STAR MEA CULPA: Probe Babangida, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua’s security votes, PDP tells Buhari

[Mobolaji Aluko]

My People:

In short..."it is not only us that have been doing these revealed things...."

Who advises these people like Olisa Metuh to make these damaging statements?

Inquiring minds want to know....

Bolaji Aluko

Shaking his head

VANGUARD

Probe Babangida, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua’s security votes,PDP tells Buhari

on December 13, 2015   /   in News 5:21 pm   

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- NATIONAL leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said Sunday that if the All Progressives Congress, APC led Federal Government must succeed in its fight against Corruption, it must probe all security votes of past Presidents and Heads of State from 1984 to date, just as it called for the establishment of a National Truth Commission.

According to the party, the security votes of past governments of former Presidents Heads of State from incumbent President, President Muhammadu Buhari, then as a Head of State; former Military President ibrahim Babangida; General Abdusalami Abubakar; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; and late Umaru Yar’Adua’s Adua.

The PDP also called on President Buhari to probe the expenditure of all military purchases and expenditure during the Bakassi wars, the fight against militancy in the Niger Delta, military interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda among others.

It also urged the APC led administration to probe the source of funding of the PDP and APC’s 2015 Presidential campaigns; the contributions from APC controlled state governors for their Presidential campaign and the beneficiaries thereof.

In a statement Sunday by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party noted that while it was in support of President Buhari’s fight against Corrupton, it must look into the past for Nigerians and the international community to take the crusade very seriously, even as it called for the probe of award of contracts by the petroleum task force from 1993 to 1999.

Metuh said,”The Leadership of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hereby reiterates its support for an honest, holistic and total war against corruption and we demand the trial and prosecution of all those involved, including those who may have returned ‘loots’ to the government.

“However, we are completely against any one-sided public trial and mob conviction of accused persons without following the age-long and worldwide legal process wherein all accused persons are presumed innocent until the contrary is lawfully proved. We do not believe that mere investigation confers a guilt verdict on those concerned and the government should stop the brutal mob and public conviction of individuals and the transfer of the burden of proof of people being investigated.

“We restate for emphasis that a media and public war against corruption is good, but it should not be limited to only those opposed to the President and the ruling party. In fact, until top officials of the former government open up on the exact source of the funding, it remains premature to be accusing our party members of corrupt practices.

“Nevertheless, if indeed the government’s investigation includes the expenditure of President Jonathan security votes from 2011, then it should be extended to a public inquisition on the following: The security votes of all past Presidents and Heads of state from 1984; The award of contracts by the petroleum task force from 1993 to 1999; expenditure of our military purchases and expenditure during the Bakassi wars, the fight against militancy in the Niger Delta, military interventions in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda among others; the source of funding of the PDP and APC’s 2015 Presidential campaigns; the contributions from APC controlled state governors for their Presidential campaign and the beneficiaries thereof as well as allegations that people were made ministers just to cover up the slush fund that they provided to finance the APC presidential campaign.

“In the light of the way and manner of this government’s selective prosecution of the war against corruption, the PDP challenges the government to set up a National Truth Commission wherein politicians and other Nigerians publicly discuss the true meaning of corrupt practice in our land. This commission would also provide a platform for a proper public inquisition into the mind-boggling wealth of some Nigerians in public office.

“Nigerians are quite eager to learn the business and investment tricks of past and present public officers in the APC fold, especially former governors, former ministers as well as their national leader, who suddenly acquired multi-billions investments and are now reputed to be the richest politicians in the country.

“Nevertheless, if indeed President Muhammadu Buhari in anyway whatsoever desires to probe his opponent in the Presidential election, he should come out straight instead of going round in circles.

“If indeed the government is interested in ending sleazes associated with campaign funds, the National Truth Commission will present an avenue for Nigerians to openly debate the issues therein with facts and figures.

“If truly this government has provided hundreds of millions of naira to columnists, media analysts and commentators as well as social media writers and bloggers to castigate, denigrate and embarrass the PDP and its leaders, then the PDP, being a party that is out of power and especially against the present hostility of the security agencies, will publicly approach the Truth Commission with revelations backed with evidence, facts and figures.

“Finally, we state categorically that the PDP will no longer allow major beneficiaries of its 16 years in power, especially those with a lot of proven baggage to attempt to adorn a sanctimonious apparel by castigating and denigrating a party on which platform they had the opportunity to serve.”

[Ikhide]

Bolaji,

Oliseh Metuh is spot on; Buhari's anti-Corruption stance is a witch hunt directed at the PDP and his personal enemies. That is why it is having an image problem. This is the prevailing sentiment as articulated by one Okoli Chuemeka on social media: 

"The only problem with Dasuki's loot is that it was not used to sponsor Buhari's campaign, else the man would have been a saint like Rotimi Amaechi."

