Aso Rock of fraud: Corruption now fights back at Buhari’s government
In what looks like the proverbial case of the hunted that suddenly turns back to chase the hunter, the recent shocking revelations of corruption in high quarters in the All Progressive Congress (APC) administration of President Mohammad Buhari aptly captures the paradox of the these interesting times in the Nigerian polity.
The news of the Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal and some other big boys’ involvement in untold corrupt practices has raised serious concerns about the seriousness of this administration on one of its cardinal objectives since coming to power on the 29th of May 2016. The revelation has put Buhari’s resolve to purge the Nigerian system of corruption in a logically unacceptable or self-contradictory mess of sorts.
In the last ten days, various corruption charges have been levelled against not less than four top officials of Buhari’s administration.The top government officials who have been accused of corruption so far, included the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF),Babachir Lawal,the Chief of Staff to the President,Abba Kyari; and the the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,Ibrahim Magu.
On his part,the Senate had accused that the SGF awarded contracts to a company,Rholavision Engineering Limited,allegedly belonging to him in the Internally Displaced Persons camps. And as if that was not enough, the substantive “corrupt People-catcher” in the country in the person of Ibrahim Magu has also been fingered in corrupt practices and the government of the day is gradually losing the moral right to fight corruption because its house is now divided against itself.
Global News also gathered that President Mohammad Buhari – though was on the verge of reshuffling his lack-lustre cabinet before the revelation of the SGF and Magu’s corruption saga – is seriously considering naming an entirely new new cabinet in the new year because he has lost faith in many of his cabinet members and heads of parastatals who are seen by many political analysts as lackeys.
According to sources in the presidency, the President is now very angry as the revelations of both “Lawalgate” and “Magugate”came to him as a rude shock because both are capable of rubbishing the successes the anti-corruption crusade has recorded since this administration came to power. The President is also not very happy by the fact that the comity of nations which has given Nigeria a pass mark in the area of fight against corruption in recent times may now have a rethink about the readiness of his government to fight corruption to a standstill.
Meanwhile, Nigerians, especially human right activists have been reacting to the news of the alleged corrupt practices of these elements in the top echelon of the government with a common voice.Apart from the President who is seen to be above board, many are of the belief that the other people running the show with him are just paying lip service to the anti-corruption war.
Many political watchers say Buhari’s ministers are not sincere with the anti-corruption crusade as many of them in the Presidency and the National Assembly in Abuja are still siphoning government money here and there and are secretly living ostentatious lifestyles.
