A former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, in this interview with OLALEYE ALUKO, speaks on the anti-corruption efforts of the Federal Government, failings in the judicial system and other issues

In assessing this government, one of the major campaign promises it pushed forward to Nigerians is anti-corruption, but you recently criticised the anti-corruption war of the President. In your view, what is not right about the way it is being fought?

What exactly has been achieved in the anti- corruption fight so far if you don’t mind me asking? Look, public service is a very serious business. It is thankless. It is not a mutual admiration club. It is your duty and you accepted it. If you do not like it, you get out. Now, this administration decided to run on the platform of three things – fight insurgency, fight corruption and address the economy.On corruption, there has been a lot in the media about what the administration has done, but all of that is only in the media. All the cases in court have been lost from the beginning to the end. Secondly, the AGF was reportedly fighting the EFCC over the cases. The Department of State Services was fighting the EFCC acting chairman. Also, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was suspended because he was said to have tampered with some monies meant for the welfare of the northeast. There is an investigative report on him, which I understand has some very serious recommendations, and nobody wants to let the public see that report.

Meanwhile, other reports are coming out from the media. Also, 48 pieces of property belonging to a former governor of Bayelsa State, who was being prosecuted by the last administration, have been allegedly returned to him and nobody is saying anything. Now, these are allegations but we cannot wish them away.

We are not going to sit down here and sing anyone’s praises. We have to see the facts and the facts at the moment tell me just one thing; if there was a fight against corruption, it is history.If the facts lead you into the bedroom of your political opponents and friends, get the money. But you cannot tell us you are fighting corruption when it suits you but hide the facts when they don’t suit you. You cannot have a situation where the DSS, which is under the control of the Presidency, decides to set aside the nomination of an agency of the government, not once but twice, and you come back to tell me that the only person you can put in that position is the one the DSS has refused to clear. You are not serious. There is something very wrong with the fight against corruption.And it says that there is corruption in the government. That is the issue. If the government cannot fight corruption within its system and processes, it has no standing to fight corruption among its enemies and that is where it is failing. This is not about anyone in the government. It is about the corporate entity.

Nigerians have reached that understanding that the present government has no moral standards to fight corruption.

And this is what I have been saying, that President Buhari shot himself in the foot in this thing. First, he promised to publish his assets but he did not do that. It was Garba Shehu (a media aide to the President) who manufactured a story of what was meant to be Buhari’s assets declaration. That did not help the President’s image. He is supposed to be a man of truth. But he has been seen on various occasions to be a man of untruths and because of that, he has lost his credibility.
On the question of his health, he has lost credibility. When the government said rats chased him out of office, we know it is not true and that was being used to cover up something. That was dishonesty. When people are being told that we cannot have the cabinet meeting because they ate Sallah rams and they forgot to do their memos, that was dishonesty. It is this dishonesty that is eating away at the credibility of this government for fighting corruption. And if it does not see it, then something is wrong.

A few of Buhari’s appointees are facing various allegations of corruption, including the Inspector—General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the SGF, Babachir Lawal. Do you think their matter has been fairly handled?

I do not want to get into these particular cases because all of these are still allegations. Let us be clear. Some of the allegations by Senator Isah Misau, to be honest, are not new. I do not see the reason why some people have been harassing the man. One, he is a former police officer and so, he should know what he is talking about. Two, the allegation that money changed hands for postings in the police force is not new. Let us be clear about that. It has been happening for a very long time. As a matter of fact, there are memos within the security services that show that senior level officers in the security services know that it is in fact the truth.

There are memos exchanged this year to my knowledge to that effect. So, why would they go around suggesting that these things are not true?

Weeks after the President received the report on the suspended SGF and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, a decision had yet to be taken and as of this time, Nigeria does not have a substantive SGF. Does this say the President is rather slow?

But that is exactly the point I am making. You see, if that report had been about people in the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government or former President Umaru Yaradua’s government or in the Peoples Democratic Party, do you think you would not have seen what it says by now? That is the point. You cannot have uneven standards when you are fighting corruption, whether it affects the family or your folks. But that is not happening now.
http://punchng.com/if-sgf-report-had-been-about-pdp-member-we-wouldve-seen-it-by-now-odinkalu-ex-nhrc-chairman/

This is so true!!! And this would have been front page as well!!

So so true. There is no anti-corruption war but persecution of opposition and apc dissidents!

We refused to be deceived by their pseudo corruption fight.


Dasuki was simply a revenge over his role in the 1985 overthrow and subsequent house arrest of Buhari. This is why the government have refused to produce him in court everytime, prompting numerous adjournments.


We are daily being bombarded with alledged discoveries from Diezani by the EFCC, but the same EFCC went completely mute, deaf and dumb over allegations against Amaechi, Abba Kyari and MTN deal, Babachir and IDP scam, Baru and NNPC contract scam, Burutai and Dubai mansions etc.

I have known Professor Chidi for a long time,
and he is who he says he is.

He says it as it is.

Anybody who counters this,is un-patriotic.

We may have to wait for the next government to probe this one.

That is just the simple truth.Corruptiin fight by the Buhari government depends on which side of the divide that one belongs.This is because Buhari only belongs to his northern cronies.

YORUBA MUSLIMS WILL SOON CALL HIM IPOD TERRORIST

one fool will come out to tell us buhari is a man of integrity.
Adont knw whether integrity has plenty meanings

Truth

mike404:
YORUBA MUSLIMS WILL SOON CALL HIM IPOD TERRORIST

True. Lol.