Onaiyekan: With Maina's Reinstatement, Buhari's Anti-Corruption War Confusing

•  OurMumuDonDo takes protest to AGF’s office

By Paul Obi in Abuja
 

The Catholic Bishop of Abuja Metropolitan See, His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, yesterday, said going by the revelations from the surreptitious reinstatement of former boss of the Presidential Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed  Maina, a lot of things might be going on in the President Muhammadu Buhari  administration that many Nigerians were unaware of. 

In a related development, the Charly Boy group, OurMumuDonDo yesterday took their protest to the Abuja office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, over alleged cover up of several corruption cases against top officials of the government. 

Onaiyekan, who was speaking in Abuja at the Bicentenary (200th) anniversary of the birth of Baha’u’llah, the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, organised by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Nigeria said that the whole episode surrounding the Maina saga was confusing and unimaginable in any sane clime. 

He said: “I am confused about the whole issue. If somebody, who had been accused,  of misuse of public funds and public trust should be brought back by a government that is supposed to stand out against corruption, then something is happening that people like me cannot see. 

“Maybe, eventually, we shall begin to see what is happening in the government.”

The sack of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke, the Catholic clergy explained was not enough.

He said should the federal government fail to prosecute them, it would make other people susceptible to temptation of corruption knowing they can only be sacked from their positions after stealing.

“Also, there should be further actions beyond their sack. If nothing is done after that (their sack), others may think what can be meted to them as punishment for stealing millions is only sack. 

“They should also be made to refund the stolen monies if they were found guilty and maybe we can forgive them,” Onaiyekan said.

He also urged Nigerians to see the merits on the lives and teaching of the late Baha’u’llah on religious tolerance.

The Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Nigeria and a former FCT Commissioner of Police, Barrister Lawrence Alobi said God sent prophets to guide mankind to success and save them from errors and that Baha’u’llah born in November 1817 in the present day Iran is an evidence. 

“Prophesies of Baha’u’llah are already manifesting in the quest for mankind to seek a common front, peace and unity. Baha’u’llah stood for sustainable peace and harmonious progression of mankind,” Alobi said.

The Chainman Councilors of Baha’is of West Africa, Councilor Martins Yusufu said it is in the interest of mankind to manifest and imbibe the lives and teachings of Baha’u’llah.

Charly Boy Group Protests against AGF

The Charly Boy group, OurMumuDonDo yesterday took their protest to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, over “cover up of several corruption cases against top officials of the government.” 

The group in a letter through their lawyer, Dr Sam Amadi, delivered to officials of the Ministry of Justice in Abuja said: “Since assuming leadership of the country, the President has refused or neglected to act beyond mere words to fulfill his oath of office. 

“Since May 29, 2015, there had been many allegations of corruption against high profile public officers and presidential aides.”

They listed corruption cases involving Buhari’s aides to include: “Allegation of N270 million procurement fraud against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation; $43 million found in an apartment belonging to the former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency; N500 million alleged MTN bribery  allegation, N120 billion alleged fraud against the Inspector General of Police; alleged award of $25 billion contract, contrary to the procurement law against the Group Managing Director of the NNPC and illegal reinstatement into the civil service of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, declared wanted by the EFCC in connection with alleged N100 billion Pension Fund.”

They added: “In all these allegations, the presidency has not issued public reports. The Presidential Investigation Committee that investigated the allegations against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has submitted its report for months. The presidency has refused to release the report. 

“This is clearly against the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, particularly Sections 2 and 3 of the Act. The failure or refusal to publicly release the reports of these presidential investigations violates the President’s oath of office, the provisions of the FOI and declared policies of the administration. Also, failure or refusal to authorise the prosecution of these clear and serious allegations of violation of law and commission of crimes, amount to abuse and violation of executive powers of the federation in Section 5 of the Constitution.

“In the foregoing premises, our client demands that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria publicly releases the reports of investigation into the allegations of crimes and or violations of law against the aforementioned public officials, namely the GMD of the NNPC; the Chief of Staff to the President; the SGF and DG NIA; the Inspector General of Police and Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina.  

“Our client further demands that the President authorises the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence prosecution of the cases against these public officers in line with the provisions of the law and the report of these investigation reports and executive reviews.

“We hereby give notice that if after three weeks (21 days) after this notification the President has not publicly released these reports our client will consider to proceed to court to ask for declaratory and mandatory orders against the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria,” they stated. N