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For many, President Muhammadu Buhari got elected largely because of
his promise to tackle corruption head on with better results, fight
insurgency more effectively and the implementation of welfare programmes
for the poor. His promise of change is something majority of voters
bought into.
With the debates on the president’s achievements in his first 100 days in office, the war against corruption is one area many have keenly observed the president’s actions and are making their opinion known. For members of his party, the All Peoples Congress (APC) not only has Buhari’s much touted body language and public pronouncements sent the signals that a new sheriff is in town, the president has taken steps to show that he will keep his word not to treat corruption with kid gloves. For stakeholders in the ruling party, the revved up actions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and of recent, the Independent Corrupt Practiced Commission (ICPC) are in reaction to Buhari’s non-negotiable stand on graft. They also point to the fact that the president appointed respected constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay to head the presidential advisory committee on the war against corruption.
Majority of Nigerians support the president as they not only suffer the negative effects of corruption, they are also witnesses to last year, Transparency International (TI) report which ranked Nigeria the 136th most corrupt country in the world and the 3rd most corrupt country in West Africa after Guinea and Guinea Bissau. In its 2014 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, the group said it ranked 174 countries it surveyed based on how corrupt their public sector is presumed to be.
And with the overwhelming calls for the Buhari administration to reduce corruption to the barest minimum, it is no surprise that even members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the main opposition party are in support of ant-graft war. “For me, the constitution is very clear on the responsibility of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. I believe that the anti corruption crusade of the present government is apposite, it’s good and its welcomed, it’s part of its constitutional responsibilities as enshrined in the nation’s constitution chapter 11 section 15(5)” said, Honorable Victor Akinjo, representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency.
Akinjo who is in the house on a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket further argued those in green chamber are already contributing to fight against corruption. He said: “It is in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria that the government must strive to abolish corruption, it’s a clause in the constitution and so, in that direction, it’s a good one and as a parliament of the people, we owe it as a responsibility to support Mr. President in this task as we are already doing. We have moved series of motions since the parliament was inaugurated to show and give open support to the Executive Arm of government in achieving this set goal of wiping out corruption in this country. You can deduce from some of the motions we’ve moved on the floor of the House that we are moralists, we are not comfortable with corruption and we’ve shown that we are not in support of moves being made against the issue of corruption by the president”.
But as expected the first timer opined that the president looks beyond the PDP when fighting corruption. This is even as Buhari has said he will limit his probes to the government of his predecessor Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Akinjo also wants Buahri to recognise the dire need for development. He said, “The only area we are trying to say one or two things is that, in fighting corruption, it does not stop the president from doing other things that will make life and living more comfortable for Nigerians like embarking on infrastructure codification and modification, saving money to look into the issue of power, tackling the issue of unemployment and so on. Look, he was voted in to bring change as he promised and the change mantra does not start and stop with the corruption thing, so, for us, we don’t have problems with his fight against corruption, but the country must also move forward. While doing that, set the government on, allow other sectors of the economy move on and let Nigerians know what the government have in stock for them really, unveil the economic agenda and also most importantly, proof to Nigerians that this is a government that is above board.
“In this issue of corruption, people of diverse political parties are involved, the fact that you jumped ship into the ruling party does not make you pious, so anyone found corrupt irrespective of political party affiliations should be analyzed using the same process and punishment meted accordingly . Anyone suspected of corruption should be properly investigated, the suspect tried in the proper court of law under the nation’s anti-corruption law and the money recovered and put back for the nation’s use” .
Another PDP rep who also wants the president to look within his party when searching for those believed to have soiled their hands is Honorable Oghene Emma Egoh. During an interaction with journalists, he described President’s Buhari’s war on corruption as unsatisfactory, stating that it seemed targeted at members of the opposition.
Indeed, a few former ministers who served under Jonathan have had to respond to allegations of financial management leveled against them by high ranking members of the APC. They are also believed to have recently met with the former president due to the number of stories coming from visits by Permanent -Secretaries who have been giving the president briefs on the state of their ministries .
Egoh, who is representing the Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency called on the president to start his anti-corruption drive from within his All Peoples Congress Party (APC) in order to prove to Nigerians that there are no sacred cows.
