SERAP also urged Buhari to refer to the
EFCC and ICPC not just allegations regarding the $16 billion power
projects but also the alleged squandering of over N11 trillion meant to
provide regular electricity supply covering the governments of former
presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck
Jonathan.”
Buhari had on Tuesday accused Obasanjo
of spending $16bn on power projects during his tenure as the president
without corresponding power supply to Nigerians.
But responding, Obasanjo said the
president’s allegation was rooted in ignorance, claiming he was already
cleared of any wrongdoing concerning the power sector by the National
Assembly, and referring Buhari to his autobiography, My Watch, which he
said reproduced various reports on the matter.
But SERAP in a statement by its
Executive Director Adetokunbo Mumuni, said: “We welcome the focus by
President Buhari on the massive allegations of corruption and
mismanagement in the power sector and urge him to expand his searchlight
beyond the Obasanjo government by ensuring accountability and full
recovery of the over N11 trillion squandered by the three
administrations. It is only by pursuing all the allegations and taking
the evidence before the court that the truth will be revealed and
justice best served. This is the only way to conclusively address the
systemic corruption in the power sector and an entrenched culture of
impunity of perpetrators.”
The organisation said, “Addressing
impunity in the power sector should be total. This would help improve
the integrity of government and public confidence and trust in their
government. It would also serve as a vehicle to further the public’s
perception of fairness and thoroughness, and to avert any appearance of
political considerations in the whole exercise.”
According to the organisation, “By
immediately pursuing justice and recovery of any stolen assets in the
power sector, the Buhari government would be acting in the public
interest, and consistent with the spirit and letter of the constitution,
particularly Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution dealing with
Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and
providing that high-level public officials have a clear obligation to
“eradicate all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”
On its part, the CNPP urged President
Buhari not to stop at throwing a jibe at Obasanjo for spending $16bn on
power projects but must go a step further by instituting a public probe
of the power spending and other expenditure during the former
president’s tenure.
While reacting to comment credited to
President Buhari that despite the huge expenditure, there was no
corresponding power supply to Nigerians, the CNPP Secretary General,
Chief Willy Ezugwu, in a statement noted that one of the ways to give
the anti-graft position of the President Buhari government a meaning is
when he openly probes the Obasanjo administration.
“We expect President Buhari to institute
a full scale public inquiry into the spending on power by former
President Obasanjo’s administration. This will give teeth to his
anti-graft war. His administration’s concentration on one particular
administration, while leaving the ones before the former President
Jonathan government has been the reason for our doubt of the sincerity
in his war against corruption,’’ the group added.
“Although President Buhari did not
mention any name, he was widely quoted as saying that a former Nigerian
leader was bragging at a time that his administration spent $16bn on
power sector, yet there was nothing to show for it. Therefore, if the
president knows what we don’t know, it is time to prove to Nigerians
that he is really fighting corruption.’’
Calling on President Buhari to
immediately begin the probe and assure all Nigerians that he is not
selective on his anti-graft war, the group said the president must
equally call for the probe of members of his own cabinet fingered in
corruption cases to make his war on corruption total.
Meanwhile, following controversy between
President Buhari and Obasanjo on poor electricity supply in Nigeria,
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has described the latest verbal
exchanges over the $16 billion allegedly spent on power during the
tenure of the former president as a disgrace to the nation.
Fayose who spoke in Ado Ekiti wednesday
mocked the two leaders, saying that he was enjoying the public display
of what he called ‘brick bat’ between them.
The governor said he has been vindicated that those who brought President Buhari would regret entrusting him with power.
He said: “I am enjoying these latest
brickbats between Buhari and Obasanjo. They should keep exposing
themselves for Nigerians to know what they have been hiding.
“Nigerians should remember I warned that those who brought Buhari will regret entrusting him with power.”
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