Corruption is what we of the APC are fighting now be it in your home, ward, local government, state and federal level.
Modestus Umenzekwe
Recall Mr. President’s refusal to accept National Honour of CFR by former President Obasanjo’s government. Behind the scenes of that honour was another frittered effort by the former regime of Obasanjo to cover what Mr. President would expose when he comes to power. Also the allegation of some agents of corrupt groups on N2.8 billion NNPC fund, which the Second Republic Senate leader, Olusola Saraki, was about using to embarrass Mr. President, but an NTA reporter Miss Vera Ifudu, went to interview Dr. Olusola Saraki, who allegedly said his committee discovered the missing fund in a Bank in England. After the interview, the NTA reporter reported Saraki verbatim, saying that there was no money missing.
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In addition the report of Hon. Justice Ayo Irikefe’s enquiry, the NTA investigative report on the issue destroyed all the allegations against Buhari, including that of Tai Solarin. The NTA reporter was dismissed for her investigative report over the issue for saying the truth like Ayo Irikefe and was replaced with Mrs. Chris Anyanwu, now Distinguished Senator Chris Anyanwu, who was the reporter covering the National Assembly beat. Vera Ifudu later went to court to challenge her wrongful dismissal and was paid heavily by the NTA. Later she voluntarily retired from NTA.
People who desire to truncate the war on corruption always use the N2.8 billion allegation as a ploy. The same thing happened with PTF. During Buhari’s tenure as PTF chairman, all the infrastructures that are in use today were done by him, especially in the South East. Today, he is being vilified by corrupt people, they have taken it on themselves trying to create an impression that the presidential order which he has just put in action were not done in consonance with the Judicial orders.
When uninformed educated illiterates say that Buhari has no certificate, I always laugh at them. In short, let me quote his (Buhari’s) boss at the time he was serving under General Martin Adamu, who described him as “a first class officer, very brave, but very calm; he always holds himself and insists on the standard of his men; he has first class discipline and integrity and tends to insist on such quality in his subordinates both officers and men to measure up to his standard.”
General Buhari was once quoted thus, “I have discovered that people who drafted me into politics were not sincere after all, they only wanted to use me to get appointments or their personal aggrandizement and not to serve the nation or the masses diligently and honestly.”
Like what is happening now, so many people are calling for the APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to resign or be dismissed by the party but, unknown to them, the ‘Change’ mantra has begun. Have we ever heard of open primaries in any election in this country? They always formerly went for selective primary. But Mr. President and Oshiomhole stood their ground because we nominated Mr. President in an open primary, making it open for whoever may like to contest with Mr. President to come in. Overwhelmingly, Mr. President won with millions of votes without spending a dime. So, some other people have never had it this way and those that are agitating are part of corruption that is fighting back. I challenge the opposition PDP and others to do the same thing as APC has done.
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole stuck his head to be used as a sacrificial lamb to achieve an innovation that had never been done in any part of the world. Anybody who wishes to realise the enormity of sacrifice Oshiomole is going through now will appreciate him and go home to thank God for giving us leadership in the persons of Mr. President and Oshiomhole. The issue now in our country Nigeria, no other person will fight for us in this fight against corruption, we have to tell those people that are resisting our fight now they cannot win. Corruption is what we of the APC are fighting now be it in your home, ward, local government, state and federal level. We know in the cause of this fight, we are touching their pockets and there must be resistance. We will not be intimidated. We will not allow them to take away our patrimony.
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Concluding, I want to quote Buhari in one of his public speeches: “I am used to frustration, I am not afraid of it now. After 2003 election and after Obasanjo’s election, they frustrated my case for 30 months.”
In a similar development Chief Femi Adesina, while nudging Buhari to go on, said, and I quote, “We can only ask the old soldier from Daura to march on. On this issue, some of us will follow him into battle blindfolded, no problem at all; the tested war horse had indeed inexorably so assured. I will fight to the end (Daily Sun July 18, 2017). Therefore, no retreat no surrender, the battle continues.
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Umenzekwe writes via email: [email protected]