He said:”Corruption is one issue everyone is on the same page with the president. I’m not sure that there is a single PDP member that doesn’t want the president to succeed in this war against corruption. This because when there is corruption development hardly thrives. If hospitals and schools are no working well, it is because of corruption. If roads are bad, it is because of corruption. In fact, majority of the problems we have in this country is caused by corruption. So everybody would want to support the president in the fight against corruption. I personally believe that the president took the war on corruption as his first priority, followed by the issue of insecurity. Corruption is such a major issue because if it continues to thrive, we will not even be able to fight the war on terror.
“But let me say the president’s approach is not satisfactory to everybody. While we wish him to succeed, the situation where you want to limit and restrict your anti-corruption war to a particular group of people, it means it is an inquisition. It means that you want to punish the people because they don’t belong to the same party with you and you want to oppress them. I want to appeal to the president to let his corruption fight be broad minded”.
The lawmaker also stressed that the anti corruption war shouldn’t be politicised. “You say PDP people are corrupt, therefore you want to start your anti-corruption with them, but months before the election, governors of the PDP crossed over to the APC. In fact today’s APC is made up a good number of PDP former members. So are you now saying that once you cross to the APC, you are no longer corrupt? Then what we need to do is for everybody to cross over to the APC so there won’t be any anti-corruption war again. I still think the president is a statesman, my appeal to him is to extend the anti-corruption war to everybody and all parts of the country. It will not be good if the president only starts with the PDP, In fact if I were him I will start from within the APC, so that people will know that I am genuine. If the president starts the anti-corruption war from within his party and goes out to other parties, people will applaud him” he opined.
For Egoh another way the president can show he is sincere and not a vendetta is by funding the anti-graft agencies and supporting them to be fully independent. He said: “Let me also say that the agencies established to fight corruption, to me, are very weak. For me, a body like the EFCC has failed. What I have seen is that, it is only when a president comes out to say that he is fight corruption, that we see the agency sit-up. EFCC is a body that should fight corruption all year long. EFCC and ICPC are supposed to be fighting corruption all year long, not wait until when a president comes out to say corruption is his cardinal objective before they start to work.
“These agencies should carry out espionage work in schools, government agencies and wherever there is corruption and prosecute those found wanting. Even in some countries, some people laugh when they hear that in Nigeria, the president is the one leading the fight against corruption. This should be done by EFCC and ICPC. So, the president should strengthen both agencies and make them accountable to the people”.
With the debates on the president’s achievements in his first 100 days in office, the war against corruption is one area many have keenly observed the president’s actions and are making their opinion known. For members of his party, the All Peoples Congress (APC) not only has Buhari’s much touted body language and public pronouncements sent the signals that a new sheriff is in town, the president has taken steps to show that he will keep his word not to treat corruption with kid gloves. For stakeholders in the ruling party, the revved up actions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and of recent, the Independent Corrupt Practiced Commission (ICPC) are in reaction to Buhari’s non-negotiable stand on graft. They also point to the fact that the president appointed respected constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay to head the presidential advisory committee on the war against corruption.
Majority of Nigerians support the president as they not only suffer the negative effects of corruption, they are also witnesses to last year, Transparency International (TI) report which ranked Nigeria the 136th most corrupt country in the world and the 3rd most corrupt country in West Africa after Guinea and Guinea Bissau. In its 2014 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, the group said it ranked 174 countries it surveyed based on how corrupt their public sector is presumed to be.
And with the overwhelming calls for the Buhari administration to reduce corruption to the barest minimum, it is no surprise that even members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the main opposition party are in support of ant-graft war. “For me, the constitution is very clear on the responsibility of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria. I believe that the anti corruption crusade of the present government is apposite, it’s good and its welcomed, it’s part of its constitutional responsibilities as enshrined in the nation’s constitution chapter 11 section 15(5)” said, Honorable Victor Akinjo, representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency.
Akinjo who is in the house on a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket further argued those in green chamber are already contributing to fight against corruption. He said: “It is in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria that the government must strive to abolish corruption, it’s a clause in the constitution and so, in that direction, it’s a good one and as a parliament of the people, we owe it as a responsibility to support Mr. President in this task as we are already doing. We have moved series of motions since the parliament was inaugurated to show and give open support to the Executive Arm of government in achieving this set goal of wiping out corruption in this country. You can deduce from some of the motions we’ve moved on the floor of the House that we are moralists, we are not comfortable with corruption and we’ve shown that we are not in support of moves being made against the issue of corruption by the president”.
