Love to Love Foundation

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BUHARIST.

Dear Buharist!
On several occasions, I have tried to put myself in your shoe to comprehend your reasons of being an opposition or your reasons for fighting on behalf of the opposition, and I seem not to find enough reasons. Looking at all your choices for your expected CHANGE, from agents such as General Buhari, Bola Tinubu and the other musketeers like Rotimi Ameachi, contemplating Kwankwaso and the likes of the controversial Rochas Okorocha, recently quite but power hungry Mallam Elrufai and Pamparic Lai Mohammed, I am yet to see anything outside vendettas, selfishness, jealousy in their characters and a lack of direction in your decisions. If I were you, I would first of all in sincerity look out for their past records. How did or how have they fared in the past and present responsibilities bestowed on them? Did they give you signs that they will provide the expected change you seek for? Don't you think it is important that we take a proper look at the life and times of your AGENTS OF CHANGE? Let's look at the foremost leaders of the opposition and see how well you can justify your reasons for these expectations.

GENERAL MOHAMADU BUHARI
You are made to believe that General Buhari is a saint, or that the General is incorruptible; how can you prove that? Is the stories making the rounds enough reasons for you to think he has the capacity to cause change? Before I go far, let's sincerely look at his recent capacity as the chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund. What extra-ordinary qualities did he show as one that has the capacity to administer Nigeria as a country. As the chairman of PTF, how was your life affected? How was your community affected by the PTF funds given the fact that funds just like the SURE-P were funds saved from supposed subsidy from fuel? These funds was meant to affect the livelihood of every Nigerian equally? Can you point out one road or infrastructure that was built by PTF in your community? Did you get any scholarship from the fund? Or can you point to anybody you know that benefited from that scholarship scheme that is from either the southern part of Nigeria or the Middle belt area? Can you point to any bridge that was built in your village from these fund that is still standing till today? Apart from a few blocks in some universities, how many of those blocks are still being used in any southern Universities? Less I forget, can you point to any of the contractors that benefited from the large sum of over N181bn accrued the PTF? Even the road that was leveled at surface in your village, did you see a contractor from your village handling the contract? Those are questions I want you to ponder on.
Also note that from the funds, archived reports shows that rather, over N25,700,000,000 was syphoned by General Buhari’s in-law that the PTF under Buhari gave him the power to initiate, approve and execute all projects. Buhari claimed he was not aware that such a level of fraud was going on under his watch. Is he serious? If he could not watch as little as the PTF, how well will he watch Nigeria? Just asking.

Let us analyze this, Since the General has already been a Head of State in Nigeria, won't it be good if we compared notes on what he did and what he intends to do? Can you tell me one developmental project or program that Buhari did that had positively affected the economy of Nigeria? For me, I have searched and I am yet to find, rather I remember that he canceled the Metro-line project that was meant to reduce the transportation challenges of Lagos for Nigerians at large. He even went ahead to cancel this project even though he knew it was guaranteed by the Federal government. Are you aware that the Nigerian government keeps paying a certain amount of money to the Paris-Club as loan repayment for a project we never hard? Buhari did not care about you or me. If Buhari is a man that truly wishes development, at least he was slightly above 40 years old when he took the decisions to take Nigeria back, he was not a child, it was not a mistake. Like they say, "A fool at forty is a fool forever" what it means is that what you do not know at 40, you may never know in life. So how will Buhari suddenly change? Apart from the continuous beating and forcing Nigerians to all live as though they were in the barracks, Buhari in his administration enacted a decree that did not allow free speech that was not in favor of government. Do you think Buhari can tolerate critics? Today, if not for anything, just like in the developed world, we are free to express our thoughts and opinions towards government, negatively or positively. Is that not something you still want to enjoy? Would you want to be hushed or locked up anytime you say what you don't like? Am afraid you have not considered that to be a reality of what would take place if your mentor Buhari was President. Think about it.

