Afenifere attacks Buhari for clearing SGF, Babachir Lawal of corruption

Pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, said on Wednesday that it is unfortunate and a moral burden for the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari that prides itself in waging anti-corruption war to still have both the SGF, Babachir Lawal and EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, in the comfort of their offices, having been accused of various allegations in the performance of their duties.

The group spoke through its spokesperson, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in a telephone chat with the Nigerian Tribune.

Expressing disappointment with the handling of the cases involving the duo by President Buhari, Odumakin described as unfortunate what he termed as technical rigmarole by the Presidency to engage in attempts to save the job of Lawal, the Secretary to Government of Federation.

Afenifere’s spokesperson said in trying to defend Lawal, the presidency had raised excuses including the number of those who appended their signature to a petition or report against the SGF and those who should normally sign such, pointing out that such exercise amounted to sweeping the real allegation under the carpet and, therefore, a moral burden for President Buhari who had continued to lay claim to fighting corruption in the country.

“Well, I think it is rather unfortunate because such technical rigmarole that the Presidency is engaging in amounts to absurdity. The man (Lawal) is accused of such an offence and for the president to now be saying that he was not invited, that they are biased, that they should have invited him, I think it is an attempt to buy time and it’s unfortunate because in sweeping that scandal under the carpet under the regime of President Buhari, it is a moral burden even for the president,” he said.

He, however, said Nigerians should not be surprised that the fraud allegation against Lawal took that turn as the SGF himself had since boasted on a TV channel that he was a proud member of the Northern cabal that rules the country.

“When he said he is a member of the cabal, now we know what he was saying. He said it on television that he is a proud member of the cabal, so he knew what he was saying,” Odumakin said.

Speaking in respect of the EFCC boss, Magu, the Afenifere chieftain contended that Magu’s position had since become untenable and his moral integrity questioned by the Directorate of State Security (DSS) report, which said he was unfit to preside over the commission that was put in place to fight corruption.

According Odumakin, whoever must fight corruption must be above board like Caesar’s wife, saying Magu was not in that cast as the DSS report had put a question mark on his integrity.

He said should the Senate go ahead to confirm Magu as the substantive chairman of EFCC, all those allegations raised against him would have subtracted substantially from the credibility of the anti- graft Commission.

“His (Magu) position has become untenable, his moral integrity has been questioned by the DSS report and it is not as if the Presidency is not saying the report is not there.