Double Standard, Integrity and the Buhari Legacy by Akin Fadeyi.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu PHOTO: TWITTER/NNPC

On the 4th of October 2017, Nigerians woke up to a very shocking letter from the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. The letter, addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari read in part:  

“In over one year of Maikanti Baru’s tenure as the GMD of NNPC, no contract has been run through the NNPC board”

The minister listed major contracts awarded by Baru without the input of NNPC Board, to include $10 billion crude term contracts; $5 billion direct sales direct purchase (DSDP) contracts and $3 billion AKK pipeline contract.”

After, Baru responded, questioning the minister’s authority to oversee his contract award processes. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, countered his position on October 12, 2017 declaring Baru’s defence as puerile and his conduct, an illegality.  

Here was Falana’s submission:

“The defense of the Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru, that he has powers to award contracts to the exclusion of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is illegal and violates the NNPC Act. Dr. Baru failed to recognize the provision of Section 6 (c) of the NNPC Act, which has vested the Board of the NNPC with the exclusive power to enter into contracts or partnerships with any company, firm or person which in the opinion of the corporation will facilitate the discharge of the said duties under this Act.”

Without clobbering this issue, it was clear that Baru was undermining the sanctity of transparency and accountability in an organization that held pivotal responsibilities for critical oversight of the nation’s socioeconomic fabric. Coming from Buhari’s minister, Ibe Kachikwu’s letter was not just a petition; it was a bombshell insider account of irregularities in the NNPC. 

What did President Buhari do? Nothing. Baru is still GMD of NNPC.

July 2018, Nigerian Governors Forum publicized their “suspicion that the NNPC was reporting excessive petrol consumption figure to facilitate deduction of undue petrol cost from domestic crude cost.” This, they contended explains the shortfall in what NNPC remits to the Federation Account. In other words, the governors were alleging that the NNPC was shortchanging Nigeria. I do not take the governors too seriously. After all, this outcry couldn’t have been in the interest of Nigerians. It might be informed about how much they could corner more for their states. You can pointedly ask how all they collected in the past helped to elevate the lifestyle of the masses? It is nonetheless instructive to note that the President, who Baru reports to, did nothing. Surely Mr. President “belongs to some people.” 

July 6th 2017, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole suspended the Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf from Katsina, Buhari’s home state on allegations and petitions of fraud, executive recklessness, nepotism and high handedness. President Buhari reinstated Yusuf to a bewildered nation. I pointedly asked the minister if the President sought a “one on one” with him to demand explanations over why Yusuf was sacked. The minister in a collective responsibility show of loyalty said “My Principal means well for the whole nation.” I smiled. 

Did I actually have to bother since this also meant a flagrant thumb-down of the President’s own Deputy, Yemi Osinbajo just to put back in play a combative, entitled and overindulged Yusuf?

October 18, 2018, eight months after his reinstatement by Buhari, the now emboldened Yusuf allegedly commenced an unprecedented scheming and divisive leadership. He also reportedly sidelined the Board in decision-making. The NHIS Governing Council, led by Dr. Enyatu Ifenne once again suspended Yusuf on the grounds of financial infractions. He was accused amongst other things of attempting to single handedly invest NHIS’ N25 billion fund in a curious transaction that undermined the scheme and the Nigerian nation. He was accused of same executive recklessness and nepotism. Rather than take a serious look at this repeated allegations with a view to putting his foot down to cut Yusuf to size, the President was foot-dragging until there was so much outrage from citizens. 

As a matter of fact, Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, made a quick dash to Channels TV in defense of Yusuf. On October 23, 2018, these were his words: “…did the Board follow due process in suspending this gentleman (Yusuf)?…No, they haven’t.” 

One cannot but ask why the Federal Government would employ meteoric speed to brush aside damning allegations against a public official raised against him by fellow appointees of the President? Curious isn’t it? The ensuing social media frenzy where sponsored foot soldiers of Yusuf and the government went to war with those who demanded Buhari’s big stick on Yusuf was a ridiculous show of the confusion,  dishonesty of purpose and contradictions that defined Buhari’s integrity mouthing and weak-fist fight against corruption. It was an ideological illusion of a house divided against itself. That Buhari’s appointed officials could even get into “street fight” over accusations of corruption succinctly symbolizes a team working at cross purposes.

And as the Federal Government grudgingly set up a panel of inquiry to look into the alleged infractions upon which a report was submitted on the December 24, the nation is waiting with bated breath Buhari’s decision to either end Yusuf’s turbulent career or indulge him further.

Two Powerful Men Behind Buhari’s Slow Progress –Aisha.

(Nigeria's First Lady, Aisha Buhari) 

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, yesterday revealed that the leadership of the country under her husband would have performed better, but for two powerful individuals standing as clogs in its wheels. Mrs. Buhari said there are two men in President Muhammadu Buhari administration who have constituted themselves as hindrance for the speedy progress of governance.

The President’s wife said that she is disappointed in men who rather than fight these two men will go to them in the night begging for favor.

