By
Caleb Ayansina ABUJA –
A group of Northerners under the auspices of Arewa Peace
Coalition has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of bias in the ongoing
anti-corruption war.The group, in an open letter to the president titled: “A
tale of two anti-corruption war” and signed by its National Cordinator,
Abdulkadir Mohammed, in Abuja, said it was worried about the way the
anti-corruption war is being fought by the Federal Government.
Mohammed accused
the federal government of double standard by referring the suspended Secretary
to the Government of the Federation, Mr. David Babachar Lawal, to an
administrative panel for investigation. According to him, the suspended SGF
should have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as
the federal government did to a personal physician of former president Goodluck
Jonathan,
Mr. Fiberesima, who is being accused of N285 million fraud.
He added that as Buhari’s kinsmen, its hope in the anti-corruption war of the
president was gradually fading away. The letter reads: “We wish to at this
stage bring to your attention, a critical observation which we consider as a
renege on your promise in fighting corruption; which you promised that “there
will be no sacred cows”. This we describe as a tale of two ANTI CORRUPTION WAR.
“However, a critical comparison is the case of your suspended secretary to
federal government (SGF) and the personal physician to the former President
Goodluck Jonathan.
This is a case where the SGF was indicted by a Senate
committee for a grass cutting scam worth two hundred and twenty million Naira
(N220m). And the later Mr Fiberesima, is also being accused of fraud worth two
hundred and eighty five million Naira (N285m). “Firstly, the Senate committee
however recommend to the presidency for the removal of the SGF based on its
finding which indicted him. But Nigerians watched for months without any action
from the presidency not until recently when another administrative panel was
set up to be headed by the vice president with the Attorney General of the
federation included , whom had initially cleared the SGF of any wrong doing .
“The question Nigerians are asking is “why subject the SGF to an administrative
panel and not subjecting him to EFCC, DSS or Police”?
And what are we expecting from a committee which has the
Attorney General of the federation as a member who had earlier cleared the SGF?
These are questions putting a doubt on your credibility in fighting corruption
sir. “Secondly, the perception in the public domain, is that your war on
corruption is only targeted at your political foes, Goodluck Jonathan and members
of the previous administration. The case of Goodluck Jonathan’s personal
physician, may want to prove this point. In this case Mr Fiberesima is being
tried by the EFCC for an alleged fraud of two hundred and eighty five million
Naira. Our concern here is that, why not use the same rules across board to
prove to Nigerians that you are not out to witch hunt the former President
Goodluck Jonathan and members of the previous administration. “It was this
observation, that prompted Senator shehu Sani to allege that “the President
Buhari uses deodorant to fight corruption in the presidency” while colonel
Abubakar Umar on the other hand, recently accused the presidency of only trying
to vilify former President Goodluck Jonathan in the name of fighting corruption.
“In this tale, the difference between these two men in the persons of the SGF
on one hand and Mr Fiberesima on the other hand , is that (1) the SGF is a
Northerner while Mr Fiberesima is a southerner (2) the SGF is in the present
administration and a close political ally to President Muhammadu Buhari, while
Mr Fiberesima is a personal physician to the former President Goodluck Jonathan
and a member of the previous administration. “Against this background, and as
your kinsmen sir, we are worried about all these because we feel your
administration is gradually derailing.
We really want you to maintain that popularity and
acceptance which brought you to power and not to be seen as a sectional leader
who promotes nepotism as it is also being alleged in your political
appointments that you are favourable to only northern Nigeria. “As a generation
behind yours, we will also want to be treated fairly by other parts of the
federation the day power leaves the North. Because it is still fresh in our
memories on how former President Goodluck Jonathan was very generous to us in
the North with both political appointments and infrastructural developments
because of his belief and love for all regions in Nigeria, which we also want
you to emulate by treating other regions as such.
“Finally sir, we know it’s not too late to correct some of
these mistakes and to redeem your promise to Nigerians because we still believe
in your ability to deliver on your promises. As a progressive Northern based
organisation, we are willing to support and partner with you to succeed. “We
will however, advice you not to compromise National interest for a few selfish
persons around you who may be in your Government only to further their personal
interest and also using your platform to fight their personal battles, embedded
in the fight against corruption.”
Vanguard News
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