What makes many people begin to doubt the sincerity of President Muhammadu Buhari in his war against corruption is his reward or motivation approach to those around him who are perceived to be corrupt, in contradistinction to those outside his political circle, who he considers to be corrupt, and has continued to haunt, harass and chastise.
According to a prominent member of the National Assembly, while President Buhari is shelling PDP members with insecticide and other dangerous chemicals, he uses deodorant on corrupt APC members, a case of reward and punishment approach to two people who committed the same offence.
Every honest Nigerian knew very well that it was not from the two hundred and something heads of cattle which Buhari claimed that he owned, or from his earnings as a retired military officer, that he used to contest the 2015 Presidential election as well as the earlier elections he had contested.
We are aware that there were some people who sponsored Buhari in those elections, people who had cornered the resources of their states to sponsor his electioneering campaign, but the man simply looked the other way, as if nothing had happened. But rather apply the big stick against these people who had milked their states dry, President Buhari merely rewarded with lucrative positions in his administration.
When they told us that Babchier Lawal, former Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), had used N200 million to cut grass in the IDPs camp, we had waited for the full weight of law to descend on him in line with the acclaimed anti corruption war of the present administration. But that did not happen. Instead, the man was simply patted on the back and told to go home and enjoy his loot.
Babchier Lawal is now not only a free man, but he has also become one of the major campaigners of the “Buhari must come back in 2019”, while those who stole even less than what he stole are currently cooling off in various EFCC cells across the country.
When they begin to tell us about PDP members being corrupt, we wonder how a common ADC to the wife of the President of an APC government had come about with the N2.5 billion for which he is now being investigated – a case of a thief stealing from a thief.
Now, look at the case of Professor Yusuf Usman, the Executive Secretary of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). In June 2017, Professor Usman was suspended from office by the Minister of Health, Professor Issac Adewole, after an administrative panel had found the man guilty of allegations of gross misconduct, nepotism and financial recklessness to the tune of N919 million.
In October the same year, the Health Minister made the suspension of Professor Usman indefinite, pending the final action by President Muhammadu Buhari.
But in February 2018, President Buhari through a letter from his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, to the Health Minister, Isaac Adewole, ordered the reinstatement of Professor Yusuf Usman, and urged to “work harmoniously with him”, without mentioning how the NHIS Executive Secretary had cleared himself of the allegations against him.
Just last Thursday, October 18, 2018, one year after the Minister of Health, Professor Adewole, had ordered the indefinite suspension of Professor Yusuf, the NHIS Governing Council came out to announce the indefinite suspension of the Executive Secretary, over his alleged involvement in corruption and other shoddy deals.
According to the Chairman of NHIS Governing Council, Dr. Enyatu Efene, Professor Yusuf was found guilty of fraudulent inflation of the cost of biometric capturing machines and attempt to illegally execute N30 billion investment in Federal Government bonds.
Professor Yusuf was also accused of “unlawful staff posting and wilful defiance of Council’s directive, wilful refusal to implement Council’s directive on the disbanding of illegal unions, unauthorized staff travel in defiance of Council’s directive”, among other infractions.
Curiously, notwithstanding the suspension order handed on him by the Governing Council of NHIS, the next day, Friday, October 19, 2018, Professor Yusuf resurfaced at the NHIS office. He claimed that the Governing Council had no power to suspend him, and that only President Buhari can suspend him.
According to reports, Professor Yusuf arrived the NHIS office at about 10.30 am, went straight to his office and remained there till the end of the day, to the astonishment and bewilderment of most members of staff, who watched helplessly in disbelief. That is Nigeria for you.
The assumption over there is that Professor Yusuf Usman has an Abraham as a father. That was what has made him to become untouchable. Each time he commits an offence, there is always an Abraham out there to give him protection and to order for his recall. Otherwise, why is it that each time Professor Yusuf was sent on suspension either by the Minister of Health, the Presidency would recall him without mentioning anything about his infractions, or each time he was suspended by the Governing Council of NHIS, the next day, the man would be back in the office without qualms!
Please, let nobody come out to tell me about Buhari’s integrity, or that the man is fighting corruption. I will wrestle such fellow to the ground. I hate hypocrisy, that is, “do as I say, and not as I do”.