But as expected the first timer opined that the president looks beyond the PDP when fighting corruption. This is even as Buhari has said he will limit his probes to the government of his predecessor Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Akinjo also wants Buahri to recognise the dire need for development. He said, “The only area we are trying to say one or two things is that, in fighting corruption, it does not stop the president from doing other things that will make life and living more comfortable for Nigerians like embarking on infrastructure codification and modification, saving money to look into the issue of power, tackling the issue of unemployment and so on. Look, he was voted in to bring change as he promised and the change mantra does not start and stop with the corruption thing, so, for us, we don’t have problems with his fight against corruption, but the country must also move forward. While doing that, set the government on, allow other sectors of the economy move on and let Nigerians know what the government have in stock for them really, unveil the economic agenda and also most importantly, proof to Nigerians that this is a government that is above board.
“In this issue of corruption, people of diverse political parties are involved, the fact that you jumped ship into the ruling party does not make you pious, so anyone found corrupt irrespective of political party affiliations should be analyzed using the same process and punishment meted accordingly . Anyone suspected of corruption should be properly investigated, the suspect tried in the proper court of law under the nation’s anti-corruption law and the money recovered and put back for the nation’s use” .
Another PDP rep who also wants the president to look within his party when searching for those believed to have soiled their hands is Honorable Oghene Emma Egoh. During an interaction with journalists, he described President’s Buhari’s war on corruption as unsatisfactory, stating that it seemed targeted at members of the opposition.
Indeed, a few former ministers who served under Jonathan have had to respond to allegations of financial management leveled against them by high ranking members of the APC. They are also believed to have recently met with the former president due to the number of stories coming from visits by Permanent -Secretaries who have been giving the president briefs on the state of their ministries .
Egoh, who is representing the Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency called on the president to start his anti-corruption drive from within his All Peoples Congress Party (APC) in order to prove to Nigerians that there are no sacred cows.
He said:”Corruption is one issue everyone is on the same page with the president. I’m not sure that there is a single PDP member that doesn’t want the president to succeed in this war against corruption. This because when there is corruption development hardly thrives. If hospitals and schools are no working well, it is because of corruption. If roads are bad, it is because of corruption. In fact, majority of the problems we have in this country is caused by corruption. So everybody would want to support the president in the fight against corruption. I personally believe that the president took the war on corruption as his first priority, followed by the issue of insecurity. Corruption is such a major issue because if it continues to thrive, we will not even be able to fight the war on terror.
“But let me say the president’s approach is not satisfactory to everybody. While we wish him to succeed, the situation where you want to limit and restrict your anti-corruption war to a particular group of people, it means it is an inquisition. It means that you want to punish the people because they don’t belong to the same party with you and you want to oppress them. I want to appeal to the president to let his corruption fight be broad minded”.
The lawmaker also stressed that the anti corruption war shouldn’t be politicised. “You say PDP people are corrupt, therefore you want to start your anti-corruption with them, but months before the election, governors of the PDP crossed over to the APC. In fact today’s APC is made up a good number of PDP former members. So are you now saying that once you cross to the APC, you are no longer corrupt? Then what we need to do is for everybody to cross over to the APC so there won’t be any anti-corruption war again. I still think the president is a statesman, my appeal to him is to extend the anti-corruption war to everybody and all parts of the country. It will not be good if the president only starts with the PDP, In fact if I were him I will start from within the APC, so that people will know that I am genuine. If the president starts the anti-corruption war from within his party and goes out to other parties, people will applaud him” he opined.
For Egoh another way the president can show he is sincere and not a vendetta is by funding the anti-graft agencies and supporting them to be fully independent. He said: “Let me also say that the agencies established to fight corruption, to me, are very weak. For me, a body like the EFCC has failed. What I have seen is that, it is only when a president comes out to say that he is fight corruption, that we see the agency sit-up. EFCC is a body that should fight corruption all year long. EFCC and ICPC are supposed to be fighting corruption all year long, not wait until when a president comes out to say corruption is his cardinal objective before they start to work.
“These agencies should carry out espionage work in schools, government agencies and wherever there is corruption and prosecute those found wanting. Even in some countries, some people laugh when they hear that in Nigeria, the president is the one leading the fight against corruption. This should be done by EFCC and ICPC. So, the president should strengthen both agencies and make them accountable to the people”.
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