The many ‘Gates’ of Buhari’s government (1)

It is no longer news that the PMB government is incurably afflicted with many “gates” – the “Mainagate”, “Babachirgate”, “NNPCgate”, “IDPgate”, “Dapchigate”, “Adeosungate”, “Oilsubsidygate”, “Nairagate”, “Corruptiongate”, “Bokoharamgate”, “Herdsmengate”, “failedpromisesgate”, “etcgate”. Let’s here attempt a short discourse on some of them. The “MAINAGATE”. Abdilrashid Maina, was Head of presidential Taskforce on Pension Reform under President Goodluck Jonathan. His disappearance from, and appearance in, Nigeria, caused a major uproar and hoopla last year and effectively dealt a fatal blow on the feigned anticorruption war of the PMB government (an euphemism for naked onslaught against opposition and critics of government). Don’t forget that once a politician decamps from another party to the then APC (now APC and r-APC), he automatically dorns the incorruptible toga of a saint. Like Naaman the Leper (Syrian-Army Commander), who was dipped into River Jordan seven times (on prophet Elisha’s command), and became clean, with a flesh as that of a child, having been cleansed of his leprosy, anyone who manages to cross the hurdle from one party to the APC/r- APC is automatically anti-corruption, uncorrupted and incorruptible. Such is the sheer hypocrisy and humbug of the “anticorruption” sloganeering. Maina had fled the country some years earlier over N2 billion pension fund scam under GEJ. Like in a Bolly, Nolly and Holly-wood movie, however, lased with enough dose of Professor Peller’s abracadabra magic, Maina not only triumphantly cruised into Nigeria from self-exile like a Grammy Award winning celebrity, he was actually returned to the Ministry of Interior. As icing on the cake, he got double promotion. Popular public uproar forced the government to sack him. Maina vanished into thin air as he had come, with the EFCC looking the other way. The family cried blue murder. It told a bemused country and the world, that Maina was in fact invited and given full security protection by the present government, operating through a very powerful cabal (a term popularized by my good friend, late Prof. Dora Akunyili, to describe those shadowing unseen hands that were Propping up an obviously ill President Umaru Yar’Adua, making the world to believe he was as fit as a fiddle). Like in all cases involving corruption within government circles, the Mainagate brouhaha was carefully swept off, into the vehicle of historical oblivion, with the APC broom. THE NNPCGATE The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, had pointedly, in an 18-page letter, which leaked to the press, accused his successor as GMD, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, of awarding about $24 billion major contracts without due process, and also engaging in acts of insubordination. For the records, PMB was then consigned to a London hospital bed. His Vice, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, who was acting President, was not apprised of this national scandal. On PMB’s order to reply immediately, after his return from London and national bedlam, Baru countered Kachikwu, to the effect that the law and the rules did not require any review or discussion with the Minister of State, or the NNPC Board. “What is required is the processing and approval of contracts by NNPC Tenders Board; The President in his executive capacity, or as Minister of Petroleum, or the Federal Executive Council (FEC), as the case may be,” Baru countered. But, the catch here is that PMB was not in the country then. He was sick on a hospital bed, in faraway London. He had, before his departure, actually transferred power to his vice, Osibanjo, under Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution. So, who approved the humongous sleazy contracts, since Osibanjo said he did not? The APC broom swept this serious act of oozing corruption under its thick mat of “protecting corruption within government circles with perfume, while fighting corruption against opposition with insecticides” (apologies, Senator Shehu Sani). Don’t forget that the much trumpeted “Dasukigate”, which the PMB government has anchored its entire anti-corruption war on is $2.1b, less than 10% of the $23b involved in the “NNPCGATE”. BABACHIRGATE Babachir Lawal (former SGF), was involved in a contract scandal, which later became “Babachirgate”. The Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Monitoring Humanitarian Crises in the Boko Haram ravaged North East, had in a 45 page report signed by its Head, Shehu Sani and 6 others, i.e, seven out of nine members, indicted Lawal, for being the alter ago of Rholavision Engineering ltd which won a contract with over N500million paid into the company’s account. Rather than send the EFCC to pick up Lawal as the President would have done if Lawal were in the opposition, the presidency strennously defended his “integrity”. Even with loud public outcry, the President still gave Lawal a special treatment by setting up a three-man Presidential Panel, headed by a whole Vice President, Osibanjo. No other suspect has ever enjoyed this elitist privilege. Even when he was indicted, Lawal was ensconced in government warmth, until another round of public outcry before the President fired him. Yet, EFCC remained silent. Once more, the public rose up in righteous indignation over this overt perversion of justice through selective war on corruption and elevation of some people above the law. It took many more months of public whoop and umbrage before the EFCC finally invited him. It was alleged that unlike other suspects, Lawal was “detained” in a well-furnished guest house. Till date, he has never been prosecuted or arraigned in any court of law. As usual, the APC –r- APC broom has discriminatorily swept the scandal under the mat. OIL SUBSIDYGATE In January, 2012, Nigerians were heavily mobilised by the opposition and Civil Society, spearheaded by “Occupy Nigeria” group, against GEJ’s decision to remove some fuel subsidy and increase the pump price of fuel. They all furiously argued there was no subsidy and that it was a huge scam to satiate the heavy financial palate and throats of our powerful oil cabal buccaneers. GEJ government caved into mass revolt and announced partial  subsidy removal, bringing up the Petrol price from N65 to N97, instead of the N141 it was originally fixed. PMB, Bola Tinubu, Ezekwesili, El Rufai, Osinbajo, Bakare, Tolu Ogunlesi, Femi Falana, etc, had maintained that fuel subsidy did not exist. They physically demonstrated and marched on Lagos and Abuja streets with “Occupy Nigeria”. They all later summersaulted. Tinubu, in May, 2016, suddenly discovered that it was a “necessary pain” Nigerians have to endure. Ezekwesili said it was all about “trust” (meaning Buhari and not GEJ, could be trusted with fuel subsidy removal). El Rufai, who, in 2012, said it was about “trust, not economics”, changed, and admonished Nigerians to “stay calm and orderly”. Indeed, after the victory in 2015, PMB had said he did know what subsidy meant! Now, fast forward. It was to a shocked Nation that the Presidency declared last year it spends a whooping N24b monthly (N774 Million per day), to subsidise fuel in the country, even when it was sold for as high as N250 -N300 per litre in some parts of Nigeria, from its official price of N145 per litre. (To be continued next week). THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK “We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves.” (Eric Hoffer). LAST LINE Nigerians, please continue to engage me in the national conversation, whilst awaiting explosive topic of Sunday Sermon on the Mount of the Nigerian Project by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, OFR, FCIArb., Ph.D, LL.D. Follow me on twitter @ MikeozekhomeSAN]]>