The three cardinal programs of PMB’s campaigns promised that: insecurity, corruption and that the economy of the country will be well taken care of, but the reverse is the case. Nigerians expected the effective and rebut fighting of insecurity, corruption and improved economy of the country by the PMB but were disappointed by the outcome.
We can recall the intense presidential campaign and victory of the 2015 presidential poll on March the 28. Let me start with the war against corruption. For long PMB has been pontificating about its desire to fight corruption, this made Nigerians believe that it’s capable of beating the previous administration’s effort to fight insecurity, corruption and to improve the nation’s economy. Its supporters believed that it was capable of beating the previous administration’s efforts in the anti-corruption war and improved security and economy of the country. To the extent that even when the war waged by the administration against corruption proved to be at its peak and fighting back each passing day because there were several alleged corrupt practices within the administration. The most disturbing part of the war against corruption is becoming a subject of public scorn, there are several examples I can cite as proof but I will limit myself to a few.
Nigerians may recall that less than two years ago PMB’s administration faced its first litmus test in fighting corruption when a court fined MTN to pay billions of dollars to the government. The most shocking of the administrations error was the given approval of $25 billion contract awarded by NNPC without the input of the then acting president of the PMB who was in a sick bed in London, this cast serious doubt in the mind of Nigerians in spite of highly celebrated profiled corrupt cases like ex petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, Defence gate and PDP campaign funds, five years into the administration there were no convictions of the alleged looters in this highly profiled corrupt case. The most worrying development is that the anti-grant war, which used to be the major feat is currently all over the place. Ibrahim Magu, the anti-graft Czar, has been accused of various infractions — some of them contained in reports which have been submitted.
Did Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) acting managing director tell any senate panel that he spent N1.5 billion as COVID-19 relief on the staff? Didn’t we hear him brazenly tell the committee that “we took care of ourselves”, yet he is still in office.
The fact that any appointee can make such a reckless statement on record shows how low they rate the anti-graft war. There is chaos going on between the President’s power-drunk ministers and the chief executive officers of the respective department and agencies under their watch. Does the President know that it is because of the confrontations amongst the administration’s appointees lies the reasons why we have become subject to ridicule in the public eye?
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The Minister of labour suspended the management of NSITF, in defence that he had PMB’s approval, former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) versus Minister of Niger Delta Dr Isa Ali Pantami, versus Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Minister of Power, versus managing director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company, minister of power, versus managing director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Another episode of indiscipline occurred when police officers were deployed to the house of Mrs Joi Nunieh, former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to intimidate her on the day she was meant to testify against the massive corruption in the agency. The latest episode of indiscipline was when the Minister of labour Dr Chris Ngige went against James Falaki on the television, calling him “Mushin boy and He is VI Guy.”
Many Nigerians are wondering if President Muhammadu Buhari is the same man of dependability they once knew some years back. This is not the same man the Nigerians voted into office in 2015. He has lost his touch! The impression he had on crooks is gone. The notion of “If Buhari catches you, you’ll bear the consequence” is gone.
As we can see there is a lack of coordination among different agencies of government as well as key functionaries serving in the administration have come to the front in the wake of the confirmation of the suspended EFCC chairman DSS, wrote to the senate to counter our choice. If indeed those allegations are true, it should be a major indictment on Mr President, that right under his nose, all these were happening and he did not act as swiftly as he should.
The way this situation is being handled is damaging to the anti-graft war, and infighting among the appointees is harmful to the administration’s integrity. Nigerians neither expected to see negative results under PMB’s stewardship nor did the voter think he would head a government bedevilled with boggling finances, reckless use of public funds, chaos in fighting among the administrative appointees and endless cases which is discrediting the administrations goodwill and the nation at large.
*** The author, Abba Dukawa contributed this article and can be reached via abbahdukawa@gmail.com.