The President’s wife, who spoke at a National Women Leadership Summit organised by a political group, Project 4+4 for Buhari & Osinbajo 2019, in Abuja, however, did not mention the names of the powerful persons. She noted that if not for the two powerful men, Buhari’s achievements in the last three and a half years would have been accomplished by the President in one year. Mrs. Buhari stated that the two people in government would never allow things to move fast.

The First Lady, however, stated that the President has done well in the delivery of good governance. The event was also attended by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo. Mrs. Buhari urged Nigerian women to rise up and fight.

(Nigeria's president, Mohammed Buhari)

When the Political Adviser to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojodu, was signaling to the First Lady to move away from the topic, she said: “I have realized that Senator Babafemi Ojodu, Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, and Dr. Hajo Sani, my aide, Sajo, and wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Osinbajo, are not comfortable with me saying this and want me to confine myself to my prepared speech, but we must say the truth.”

The President’s wife insisted that the two powerful people are retrogressive elements preventing the government from moving forward. This is not the first time the first Lady would be critical of her husband’s government and its functionaries.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Aisha had stated that Buhari’s government had been hijacked by only a “few people”, who were behind presidential appointments. According to her, the president did not know most of the officials he appointed. The First Lady stated that people who did not share the vision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were appointed to top posts because of the influence a “few people” wield.

Her words: “The president does not know 45 out of 50 of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years. “Some people are sitting down in their homes folding their arms only for them to be called to come and head an agency or a ministerial position,” she said.

When asked to name those who had hijacked the government, the First Lady simply said: “You will know them if you watch television.” Asked whether the president was in charge, Mrs. Buhari had said: “That is left for the people to decide.”

(Nigeria's National Assembly in Session)

Meanwhile, Mrs. Buhari has observed that during the last election, women participated fully in the voting process and ensured that APC was elected. According to her, “That is why the government of President Buhari came up with social investment programmes targeted at them and their children in order to engage them and reduce the level of poverty among them.

“I wish to call on women to spread the good news and accomplishments of the present administration. “I also call on you to propagate our party manifesto which promises to change the lives of Nigerians and what it has achieved so far,’’ she said.

She called on women not to relent in their effort at sensitising and mobilising women to ensure the success of the party in the 2019 elections. Mrs. Buhari said with commencement of campaign for the 2019 elections, the key areas for APC women would be critical information sharing, security awareness and advocacy against vote buying.

She said that the summit had set the tune for Buhari/Osinbajo support groups to go on with the 2019 campaign.

The wife of the president, therefore, appealed to participants drawn from the 774 local government areas of the country to reflect on the achievements of the Buhari administration. In her contributions, the wife of Vice-President,  Mrs. Osinbajo, said that the APC government had performed creditably in the fight against insurgency and the rebuilding and rehabilitation of victims of insurgency and their communities.

On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Dr. Hajo Sani, urged women to be resilient in the effort to ensure the re-election of Buhari/ Osinbajo in the 2019 election. According to her, women are convinced that the Buhari administration had completed and initiated new road projects as well as other infrastructure developments across the country.

Sani restated the commitment of the wife of the President to better the lives of women and children through gender balancing in Nigeria. Also, the former Deputy Governor of Plateau, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, appealed to Nigerian women to give the Buhari/Osinbajo a chance in the 2019 elections to consolidate on their achievements. Earlier, the APC National Woman Leader, Hajiya Salamatu Baiwa, urged APC women to shun campaign of calumny.

Nigeria's Buhari to face political heavyweight in re-election bid.

As per reports from AFP, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (shown below) will run for re-election in February 2019 against former vice president Atiku Abubakar (shown above), a Muslim from the country's north who was nominated on Sunday as the main opposition party's poll contender.

Buhari, a 75-year-old former military ruler, was the sole candidate for his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party, so his confirmation by some 7,000 delegates gathered in the capital Abuja was a mere formality on Saturday.

The APC swept to power in 2015 with the first opposition victory at the ballot box in the country's history. But next year's presidential race appears to have tightened in recent months with the APC hit by a wave of defections over Buhari's leadership style. On Sunday, delegates to a convention of the former ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, nominated Abubakar, 71, as his challenger for next year's poll.

Reacting to the nomination, the presidency congratulated Abubakar but added that it "noted with interest all the reports in the media as to massive vote-buying at the PDP primaries. One wonders what such a candidate would do with public funds," the statement added.

The politician cum business tycoon has made four previous bids for the top job in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation. Abubakar comes from the Muslim-majority north, and his nomination follows an unwritten rule in Nigeria that the presidency should alternate every two terms between a candidate from the north and south. Despite humble beginnings in northern Nigeria, he rose through the ranks of the customs service for two decades before entering the private sector, investing in oil services and agriculture, among others. From there he joined the civilian government where he became one of Nigeria's most recognisable and enduring politicians. But he has been dogged by controversies over his numerous wives and more than 20 children as well as corruption allegations.

'Baba Go Slow' - Buhari, the retired general who headed a military regime in the 1980s, has faced growing pressure to step down because of failing health after spending several months in London last year receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Dubbed "Baba Go Slow" because he took six months to appoint cabinet ministers, he has also faced attacks for his handling of the economy, which plunged into recession in 2016. He has also come under criticism on security issues, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, long-running farmer-herder clashes in the centre and militancy and kidnapping in the south.