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| Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole |
Is the Buhari
administration selective in its corruption war? No, says Edo State Governor
Adams Oshiomhole, who dismissed such allegations by aides of former President
Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its senators. According to the
governor, President Muhammadu Buhari has not done anything out of place by
beaming his anti-corruption searchlight on those who ran the nation’s affairs
and managed the economy in the last dispensation.
The
governor spoke during a reception held in Abuja on Friday night by the Nigerian
Guild of Editors (NGE) for the Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, and the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, both of whom are former
President of the guild.
The
Nation report continues:
Oshiomhole,
who represented the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as
the event’s Chairman, said: “They (Adesina and Garba) are serving a
President who appreciates that these problems have to be confronted headlong: a
President who boldly told the world that the issue of corruption, if it is not
killed, it will kill us. And since we don’t want to die, we have to kill
corruption.
“But
the forces behind corruption are powerful; some are visible and some are not
visible. They are men and women of means. Many are even billionaires in dollar
and euro.
“Now
where are the forces that will queue behind the president to confront the
drivers of corruption? As you can see, people are already asking questions
about due process, people are asking questions about selective prosecution and
so on.
“And
it will be the job of Shehu and Femi to remind people that if you managed a
house for 16 years and members of the community believe that the house has not
been properly managed and that the reason for the mismanagement is that some
people wilfully resorted to corrupt practices, you can only deal with those in
that house, the people who had responsibility for managing the house.
“So
when you select those people and deal with them, of course it is selective. You
can only select from among those who are involved with crime. Editors will help
to take this to our people.”
He
wondered why those crying foul now kept silent when many wrongdoings were
carried out under Jonathan.
His
words: “my helicopter was stopped when I was going to Ekiti State as a
governor with immunity. I was stopped by a low-level military officer from
flying to Ekiti because my purpose was to campaign. I didn’t quite hear pastors
protest on my behalf.
“When
Rotimi Amaechi was detained by a Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and
they moved tankers to Government House, heavens didn’t fall.” Stressing that
it is impossible to fight corruption without having casualties, Oshiomhole
said: “it is only in Nigeria that, for 16 years, a particular political party
was in power, they were fighting corruption war but there were no casualties.
It is like the Nigerian Police that sees criminal and shoot into the air.”
He
said that for once Nigeria now has a President with enormous political
will to get the job done.
“Whether
in the course of doing it, he will make a mistake that he will become too
careful as to leave the job undone. For all of us who agree, lamentations won’t
be our portion forever. It is time to get organized and deal with these
issues.”
He
urged editors to support the two presidential media aides in the discharge
of their duties.
“As
spokesmen for the President, they have a huge task but the men and women
(editors) in this hall have what it takes to make their job less
challenging,” he said.
“For
me, the media are the best fighters. If you don’t fight, the society will not
grow. Garba, keep fighting; Adesina, keep fighting; editors keep
fighting until the war against corruption is won; until Nigeria is free.”
The
NGE Acting President, Mallam Garba Mohammed, said that the event was to express
the editors’ happiness at the appointment of the presidential aides.
He
described them as round pegs in round holes and a perfect team for the
job.
“We
will be with them through thin and thick,” he stated.
The two presidential aides
were also presented with gifts during the event.
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