Corruption allegations: IYC asks Buhari to come clean, make public reports on SGF, CoS, others

THE Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to come out clean of corruption by making public reports on pending corruption allegations.

The group said the N270m allegation against the suspended SGF, Mr Babachir Lawal, the $43m Osbourne Tower scam against the Former NIA boss and the indictment of the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abba Kyari by the Senate over the N500m MTN bribery scandal should be made public.

IYC President, Barr Oweilaemi Pereotubo, in a statement by his media aide, Alaowei Cleric, made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, averred that the reports, if made public, would prove to the world that President Buhari’s fight against corruption is credible and not one-sided.

He added that Nigerians are equally interested in former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde, who was removed from office on series of allegations of financial impropriety and subsequently declared wanted but now appointed as the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Fraud Unit (SPU) in Lagos.

According to Pereotubo, “The series of allegations of corruption and other social vices against the present government is becoming worrisome.

“Our concern is hinged on the fact that this government came to office with a promise to fight corruption without an exception.

“The weighty allegations and indictments of senior officials of the government without the president taking action against them has given us cause for concern.

“Even though Mr President is repeatedly boasting his ego that he is fighting corruption from both ends,  IYC is worried about the President Buhari’s lukewarm attitude towards personnel accused of corrupt dealings in his government.”

Besides, he averred that “Nigerians also want to find out why the Former EFCC boss, Ibrahim Lamorde who was removed from office on series of allegations of financial impropriety and subsequently declared wanted is now secretly reinstated back to the Police force and appointed as the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Fraud Unit (SPU) in Lagos?

“While all these are happening under the nose of Mr President’s anti-corruption drive, the worst thing that caught our consternation is the secret reinstatement of the wanted Former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina back into the Federal civil service and promoted to the rank of director.

“Though President Buhari has graciously ordered for his disengagement from the civil service, we plead with Mr President to thoroughly investigate the process of his reinstatement and bring to book whoever is culpable.

“On the $25m scam that hit the NNPC, we call on Buhari to properly investigate the entire gamut that characterised the said contract.

“We are not comfortable with stories in the various newspaper on a daily basis about the Presidential interference with the Senate Ad Hoc Committee led by Sen Wamako to investigate the contract.”

The Ijaw youth’s body therefore called on President Buhari “to redeem his government’s image” orchestrated by “the serious allegations against his appointees.”

Nigerians will conclude that he is prosecuting selective anti-corruption war unless he investigates and prosecutes those found wanting in his government, adding that Buhari should be proactive in his resolve to stamp out corruption from polity as pledged.