My dear Buharist, I know you are told that General Buhari is not a corrupt person, so you believe he will lead a corrupt free nation within months, I understand your concerns. But can I ask you a few questions on that assumption? Who are Buhari's close friend and advisers? Are they also incorruptible? Do you remember Buhari said that all ACN governors were corrupt? Have you forgotten? So how come after he said so, have made them all his close allies, does that tell you the general has an integrity? Remember they say "Birds of the same feather, flock together". Do you also remember that General Buhari after working for General Abacha also claimed that General Abacha was not a corrupt man? Does that not make you wonder what corruption really means. So if Abacha was not corrupt only after Buhari worked for him, and ACN governors that were corrupt suddenly turned incorruptible because they are Buhari's friends, then you may need to reconsider your stands on Buhari's incorruptibility. There would be more to tell you on this, but am afraid we do not have the luxury of time. Considering these, am wondering why you would insist on voting for a man that his records have not reflected any form of expertise in leadership or skills. Have you asked Buhari what his academic qualification is that qualifies him to lead a Nation like Nigeria in this jet age? Seat down and listen to Buhari speak, does he express any form of intelligence or skills? How comfortable will you have a 73 year old man that can barely speak English as your representative? My dear Buharist, you all know that Buhari’s WACE is in doubt as he is yet to show he has it. I may not want to remind you of the religious and regional cards of the General, You know the story. Am sure you are happy to live in a secular country called Nigeria and will certainly frowned when your country is called, "The Islamic Republic of Nigeria" I rest my case.

BOLA AHMED TINUBU
Dear Buharist, Even though I may not have much to say on Tinubu, but you have been made to believe that Tinubu is the face of OPPOSITION AND CHANGE, that is understandable. He has been there as an opposition since the AD days. Do you really see him as a man that will be fair in the provision of basic amenities to Nigerians? Am sure inside you, you do know that Tinubu is a personification of what is referred as "SELFISH and GREEDY" As far as Tinubu is concerned, he is doing business and will only take beneficial business decision at the right time. I will leave it at that. Have you also noticed that Bola Tinubu does not take criticism lightly as he recently had to take the AIT and NTA to court for making revelations about him? How many times have Jonathan bothered to even when you know he is being lied against? Is Tinubu a true democrat? Don’t we know about the selection process in the ACN and now the APC? Is that not the same thing that happened in the ANPP and CPC? Do we truly want democracy?

RECONSIDER YOUR OPINION OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN
Dear Buharist, take a quick look at your opinion of President Jonathan that you have been made to hate so much. Why do you want Jonathan out? Why do you hate him? What has he done that has made him so bad and hated by you? Why is he called CLUELESS or WEAK when convenient by the same people that call him A DICTATOR? Have you bothered to ask them why? Is it that you expected him to transform Nigeria to look like the US within this short time after over 40years of decay? Why did you not expect others to convert Nigeria to Britain in all those years? Why the sudden expectation? I leave you to ponder on those questions. Have you truly not noticed the progressive and steadied transformation that is going on? I know you expect a light-speed rail that is in operation in Japan, but why not first accept the rehabilitation of the narrow-gauge rail transportation that was abandoned for years. Or have you not noticed that we have improved to building Standard gauge double rail-lines that will soon allow our trains to sprint at over 200-250km/h? Have you forgotten the words 'Process and progress" or "A step at a time". Do you prefer that Nigeria was static as it was in all those years? And when you say there is no constant electricity, have you considered that for over 30 years, nothing was done to improve our power condition even when our population and consumption was growing higher until Goodluck Jonathan came in? Or are you just noticing that Nigeria has not had constant power for the past 50 years including the times presided by General Buhari when our population was barely 40million? Even if we have not arrived, but we have made visible progress. How about the Nigerian roads? I and you know that most of the federal roads in the country were all abandoned until this government came in and started a massive reconstruction of roads. Is that not a direction in the right path? What about our industries, when we were young, at least we saw a few industries and car assembly factories, but for the past 30 years, they all disappeared. Have you not seen them coming back? Even Nissan is here and producing, Toyota has arrived, they are already to rolling out their first set of cars. We even have our very own indigenous car manufacturing firm operation at its best. Even the textile industries are back on their feet. Even the Ajoekuta Steel Mill is almost set for operations. Did it happen by magic? NO, it was a vision from this government.

