The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday berated the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari as African Union’s anti-corruption champion.
Describing the appointment as laughable derisory and eminently qualified as Africa’s joke of the year, the leading opposition party said it was clear that leaders of the African Union were not well briefed on happenings in Nigeria, particularly the “heavy sleazes going on around the Buhari presidency.”
The position of the PDP was made known in a statement made available to The Next Edition by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan.
It would be recalled that on July 4, 2017 during the 29th Session of the AU, African leaders unanimously endorsed President Buhari to champion the fight against corruption on the continent.
The endorsement was in recognition of his personal commitment and widely acclaimed anti-graft drive at the domestic level.
On July 25, 2017, the president, in a letter to President Alpha Conde of Guinea, who is also the out-going AU chairperson, formally accepted his nomination to lead members of the AU on the crucial crusade against a veritable socio-economic vice that is anti-development.
In view of his position, Buhari is scheduled to deliver a statement with the theme: “Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation” at the ongoing AU summit in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
But reacting to the recognition given to Buhari as anti-corruption champion, Ologbodiyan said it was embarrassing that the Presidency, in its desperation to launder its irredeemably battered image, resorted to “exporting its deceptive proclivities to the international arena.”
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The party said the AU would not have honoured President Buhari if it knew that what obtained in Nigeria was direct persecution of opposition under the guise of war against corruption, while officials of his government swam head deep in corruption under the overt protection of the Presidency.
“As we speak, those receiving accolades as champions of anti-corruption have not yet cleared the air on the leaked memo detailing underhand oil contracts to the tune of N9 trillion ($25billion dollars) at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources which are under President Buhari’s direct supervision as minister.
“They are yet to offer any explanation on series of reported fraud in the oil sector including allegation of the use of 18 unregistered companies to lift and divert N1.1trillion worth of crude oil in the last one year to service APC interests.
“This is a government which has provided cover for its corrupt officials including former state governors, who were indicted of looting funds belonging to their states to sponsor their presidential election in 2015 as well as cronies openly indicted for other various sharp practices, including padding of federal budget, secret oil subsidy deals and stealing of funds meant for fight against insurgency and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),” said the PDP.
The party added that it might interest the AU that the Presidency had virtually failed to do anything regarding the alleged diversion of N5 billion meant for the IDPs under the Presidential Initiative on the Northeast for which the Senate mounted a stiff investigation, only because officials of APC government was indicted.
It said the AU might also need to be shown the motion by Senator Baba Kaka Garba from Borno Central, who exposed how some individuals, known to have connections with the APC, fraudulently cornered N1.2 billion from the Federal Government under the guise of supplying items to IDPs, only for the money to be diverted for other purposes which are related to APC interests.
“Furthermore, the AU might need to know that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who was openly indicted by the Senate for stealing funds meant for IDP activities, was only arrested after a public outcry but was quickly released with a pat on the wrist, while opposition members facing similar charges are being detained and persecuted with spurious charges in various courts.
“The truth lies bare that the Buhari administration is not engaging in any fight against corruption but political witch-hunt of opposition, while his government reeks with corruption,” the PDP added.