Many of us have always said loudly that what has been going on in the name of democracy since 1999 is massive looting - supervised by the likes of Obasanjo and Tinubu. There is absolutely no difference between the APC and the PDP, they are all thieves.  What Dasuki did is exactly what they all do, sink imaginary boreholes with millions of dollars and create personal websites with hundreds of thousands of Nigerians' dollars. No shame. And it appears that virtually ALL our newspapers were/are part of the looting spree. This is who we are. Nonsense. 

 

The APC, that break-away at Bolaji, the other day on Facebook, I said this:

"Those that are most impervious to systemic change in Nigeria are many of the very young for whom this fight is all about. They will fight any attempt to free them from the slavery that feeds them crumbs at the master's table. The APC has thrived on the energy of these young people for whom the end justifies the means. Nigeria is not going to be free soon, many young people like it just like this."

And someone paraphrased me thus by replacing APC with PDP:

"Those that are most impervious to systemic change in Nigeria are many of the very young for whom this fight is all about. They will fight any attempt to free them from the slavery that feeds them crumbs at the master's table. The PDP has thrived on the energy of these young people for whom the end justifies the means. Nigeria is not going to be free soon, many young people like it just like this."

In doing so, he made my point beautifully, that there is absolutely no difference between the thieves of the PDP and the APC; they are both vile vermin united in raping our land. 

By the way, the myth of an opposition is just that, a myth. There is really no opposition; our politicians (APC and PDP) are mostly thieves united against the Nigerian people.

What Mr. Buhari proudly calls an anti corruption war is what I see as a fight among thieves. It lacks structure and focus, is unsustainable and will die an ignominious death like the ones before it. It lacks structure and focus, is unsustainable and will die an ignominious death like the ones before it. 

We need a systemic, focused approach to combating corruption, plugging avenues for looting using robust systems of accountability,  and replacing corruption as a structure of revenue/income sharing and generation with a more wholesome and sustainable one. We need a Marshall Plan to change our culture that is so tied to corruption as the preferred way of life. 

Until then, let us enjoy the food fight among kleptomaniacs. Until now, let us enjoy the food fight among kleptomaniacs. I will not get involved, not as long as criminals like Amaechi are the judges. Stand back, by the time this is all over, hopefully not one of them will be standing.

To hell with every one of them.

- Ikhide

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[Anunoby, Ogugua]

Does anyone know who funded the APC presidential campaign? The party's candidate was widely reported to be not rich. He could not have funded his campaign from own funds therefore.  Who did then and have they got any payback? My question to those who propose a cut off point in the prosecution of the theft of public funds by government and other officials by the present administration is a simple one. Is there a statute of limitation on the crimes? Abacha has been dead for many years now. Funds  he allegedly stole are still being recovered from

different repositories without a successful prosecution of his estate or his administration. Why not the others before or after the Abacha Administration? Is there not a fairness case to be made about the unequal treatment of Abacha? Death it seems has been Abacha's undoing. If he was still with us, the story would have been different.

oa

Sent from my iPhone

[Emmanuel Udogu]

oa

Perhaps Abacha would have bribed the judiciary and gone free. Or, his theft would not have seen the light of day. The judiciary is one of our tripartite power-sharing organs (Executive, Legislative and Judicial)-- an arm of the government that needs cleansing--I mean serious cleansing. On paper, this arrangement that we borrowed from the US was meant to introduce a system of checks and balances. Not so in Nigeria where the judiciary seems to work at the behest of the Executive branch. Folks, our battle to clean up our corrupt system has just begun. Never again will our leaders take us for granted. 

To paraphrase one of our former leaders: "I governed you as a military man. You elected me [fraudulently] twice. Now tell me, who is the 'mumu' I or you who elected me?" My answer is we are the "mumus!"

Ike Udogu

[Ayo Obe]

While I doubt it made a very large contribution to the total campaign cost (and we may not know until parties file their accounts as required) ordinary people contributed to the APC campaign fund.  They had instruments like the text message fund raising (temporarily halted by the NCC), recharge cards and so on.

But should that question prevent inquiry into the one that is now being made apparent?  I don't think so.

Ayo

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @naijama

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

Ike,

YouAy be right. What seems more likely to me is that Abacha will be untouchable as others before and after him have been. It is kind of a class thing. The club of of former dictators, heads of state, and presidents has privileges and benefits. Only living members enjoy them. They are not accountable to any one or authority. Remember the Oputa Commission and the disdain with which they treated the commission? They all including the serving president got away with their snob did they not? Death of a member is at the member and their estates' risk as is evident in the Abacha case it seems. 

oa

Sent from my iPhone

[olaka...@aol.com]

OA et al:

 

 How can Dasukigate be considered  a form of witch hunting

when Dasuki and some of the fellow accused are already "singing"

like parrots and admitting to stealing public funds?