Dear Buharist, are you aware of programmes like the YouWin? Can you remind me if this kind of program ever existed in Nigeria and sponsored by the government to make Nigerians youths millionaires? Am just asking. Has any government come up with educational provisions for the Almajiris in the north until now even though all the governments then were headed by northerners except Obasanjo's government? And are you aware of the Housing project going on now to allow at least 60% of civil servants to own their houses? We had it before in the late 70s and early 80s, but Buhari's government retracted all the houses that were not fully paid for in 1984 from those civil servants and was sold afresh to military officers from his region. We only struggled to buy them back from the soldiers. At least am aware of what happened in the Federal Housing in Calabar. But it only took this government is bringing it back. Is that not progress? Are you not even proud of our Airports? Were they like these before this administration? Have you not seen the number of Airlines moving in freely and thereby not just crashing the price, but have massively provided employment? If not for anything, have you not noticed that the growth in our Agricultural sector has made food available for Nigerians and provided employment for farmers? Is that not progress? Is Nigeria not the 3rd investment destination of the world? Did it happen by chance?

My dear Buharist, don't allow people to deceive you about these government, it is about the best that has happened to Nigeria. If you doubt me, GO AND BRING YOUR NOTES LETS COMPARE. LET'S MAKE REFERENCES TO WHAT OTHER GOVERNMENTS ACHIEVED AND WHAT THIS ONE HAS ACHIEVED. Is that too hard a request to make from you? If you say there is insecurity in the Northeast of Nigeria, please was it caused by this government? Has the insecurity not been finally quelled now? Do you know the Nigerian former military rulers refuse to equip our military simply because they were scared of coups after the Gideon Orkah’s sophisticated coup attempt on IBB? Have the north not been killing Christians and southerners before now? Is it new? Just that the scale was increased because some people decided to make Nigeria ungovernable. So should we all run to our shells because some people said some people can't be President in a country that belongs to all of us? Is that what you support? If not, why have you decided not to see the progress going on? Oh, I forgot, you are told the government is corrupt, please can you remind me if this corruption just started. Or maybe you should point out one of these corrupt practice that you can prove or that you are aware of. Is it the case of the $20bn? That was not true, no such money missed, if such an amount of money misses, the entire Africa will go bankrupt. So it is not true. So what is the corruption? That Nigerians offer bribes to get contracts, is it new or is it news? Please ask those that are saying there is impunity in corruption these days to show you one prove, or that it is new. Don't be misled, those people are just there to turn your mind against good. They want Nigeria to go back to the way it was so that they can continue to be richer while you remain poorer.

My dear Buharist, once again am writing this letter to you because I do not think you are a paid or a perpetual hater of Mr President. You may assume that being an anti-Jonathanian is a way to follow because there are others there. So you may say and believe everything that is told you in your camp. I can assure you that it is not all of you that have the same conviction. In your camp, there are the following Anti-Jonathanian or Buharist groups;

1. THE HATERS (ANYTHING BUT JONATHAN)
These are the ones that never liked President Jonathan from the first day he declared his intention to run for President in 2010. They are the typical haters. Those ones will support anybody against President Jonathan. They started by Supporting General Ibrahim Babangida in 2009. They later shifted their loyalty to Atiku Abubakar when IBB was disqualified as the Northern consensus candidate. By the time Atiku was defeated by President Jonathan in the PDP primaries in 2011, they shifted their loyalty to either Nuhu Ribadu of the ACN or CPC's General Buhari. When Buhari lost the elections, since then, they moved their loyalty to the APC at the inception of the APC. Their own is anything but Jonathan. Is that your position too? You find a lot of this group in the social media. They will all move their support to General Abacha if he resurrects and emerges the flag bearer of the APC.

