A statement from the Presidency concerning a report that indicts former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki has dominated the discourse in various circles across the nation with a lot of disdain directed at President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to have the former NSA arrested alongside others.
According to Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, a 13 man Committee set up on August 31 is yet to finish its work but its interim report reveals Dasuki may be complicit in several fraudulent practices in an arms procurement deal which he allegedly oversaw.
Dasuki has since responded to the allegations as well as the arrest order from the President.
PRNigeria quotes him as saying, “I have never been invited formally or informally to appear before the panel.
“I am therefore not only surprised but embarrassed by the seeming indictment by the panel purportedly operating from the Office of the National Security Adviser that never contacted me.’’
The main issue for most is Buhari going back on his promise to allow the full course of the law play out while prosecuting corruption.
The opposition has buffeted the current administration with several claims of witch hunting and selective justice. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also accuses Buhari of rewarding corrupt party members and cohorts with Government positions.
A pressure group in Rivers State, The Integrity Group, wrote a petition to the President, accusing current Transport Minister and former Governor, Rotimi Amaechi of fraud while dropping N70bn as the figure involved.
He was accused of the fraudulent sale of Rivers State power assets and conversion of proceeds amounting to N60.48bn and unlawful enrichment of Messrs Collect Solutions (Nig.) Limited with public funds to the tune of N1.56bn.
A George Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers Government to look into the sale of valued assets belonging to the state, found Amaechi responsible for misappropriating state funds to the tune of N97bn.
The story is similar for the former Ekiti Governor and current Minister of Solid Minerals, Kayode Fayemi and his Lagos counterpart and current Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola amongst many others including Timipre Sylva and Abubaka Audu.
They have been recognized as major players in the Buhari campaign that led to success at the polls for the All Progressives Congress, APC. Talk has increased of them being left off any hit lists of the anti-graft agencies being compensation for their pre election efforts.
Thus far, no indications that any of them has been invited for questioning by the any of the anti-corruption agencies or the presidency ordering for his arrest have popped up.
Lawyer and social commentator, Liborous Oshoma, described the situation as wrong, saying the President has been employing double standards in his fight against corruption.
He said that anti-graft agencies under Buhari’s government have only been seen to acting on petitions against his political opponents and the like.
- “Buhari’s conduct implies that Amaechi, Fashola, Fayemi and others are all innocent until proven guilty, while Dasuki and Diezani are guilty until proven innocent,” a source said.
“What a gross perversion of justice,” he added.
The flagrant disobedience of court orders by the Department of State Security, DSS, at the instance of the President has been condemned by all and sundry.
While it is true that the DSS has the statutory power to investigate and prosecute crimes, such power must be exercised conscientiously within the enabling legal framework.
Calls have been made for the President to see that he should not carry out its function in a manner that smacks of sheer impunity or derogates from the dictates of the Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law.
Legal Practitioner and Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, COHRD, Inibehe Effiong has also come forward to insist the Government of the day cannot risk living up to a dictatorial profile.
- “Irrespective of the gravity of the charges preferred against Col. Dasuki, no matter the nature of the fresh allegations leveled against him by the DSS, he is presumed innocent by Section 36 (5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) until he is proven guilty.
“Admittedly, Dasuki may have played a significant but distasteful role in the destruction of the country by the former administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
“However, it is important for the government to follow the due process of law in its quest to hold him accountable for his actions and inactions during his tenure as the NSA in the last administration.
“The government should not resort to crude and dictatorial tactics in seeking justice. The Buhari’s administration was birthed with a solemn promise of change and rule of law. As such, the law should prevail in this case.”
It remains to be seen if in the process of fighting corruption due process will be followed.
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