Corruption: Compared with Obasanjo, Buhari, others,i’m a Saint– Babangida
A former military head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida says his regime is extra pious compared to democratic administrations of President Muhammadu Buhari and his successors.
Gen. Babangida, whose reign is criticized for promoting the practice of corruption in Nigerian government, issued this statement in an exclusive interview released by Arise TV on Friday.
When asked why he is recognised as corrupt, the general said he’s a saint compared with the democratically elected presidents such as Buhari and others who have been at the hem of the country’s affairs since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
“From what I read, from analysis, I think we are saints when compared with what is happening under a democratic dispensation. You cannot compare it with the fact on ground now,” Said the General
Babangida, who nullified Nigeria’s largely perceived credible election on June 12, 1993 said he fired a governor for misappropriation of about N313,000 while today, people loot billions and are roaming freely in the country.
“I dismissed a governor for embezzling less than N313,000. Today, officials who have stolen billions are in the court and displaying themselves on the streets. So who else is in fighting corruption?” Babangida asked.
In a similar outcome,Tunde Bakare, the senior pastor of Citadel Global Community Church, maintained that corruption has become more toxic under the guard of president Buhari.
“If because of insecurity and corruption, we voted Jonathan out and now insecurity is horrible, corruption is much more poisonous; what do you think should happen?” the former supporter of President Buhari, Mr Bakare, asked in his sermon last Sunday.
However, the president insists to be dominating an anti-corruption fight, his administration has been tossed by different corruption downfalls, going from theft and diversion of public funds to certificate fabrication among his aides.
The secretary to government of the federation,Babachir David Lawal, was In 2017, indicted in diversion of fund, in the sum of N544million, meant to provide for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in North-East, Nigeria.
After much pressure from then-Senate, Mr Lawal was suspended . However, his successive trial by the EFCC has effectively been stagnant.
In December 2020, People’s Gazette unearth how Isa Funtua, a principal operative in Buhari’s kitchen cabinet, got a N840 million boon from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Firs) without a tenable reason. Till date, the government has maintained silence on the issue.
The $43 millon slush fund belonging to the NIA was In April 2017, discovered in an apartment at Okoyi, Lagos state by the EFCC officers.
In reaction to this, President Buhari vowed the punishment of those involved in the scandal. As a result, the then NIA boss, Ayo Oke, was dismissed. Nothing has been heard of the matter till date.
More so, in July 2018, the past Finance minister, Kemi Adeosun was revealed by Premium Times to have bypassed NYSC and falsified its certificate to maintain her job in President Buhari’s administration. She relinquished her office but was never charged for fraud.