2. THE LOSSERS (aggrieved)
These are those that were directly benefitting in previous governments and expected to be part of this government but lost out eventually. Most of them expected some appointments but were not recognized. Their frustrations led them to hatred. And all they could do is blackmail. These ones are the ones that reveal security information to the masses as a form of blackmail because they still have a few of their loyalist in government. They have either turned themselves to activist, comrades or key figures of the opposition. Am sure you can identify one when you see.

3. THE FRUSTRATED, DESIROUS AND JEALOUS
These are the ones that believes that those that are supporting President Jonathan and the government are being paid. They made several efforts to receive some gratifications in form of money or be given some soft appointments as they falsely believe some have benefited. Out of frustration and show of anger, they decided to turn against their original passion. For these group, with a little regular change, they will all shift their loyalties back to President Jonathan. Also note that these class of people will always vote for Mr President at the end of the day. All they are doing is to be noticed. Some of them have been noticed and are now the paid hands of the opposition against Jonathan.

4. THE BORN TO RULE
These are a special group of people. They are not interested on who comes in as president as long as he is of the tribe of the born to rule. These set are those that believe that since the economic power of Nigeria is in the south, they believe the leadership power of Nigeria must be in the north. They are those that are ready to kill anyone that is not of that opinion. They were the ones that majorly killed southerners and non-Muslims during the 2011 post-election violence. A lot of them are also on the social media and will always try as much as they can to make you believe the government is not being responsible. Some of them, though educated or semi-illiterate, will always make efforts to be discussing issue based debates just to have your attention. Do not let them influence you. Not even you will be saved in an event that Buhari loses an election when you are found in their midst. They cannot be converted. Their minds are made up not just due to their childhood orientation, but due to the religious, ethnical indoctrination they have been recently fed with.

5. THE OBSERVERS AND CONFUSED
These is the group am directing this letter to. You are susceptible and vulnerable to propaganda, be it right or wrong. You enjoy being noticed as an opposition. So you believe anything you are told without making verifications. You love the bandwagon. And another characteristics of you is that since childhood, you have been made to believe that government is not good, so you have decided to stand on the side of those who are against government. I understand you. But I wish to ask that you take a time out and compare this government with the past governments. Compare notes and see if there is progress. If you find any, please feel free to declare your support and loyalty to President Jonathan. He indeed means well for Nigeria.

Thanking you in anticipation as you review your decisions.
Best regards,
Donald Ekpo
for; Jonathanians

1. Budget is Presented to NASS with Buhari, and APC overlords seeing the opportunity to repay all those that funded it’s campaign – a Bazaar Budget in which Car Tyres cost Millions – this was supposed to be a feeding frenzy – so APC picks a few narratives like “the biggest budget for education” to bamboozle people from reading the individual items – believing it still has the goodwill of those that voted it in earlier in the year who won’t bother to read the details – this was supposed to be passed with little debate from the Senate – that was the planned deal.

2. Then Yawa gasses – boys leaks the 1,800 pages in PDF to the Internet – the plan don scatter – It becomes an embarrassment to Buhari as typified by controversy all over the nation – with ridiculous figures that will give so many people heart attacks – he quickly summons a Media Chat to douse the tension – and forbids the journalists not to mention the subject (and they didn’t – prove me wrong if you have contrary info)

3. The Presidency quickly moves to blackmail the Senate to return the Budget with only some of the Principal Officers being aware of this led by Saraki – and they comply, the info leaks to the public; and Saraki tweets “we’ll discuss the budget when we return in Janury” – the holiday comes and the tension dies down

4. Saraki, who knows “Buhari wants to jail him” needs to do anything to please him; so he sends back the document while Senate is on Holidays expecting the document will be back before they resume

5. That doesn’t happen leading to the expectation that the budget would be debated yesterday

6. Well, the plan is simple – The document will be returned as a modified copy en route Saraki, still via the backdoor – the numbers would have been tampered with – and it would be said “the Budget is now found; the information communicated earlier is false”

7. But, there is greater danger ahead and larger controversies persist – the doc is 1,800 pages long – how you get to change most of the numbers in the individual items and still be able to tally with MDAS subtotals is where the real WAEC will be still having to come to a total of N6trn that has been publicly announced!

