The raid on a luxury home in London and detention of Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigerian’s ex-minister of Petroleum and one of the oil amazons and influencers in Jonathan’s administration on October 2, 2015 by London Police on money laundering and corruption charges is a practical and undeniable exposure on the level of criminality and corruption perpetrated against Nigerians by some of the public office holders in the last PDP led government.
Most startling to Nigerians is not merely the level and amount of resources wasted and stolen, but more despicable and impulsive is the level of impunity and manner at which majority of the public office holders in the Jonathan administration carried out such indecency and anomaly against their country and her citizens.
Not within my living memory have I seen or can I recall anywhere in the world where endemic corruption, gross misappropriation and misapplication of public funds and nonchalant attitude towards the yearnings and aspirations of the people were visibly adopted as a way of governance by any government on the surface of the earth, except in the case of Nigeria and by the then led PDP government. That not only represents complete opposite of campaign promises, but also a caricature and gross abuse of peoples’ expectation in any democratic set up or arrangement.
The level of impunity, carelessness, free looting of national treasury, misappropriation of public funds, institutional decay, lack of respect and value for Nigerians, arrogantly and publicly displayed by the top guns of the last PDP led administration cannot be overemphasised.
It is not propaganda that the ongoing money laundering and corruption charges against the immediate past petroleum minister Diezani Madueke in London will be a mere tip of an iceberg compared to the damage done to this country and her citizens in the last eight years. It is worthy of note that the deep injury inflicted on the Nigerian socio-economic and political system, no doubt, requires a timely application of advanced, reliable and appropriate medication. The hostile and irresponsible platforms instituted by the past regimes need to be systematically dismantled in all ramifications to give way for the nation’s genuine movement to greatness. The hope and light of achieving these long awaited feats and march to greater Nigeria was beamed on the entire nation when Nigerians sang the lyrics of positive change which manifested in the historic victory of PMB in the March 28, 2015 presidential election. Little did Nigerians realise that against all adds, here comes the beginning of a new and prosperous dawn in the history of leadership and governance in our dear and only country, Nigeria.
The emergence of the new sheriff and reformed democrat (Muhammudu Buhari) as the newly democratically elected president of Nigeria gave a huge sigh of relief and optimism to well-meaning and teaming Nigerians, and shows of God’s grace and march towards a new dawn. It was also greeted with fear, applaud and excitement by various categories of individuals/ persons and groups.
As the corrupt past and present public office holders are gripped with the fear of consequences of their indecent and corrupt practices, applaud were accorded to the foot soldiers and heroes of change, while excitement befell the majority of Nigerians who have for long been praying and clamouring for positive change that will usher in pragmatic and proactive measures on the war against the endemic diseases of corruption, insecurity/insurgency and unemployment. What are envisaged under a PMB administration are tools to encourage economic revamp and diversification, stability and sustainability, as well as improved living conditions of the citizens, among others.
Taking cognisance of the fact that the new leader (PMB), with due commitment to the rule of law and order, the capacity to weather storms, as well as equipped with the capacity and temperament of doing things the right way without fear or favour, some groups/persons, particularly the opposition PDP have become critical of Mr. president’s categorical and strongly-worded statement that the fight against corruption and indiscipline must get to a logical conclusion. The very modest and unpurchasable president further stated that anyone found guilty of the dangerous and deadly disease (corruption) irrespective of the person’s status, social, religious or political affiliation will face the full wrath of the law.
President Buhari went further to urge Nigerians not to exercise any fears, but rather people should fear the consequences of their action.
Without mincing words, President Buhari has in no small measure shown commitment to the rule of law, transparency, purposefulness and simplicity in the handling of government affairs. His tenacity and zeal to wipe out corruption, strengthen the nation, revamp the economy, clean the huge rot his administration inherited as well as his diplomatic shuttles to reposition Nigeria’s image and values within the comity of nations are pointers to Buhari’s purposefulness which, without contention, deserves applaud, encouragement, and support.
The achievements so far recorded by this administration in the power sector, anti-corruption, security and firm promises to wipe out Boko Haram/ insurgency by the end of the year has hugely rekindled the confidence and belief of the international community on Nigeria’s ability and readiness to offer/provide a conducive investment environment, secure and profitable international business relations.
Astonishing and despicable is the outcry of selective persecution by the opposition PDP that Buhari’s anti-corrupting war is targeted at members of their party and public office holders under Jonathan administration only. But my response to the wailing wailers is simple: if the then ruling PDP under the leadership of Jonathan had deemed it necessary to do the simple things the right way, check-mate recklessness, misappropriation, corruption and wasteful spending of public fund entrusted to them, the entire nation would have been today enjoying a robust economy, adequate infrastructure, stability and sustainability in all sectors, adequate and efficient security of lives and properties of the citizens among others, but unfortunately the reverse was the case notwithstanding the huge resources and excess crude oil gains available to the Jonathan administration. With analytical statistics indicating the immediate past administration as the worst corrupt government in the last fifty years of Nigeria, prompting the present PMB administration to have no choice than to embark on a meaningful and result oriented anti-graft war to save the economy and mass unemployment. This laudable anti-graft initiative applauded by well meaning Nigerians and the international community is already recording significant and tangible results.
It would be more appropriate for PDP to shorn and arrogance apologise to Nigeria for its sixteen years of massive fraudulent and deceitful leadership and governance that left in its wake a Nigeria in a pitiful state, particularly the South-Eastern region. The region deserves better than this horrible and sorrowful infrastructure mess which is not in tandem with the zone’s wholesome and unimpeachable support for Goodluck Jonathan and his PDP. The opposition party and its cronies need to embrace this new march to greatness engineered by the present administration, instead of engaging in a war of attrition, unconstructive and baseless criticisms over the genuine and renewed fight against corruption and insecurity by PMB, which PDP government failed woefully to address inspite of the level of support, goodwill and resources at their disposal.
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