 

The looters were so sloppy, it does not require an Inspector Clousseau

to trace and find their criminal activities. They kept on transferring public

funds into their own private accounts and their cronies accounts in April 2015

weeks after they had lost the elections on Mar 28, 2015.

 

Are you guys suggesting that the FGN should let them go and keep on

enjoying their loot until OBJ and those who served under him have also

been tried and convicted?

 

The criminal justice system does not aim to catch and prosecute

all offenders. Its mission is to prosecute alleged offenders and

punish them if they are found guility.

 

None of these shenanigans would have surfaced if GEJ and the

PDP had won the March 28 elections.

 

We  should let the judicial process decide whether or not the process

that led to the arrests of the accused is witch hunting.  Hopefully, the law

will set them free if they are truly innocent of the charges.

 

Nigeria is indeed a strange nation full of strange people!

 

Bye,

 

Ola

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

I do not know that chasing after Dasuki is a witch hunt and have not said that it is. I know however that it would be if others like him are treated differently.  Dasuki is singing today. What about those who sang before Dasuki?

Nigeria's economic, political, and social space is awash in news and glaring evidence of theft of public funds by privileged government officials. Why some cases and not others are prioritized for investigation and possible prosecution is the question. 

It is possible to conduct and prosecute more than a few cases of said theft at the same time is it not? What is stopping the Buhari Administration from resurrecting some of the unresolved buried cases of corruption one may ask? Every administration is a successor to its the one before it is it not? Why the preference for new cases? The above are legitimate questions in my opinion. What is the compelling reason for the urgency? Is it any surprise that there are many who may suspect there is a witch hunt one may ask.

OA

Sent from my iPhone

[olaka...@aol.com]

It is possible to conduct and prosecute more than a few cases of said theft at the same time is it not? What is stopping the Buhari Administration from resurrecting some of the unresolved buried cases of corruption one may ask? Every administration is a successor to its the one before it is it not? Why the preference for new cases? The above are legitimate questions in my opinion. What is the compelling reason for the urgency? Is it any surprise that there are many who may suspect there is a witch hunt one may ask.

OA

 

 

OA:

 

You asked:

 

It is possible to conduct and prosecute more than a few cases of said theft at the same time is it not?

 

Answer: Yes it is possible to prioritize 'cold' cases if we borrow the term used by the Homicide squad, but such

prioritization should not be at the expense of new cases--where the evidence is so fresh the police dogs could still

sniff out the trace events.

 

          "What is stopping the Buhari Administration from resurrecting some of the unresolved buried cases of corruption one may ask?

 

Answer: Nothing except that limited resources must be channeled first and foremost towards fresh cases in which the success

rate of the prosecuting in obtaining guilty verdict and ensuring that the looted funds are returned are much better than pursuing

cold cases of corrupt practices.

 

Questions: "Every administration is a successor to its the one before it is it not?

Why the preference for new cases? The above are legitimate questions in my opinion.

What is the compelling reason for the urgency?

 

Answer: Yes. Every administration is a successor to the previous administration.

GEJ chose to let OBJ off the hook. Rather than give the EFCC the resources the organization needed

to prosecute those who looted the treasury during the OBJ years, GEJ allowed his Attorney General

to throw obstacles in the path of the EFCC's attempts to prosecute the alleged thieves.

 

The answers to the remainder of the rest of the questions can be found in #1 and # 2 above.

 

The most compelling case to have these alleged crooks prosecuted is that Nigeria is broke.

The treasury is bare.

 

Instead of using $335 million USD to support and bolster the value of the Naira--some rogues

in high places betrayed the trust of the people. stole the funds distributed them amongst their cronies

and repatriated the remainder to Swiss and other foreign bank accounts.

 

The negative impact of the financial criminal offences far outweigh the impact of the offences committed by armed robbers, hired killers

and even the BH on Nigerian society. Armed robbers and the BH kill hundreds and thousands of Nigerians

every year while treasury looters kill millions of Nigerian children and adults whom they deprive of the necessities

of life by stealing the funds that are meant for their welfare.

 

We cannot continue to do things the same way in Nigeria and keep on expecting

different results.

 

PMB has decided to make a difference in Nigeria. It is no longer business as usual.

 

You steal public funds; you go to jail or better still if we can amend the criminal

code---You steal' you die by facing a firing squad just as they do in China!

[Anunoby, Ogugua]

Ike,

You may be right. What seems more likely to me is that Abacha will be untouchable as others before and after him have been. It is kind of a class thing. Membership of the club of former dictators, Heads of State, and presidents has very special and in some cases unlawful privileges and benefits. Only living members enjoy them. They are not accountable to any one or authority. Remember the Oputa Commission and the disdain with which they treated it? They all including the serving president got away with their snob did they not? Death of a member is at the member and their estates' risk as is evident in the Abacha case it seems. 

 

oa