Recent speculations arising from the statements of some outgoing public office holders to travel abroad before or so soon after the 29th May, 2015, terminal date for the Jonathan administration call for immediate concern and prompt intervention of security agents in the country.
The call for such prompt intervention to stop the governors, ministers and other public office holders from running away is not borne out of malice, hate or outright infringement of their fundamental human rights to freedom of movement as recognized by the Nigerian constitution.
However, the request is predicated upon the overwhelming desire and necessity for those to whom the people’s common wealth was entrusted into their hands in the last 16 years to stay around to give account of how such huge sums of money was used. This is pertinent to clear the claims that, the operators of the Jonathan administration are the most corrupt since the history of Nigeria. This claim may not be totally true but credible evidence by them is needed to clear the corruption malaise associated with the outgoing Jonathan PDP administration at both the State and Federal levels.
The Nigerian people have the inherent constitutional right to know and also to have answers to this mind boggling questions relating to the stealing of huge sums of money in the system. The incoming Buhari administration has in advance endeared itself to the people because of its posture on how to minimize if not totally eradicate corruption in Nigeria. For the Buhari administration to make any meaningful impact, it must be ready to step on many toes by launching out first looking into the books of account of some very sensitive sectors where huge public funds have been channeled over time. Thus, eminent Nigerians like Gen. T. Y. Danjuma have continued to posit that the incoming Buhari administration should investigate the rot in the system by probing areas where corruption was high. For example;
It is important for the Buhari administration to revisit the $16 billion NEPA scam, the Sure-P monumental abuse at both the Federal and State levels, and the abuse by the outgoing governors using local government funds under the cover of statutory deductions.
But it must be promptly pointed out that the Buhari administration may not achieve much if those that were given the responsibility to oversee the judicious application of the peoples’ funds are not prevented from absconding or allowed to snick out of the country with ease. Some selfish politicians have commenced the blackmail to describe the anticipated questioning of public officers as persecution. This is with a view to curry public sympathy. It is common knowledge that non-guilty minds should not fear investigation into their pasts; it’s only the guilty that are usually afraid.
The posturing by some ministers, governors and other critical stakeholders and public office holders concluding plans to travel abroad before or soon after the May 29 inauguration date is a clear warning requiring security agents to watch the airports and Nigeria borders with other countries to prevent them from absconding. Their travel documents should temporally be called for.
The incoming Buhari government should not be made to waste further money to embark on expensive and time wasting extradition processes to bring them back to Nigeria to face justice. Public officers found wanting in the use of public funds entrusted into their hands should face the law. The Buhari administration should be saved the agony of running his government with these same corrupt persons. It is on record as reported in the National Dailies that the word ‘rest’ has been used as a new cover by politicians to travel abroad and escape from justice.
It is pertinent to remind the public office holders anxious to rest abroad that rest comes with satisfaction when a clean bill of non-involvement in the use of the people’s money is pronounced in favour of the public office holder. Speculators are all over that, some ministers and governors have left the shores of Nigeria into hiding abroad or have directed their subordinates to hand over on their behalf, but the fact remains that wherever they run to, the Buhari government has the capacity, the goodwill and determination to bring them back to Nigeria to explain their roles on how they used the people’s money.
For instance, it is now speculated that, the outgoing Vice President, Namadi Sambo is to proceed to rest in London, perhaps because he cannot find rest in Nigeria, super influential Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Allison-Madueke who is speculated to have left Nigeria promised to come back before the FEC meeting on Wednesday, May 27th, the question is; what official assignment would she be doing at this zero hour of her stay in office? The Minister of Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, is alleged to be planning to travel to Geneva, to attend the ongoing World Health Assembly and promised to be back when the exercise is over, and Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, boastfully challenged that no amount of roadblock would stop him from travelling to any country of his choice. Whilst Musiliu Obanikoro says “it is wise for him to rest, after all said and done” before he would start a six-week executive course in Harvard University in the USA.
The question political pundits have continued to ask is, if Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had won the May 29th presidential election, would these same set of ministers, governors see the need and desire for a holiday outside Nigeria or would they have been everywhere to lobby Jonathan for possible further public offices? Would they have been persuaded to rest outside the shores of this great nation having regards to the fact that there are enough resting places now across the nation?
If there is no need for Dr Abubakar Sulaiman, Minister of National Planning, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ambassador Aminu Wali, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senator Patricia Akwahiki to go outside Nigeria to take their rest, it means we have in Nigeria places that can guarantee absolute rest and comfort.
The governors must also be stopped from absconding in the name of taking rest abroad until they account for the billions entrusted to them for the people.
CHIEF BARR UTUM ETENG
Private Legal Practitioner & Public Affairs Analyst,
Human Rights and Anti-corruption Crusader.
Calabar.
08034008723, 08174898377
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