Recently here was a revelation that the Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) General Tukur Buratai owned two property in Dubai. This revelation would not have made any news if not for the fact that the COAS was an appointee of President Mohammadu Buhari, who has continued to wage a virulent war against corruption. Not only that, it was an opportunity for Nigerians to see what would be the reaction of the federal government and by extension, President Buhari to the allegation. Would the president overlook the allegation and confirm what a lot of people have always accused the administration of? That its war against corruption is tilted against the opposition. Reason for the accusation against the president and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is in the manner it has ignored all the petitions and allegations of corruption leveled against members of the president’s cabinet, some of who had served as state governors.
Today and understandably, most of the people facing corruption charges are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Prominent Nigerians have spoken against the lopsided investigation and prosecution of opposition figures as it was giving the President Buhari administration a bad name. A few apologists or hailers of the administration (as supporters of the present administration are called) have tried to justify the present action as being only a probe of what became of the arms fund and was not really a blanket probe of the past administration,  but most Nigerians are still largely unconvinced.
Back to the COAS, the army command immediately issued a statement to explain away the acquisition thus: “It is a fact that the Buratai family has two properties in Dubai that were paid for on installments through personal savings three years ago. This, along with other personal assets, has consistently been declared by General Buratai in his Assets Declaration Form as Commander , Multinational Joint Task Force and as Chief of Army Staff…
“In addition, General Buratai was never near either (the) Defense Headquarters or Army Headquarters in 2013. It is pertinent to also note that he was never a Director of procurement in Army Head­quarters as alleged. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Army never had a Directorate of Procurement till he established one last year when he became Chief of Army Staff”.  The federal government has equally cleared the army chief of any wrong doings as, “investigation has shown that the Dubai investments were based on capital market principles of shareholding”.
In spite of the attempt to explain away the property acquisitions, a lot do not add up. People have asked how the army chief was able to save enough money to acquire the property. Some people even went out of their way to calculate the earnings of General Buratai based on current salary scale, since he joined the Nigerian Army and came with the verdict that there was no way the General could have acquired the property through personal savings as explained by the army high command. The apparent contradiction between what the army said and the explanation of the federal government is also too glaring to be ignored.
The army never said the property do not belong to Gen Buratai. It said the property was his and his family’s and had always been declared in his assets declaration forms. This was contrary to the federal government’s statement that the General was only a shareholder in the ownership of the property. The contradiction only goes to show that the explanation was just being put together as the issue was breaking. That only happens when there are hidden  or half truth in a narrative.  Few days later, Sahara reporters equally came out with documents showing that the army chief made arrangement for the second property a few days after his appointment. He was alleged to have used fronts for these transactions.
With the above, one would have expected a more thorough investigation into the affairs of the army chief if one would not believe what is being said about the anti-corruption crusade of the administration that it is selective.  But this does not seem to be the case.
A clean bill of health has been given to the army chief as nobody is talking about the matter again. It is pertinent that the government revisits and do a more  thorough investigation in order not to give the impression that there is no cover up somewhere. This should also include  investigations into the different petitions against members of the cabinet.  . It is only when this is done and examples made that people wholeheartedly accept that the anti-corruption war is all encompassing.


Re: Another gradual descent into impunity

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Well portrayed Bolaji, may your pen never run dry. It’s unfortunate that the country is been plunged into another dark age with utter disregard of the sanctity of human life. The era of living in fear – sleeping with one eye open is fast creeping in on us. Security operatives that are supposed to preserve life are the ones taking it with reckless abandon. God save Nigeria- Fidelis Lemchi
Well said. But what can we do? All we do is talk/ write about it but has it really changed anything? When law enforcement officers break the law consciously and repeatedly, then who do we reports unlawful persons to. Anyways like good citizens, all we can do is to just hope for a better future. How that will come to pass however is a puzzle.—Tayo Owoeye
Not all Nigerians forget history. Some or few do. If they do, you won’t be writing/recalling history.
Even those you are addressing do not forget history. They just choose not to give a hoot.
So, Omotayo Owoeye’s point becomes apt: “All we do is talk/write, has it changed anything…?”
Next time, address the Nigerians in power that pretends to forget history. They never forget. – Kujenya Joke
Say it and the hailers will call you a wailer. Watch it, they will not comment on this because it’s so true.
Believe it or not, the greatest problem bedevilling Nigeria is not corruption but the triple malady of selective amnesia, hypocrisy and sycophancy; all of which is responsible for our national SICKophancy.–Tony Ekata
When u say things like this you are called a wailer. I had issues with some policenen last week. I couldn’t believe my ears when one of them, probably the most senior said, he will let me know this “is not the useless democratic era we were before”.
Which means, now they can do anything and go away. Anyway,  this time shall also pass.–Bayo Ogunyemi
I can add an incident I witnessed in Aba on Thursday.  At Aba close to the Abia line park,  two young men who had just purchased motorcycles without number plates were stopped by a team of policemen who questioned them on the ownership of the  motorcycles . The young men produced their papers /particulars but this didn’t convince the policemen who bundled them into a police pickup truck off to the police station.  Bystanders told me that it was a regular practice for policemen to monitor buyers of motocyles who are immediately arrested on driving out of the purchase point.—John Ndukauba