I am flummoxed why President Good luck Jonathan is in love with corruption. He enjoys the company of very corrupt people. President Jonathan has been ambivalent and apologetic about corruption. He once pointedly but gleefully told a startled nation that Nigerian politicians are thieves but not corrupt.
When he was asked in a presidential media chat why he has not declared his assets as required by the Constitution; he embarrassingly said he does not give a damn. This is despite the fact that as President he is supposed to be Law abiding; a Protector, Custodian and Guardian of the Constitution.
I have never heard President Jonathan condemning corruption strongly and unequivocally. President Jonathan said he has to be re-elected before he would come out with a road map for tackling corruption. President Jonathan once told foreign journalists that the issue of corruption is over exaggerated. He said there is no corruption in Nigeria but merely stealing. In other words in President Jonathan’s perspective stealing is not corruption!
Recently when the Anti-Corruption International NGO, Transparency International came out with its annual corruption perception index Report and Nigeria was rated the 15th Most Corrupt country in the world; President Jonathan aides rolled out the drums celebrating.
When the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Maduke was invited by the House of Representatives Committee investigating the leasing of a private aircraft for N10 Billion, President Jonathan came out openly to defend her refusal to honour the invitation to appear before the Committee.
Recently when the Anti-Corruption International NGO, Transparency International came out with its annual corruption perception index Report and Nigeria was rated the 15th Most Corrupt country in the world; President Jonathan aides rolled out the drums celebrating.
When the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison Maduke was invited by the House of Representatives Committee investigating the leasing of a private aircraft for N10 Billion, President Jonathan came out openly to defend her refusal to honour the invitation to appear before the Committee.
President Jonathan directed the withdrawal by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation of criminal charges against Mohammed Abacha for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
President Jonathan has refused to cause the prosecution of several government officials that were indicted by a German Munich State Court in the notorious Siemens and Halliburton scandals where hundreds of millions of dollars were paid to government officials as bribes. President Jonathan even appointed one of these officials, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello as his Campaign Manager for his PDP Primary Presidential Nomination Campaign.
President Jonathan once a time granted State pardon to the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha who was convicted of corruption perpetrated when he was Governor.
President Jonathan once a time granted State pardon to the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha who was convicted of corruption perpetrated when he was Governor.
The former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu in his reaction then to the pardon of Alamieyeseigha by President Jonathan described in an interview with the BBC African Service as the final nail in the coffin of fighting corruption in the country. Ironically Nuhu Ribadu is now in the same party with President Jonathan.
President Jonathan also granted State Pardon to as Army Officer, Major Bello Magaji who was convicted by an Army Court Martial for the offence of Sodomy contrary to Section 81 of the Armed Forces Act, 1993 and whose conviction had been affirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in a judgment delivered on the 7th March 2008.
One of President Jonathan’s beloved political friend and associate is Buruji Kashamu who is standing trial in the United States of America on drug offence charges. Indeed it is President Jonathan’s friendship with Kashamu that former President Olusegun cited in his famous letter as one of his reasons for keeping his distance from him
President Jonathan in speech at the launch of his campaign in Lagos castigated his opponent, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for jailing corrupt politicians in 1984 when he was Head of State. President Jonathan said he does not believe in putting into jail corrupt government officials.
Yesterday in Enugu, President Jonathan lampooned his challenger, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for jailing the former Governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo. He said with tongue in cheek that Gen. Buhari was not right to jail Chief Nwobodo for stealing an amount of money that was equivalent to price of Peugeot car.
President Jonathan further said that buying of brand new cars and aircrafts by serving public officials does not amount to corruption in any ramification but hard work!
President Jonathan urged the people of Enugu State not to vote Gen. Buhari because he jailed Chief Nwobodo for corruption!
President Jonathan urged the people of Enugu State not to vote Gen. Buhari because he jailed Chief Nwobodo for corruption!
Incredulously leading supporters of President Jonathan such as Akin Osuntokun and Femi Fani Kayode have condemned suggested that he should not be voted for by the people of the South West that Gen. Buhari for jailing corrupt politicians from the South West Region in the 1980s and.
So in the reckoning of President Jonathan, Gen. Buhari should not be voted because he ensured that the Law was enforced while he was Military Head of State 30 years ago!
OKOI OBONO-OBLA.