EDITORIAL: Buhari Must Do More Beyond Entertaining Nigerians With Hilarious Lists Of Looters

None of the officials in the Buhari-led administration have been fingered for acts of corruption in the last two years. In the same vein, some of the former PDP bigwigs who defected to APC after Buhari ascendancy has been immune from the investigative searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies.

Whenever the noticeably appalling performance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration appears to be gaining continuous attention, an account of enormous looting by opposition party is usually spun and thrown into the public space to distract people away from the core issue of governance.

Challenging the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the federal government last week released lists of some alleged looters. However, the statements by the Information Minister, Mr Lai Mohammed have simply labeled damage to the anti-graft war. Restricted basically to members of the PDP, the lists were not only capricious but they represented an implied endorsement of graft for members of the Buhari-led administration.

As expected, the PDP has made a mockery of the present administration by publishing its own list of looters, thereby triggering accusations and counter-accusations that a retired Lagos Archbishop of the Catholic Church, has described as “a show of shame.”

That Nigerians are being entertained with some preposterous lists at a period the authorities in South Korea and Brazil are securing court convictions against former leaders found to have abused public trust is indicative of how jesting the current administration is about fighting corruption in Nigeria.

9news Nigeria opines that the battle against corruption could only be significant when it is transparent and not selective.

Unfortunately, none of the officials in the present administration have been indicted for acts of corruption in the last two years. In the vein, some of the former PDP bigwigs who defected to APC after Buhari ascendancy has been immune from the investigative searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies.

The Attorney General and Justice Minister, Mr Malami was fingered in the case of the recall of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina. Unfortunately, nothing was heard about Malami’s dismissal or suspension. Even some former members of the PDP who were accused of abusing the public trust seemed to have been forgiven after defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In another instance, former NSA, Sambo Dasuki is being treated as a traitor for his part in the disbursement of funds that were used to service Goodluck Jonathan’s electioneering campaign. He has been kept in detention illegally and in defiance of several judicial rulings. Whereas, Timipriye Silva, a former governor, and PDP chieftain, who became a founding member and financier of APC, had his corruption charges quashed by a federal high court and Buhari’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to appeal the N19.5 billion fraud case. Even recently decamped PDP members to APC, such as Musiliu Obanikoro and Sulivan Chime, who have been prominently named and shamed in the recent past, were conspicuously missing from the released list of looters.

It is against this background that 9news Nigeria concludes that the Buhari administration has narrowed its war on corruption to the harassment of members of the Jonathan administration only. This is obviously evident in the selective nature of the current anti-corruption endeavor.

Similarly, all the talk about rule of law, anti-corruption, institution building In Buhari-led administration does not go beyond the papers. Otherwise, Ibrahim Mantu, former Deputy Senate President, should be in jail by now. Or at the very least, he should currently be enduring some grilling at the ICPC or EFCC. Mantu has gone on national TV to admit to rigging elections, and he still enjoyed Easter with his family. A man who, when asked to confirm his earlier comment about rigging elections, specifically said: “Let me tell you one thing, yes I did. I am now confessing the truth…”

Mantu’s confessions are very weighty, but the government has refused to act on it, perhaps because Mantu’s acts are of no consequence to the present administration.

We at 9news Nigeria urge President Buhari to do more in terms of governance, and policy-making, rather than publishing list of looters who, at the end of it all, would not be convicted in a court of law. It is time President Buhari takes the governance of Nigeria seriously, whilst fighting corruption at the State and Federal levels.