‘Corrupt Heads of MDAs Under Buhari Shouldn’t Escape Justice’

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress,  Timi Frank  yesterday  pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to allow former and serving top officials appointed by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, who allegedly  abused their offices not to escape justice.

Frank made the call in a statement in Abuja. He said the affected persons deserved to be guests of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He identified some of them to include former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; a former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika; and a former Attorney- General for the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.

The list also included the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman (now appointed Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Coordination).

Frank also included in the list, a former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali; the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamo; a former Managing Director and Sole Administrators of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as former and immediate past Service Chiefs appointed by Buhari.

Frank said: “Nigerians know how agencies managed or still being managed by these former and present government officials were run in the most opaque and corrupt manner.  The president has no choice but to demand accountability on behalf of the people.

“The suspension and arrest of the Governor of Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AbdulRasheed Bawa have been hailed by Nigerians.

“Their arrest should be a tip of the iceberg; the President must not let his anti-corruption drive stop with these two individuals.

“Those that must be investigated and prosecuted are still running free out there and the earlier they are rounded up and made to face the law for economic sabotage, the better for this country. Besides, some of them have already found their way into the present administration like Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman.

“There is further intelligence that others like her are currently lobbying cabal around Tinubu to get a soft landing or better still find their way into the administration by way of appointment.”

He insisted that failure to arrest and prosecute these suspects known to have used their offices for selfish gain would show that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is only out to witch-hunt Emefiele and Bawa now under DSS custody. 

He said that that ex-officials like Sylva need to answer questions on alleged identity theft, sale of oil blocks, marginal oil fields and refineries.

He said: “Sirika needs to tell Nigerians the whereabouts of Air Nigeria and monumental funds spent on it so far.  On her part, Sadiya Umar Farouq needs to tell the DSS and EFCC how money voted for social investment programme especially school feeding were expended.”

He urged the EFCC and DSS to extend that probe actives to cover former Service Chiefs and Inspector General of Police from the administration of former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai up to the ones recently retired by the current administration.

He further urged Tinubu to be wary of former governors especially of the PDP who are now pretending to support his administration.