’s involvement in the August
1985 coup, which led to the former’s removal as a military head of
state.
“On numerous occasions, Buhari has urged public officials to do their
duty without fear or favour. He has also tried to inspire younger
generations to regard public service as an honest calling.
“For example, the current acting head of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu was a
schoolboy in Borno when Buhari was military governor in 1975. Buhari
gave a talk to a group of boys that included Magu and urged them to do
their best. “Magu was inspired and became a professional policeman.
“In 2015, Buhari asked Magu to head the EFCC, a dangerous job if done
well. By mid-May 2016, Magu had secured 143 convictions of corrupt
officials.”
Unknown to many, the book has revealed how Buhari resisted pressure to
save his allies in APC from being arrested or prosecuted for corruption.
It also unfolded Buhari’s vision for a set of specialized anti-corruption tribunals to fast-track the war against corruption.
The book adds: “The EFCC has been functioning since the administration
of President Obasanjo, when it was under the direction of Nuhu Ribadu, a
policeman and lawyer who initially was effective before political
pressures began to intrude.
“Under President Jonathan, the EFCC was directed by Ibrahim Lamorde and
seemed, from the outside, to be functioning well. Inside, however,
rumours of corruption among EFCC officials abounded.
“Under President Buhari, the acting chair of EFCC has been Ibrahim Magu,
who seems to have taken his lead from Buhari’s determined fight against
corruption. “The widespread investigations conducted by the EFCC and
the number of referrals to prosecutors have been unprecedented in EFCC’s
history.
“In addition, Buhari discussed his anti-corruption efforts with the
Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Mohammed Mahmud, who agreed to establish
a set of specialised anti-corruption tribunals. “These tribunals would
cover both military and civilian cases. Creating such tribunals,
however, requires special authorization from the National Assembly,
which has been slow in coming.
“Although a number of senior officials have been tried for corruption
prior to the Buhari presidency, the extent of current corruption court
cases in Nigeria is unprecedented. “That does not mean that every case
will lead to a guilty verdict.
“All of the accused are entitled to their day in court, and are likely
to have high-quality legal representation; and there will surely be
appeals and possible plea bargains. “Cases may drag on for years. But
the fact remains: the law is takings its course.
“Importantly, in none of these cases (apart from certain military
procurement scandals that impacted National Assembly) has the
prosecution been sponsored or encouraged by President Buhari. “He has
kept his hands off the judiciary, despite enormous pressure for him to
come to the aid of APC allies.
“The question will arise when criminal cases are concluded as to whether
the Nigerian judiciary is up to the task of being even-handed in such
high-level cases.”
15:04:00
Less than two weeks to the day President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia was
scheduled to hand over to President-elect Adama Barrrow, West African
leaders will meet in Abuja for a meeting to ensure peaceful transition.
Mr. Jammeh, who initially conceded defeat, has vowed to remain in office
and has ignored calls by West African ECOWAS leaders, the UN, EU and
the U.S. to quit.