8. This explains why the Senate refused all thru after the presentation to release the document to the public despite calls from so many people that they should do so; and the reason the Presidency didn’t do so as well.

9. Despite the trending for days, the Presidency or Senate REFUSED to deny or respond to any of the crazy budget line items – showing their joint complicity in a grand plan to deceive Nigerians

10. Kudos must go to guys that published the 1,800 pages document – not even any of the Newspapers or TV Houses were able to do this; no wonder APC Leaders were pushing for a ban on Social Media Freedoms

In conclusion, Nigerians should prepare for more “Guinness Book of Records embarrassments” as this one, that’s all you get from a government that even finds it difficult to hold weekly FEC meetings to do the real business of governance but invests 20 hours every day trying to destroy PDP to create a ...

Getting some budget breakdown of the presidency budget N13, 525, 001 for newspapers, magazines & periodicals
~~Purchase of BMW Saloon cars - N3,630,000,000
Local travel & transport (others) for Mr President - N714,540,706,197
Food stuff & other catering materials & supplies (Mr President) - N114,967,140
~~Construction/Provision of recreational facilities - N764,671,015'
~~Purchase of health/medical equipment for State House Clinic - N3,219,555,017
~~Installation of electrical lighting and fittings - N618,604,265
~~International Travel & transport (others) - N701,166,070
Purchased of c-caution, fire extinguisher, tow ropes - N27,000,000
Honorarium & Sitting Allowance (Mr Vice President) - N9,813,643
Construction/Provision of recreational facilities - N764,671,015
~~Miscellaneous - Honorarium & sitting allowance N169,396,805
Refreshment & Meals N104,744,097
~~Linking of cable to drivers rest room at Villa Admin - N322,421,971
~~Purchase of fixed assets
motor vehicles - N3,889,015,000
buses-N362,000,000
~~Fuel and Lubricants - N90,499,510
office furniture-N67,129,08
~~Kitchen equipment -N89,172,300
~~N485, 259,859 for materials & supplies. This is made up of stationery, computer supplies, books, newspapers & magazines/periodicals, etc
~~N107, 998,869 for travels & transport
~~Maintenance of motor vehicle/transport equipment - N202,328,275
~~Other maintenance services N53,189,85
~~Maintenance of office building/residential quarters - N278,041,172
PRESIDENCY CUTTING COST BY SPENDING MORE?
GEJ'S 2015 Budget for Presidency: N24.5 Billion
Buhari's 2016 Budget for Presidency: N39.1 Billion
Difference: N14.7 Billion (Increased by 60%)
GEJ was corrupt and wasteful.

UP CHANGE.

How exactly did Buhari's Federal Government play into Nnamdi Kanu's hands in this way...!??
Suddenly a hero is Made.
No light!
No fuel!
No football madness to take away our pain!
No trophies to take away our remorse!
All we now have is a former DJ with an old transmitter now "Cluelessly" turned into a Cult Figure by a somewhat aloof government that simply does Not seem to have a Clue as to Anything!
The Nnamdi Kanu Effect that Buhari has Unwittingly Created is The Biggest PR job done this year!
Even surpassing the effect of APC and Amaechi's Billions of Naira into creating a Buhari image that in just 4 months has melted away like butter in the hot Dauda sun.
In Stark contrast to the Unholy Euphoria of just a few months ago!
Welcome The REAL MAN of the moment, Not even the Noisemakers are of interest to take us away from this Reality:-
There are many people today who would willing Trek for Nnamdi Kanu than trek for Buhari.
There are those who are willing to Die today for Nnamdi Kanu and his cause, than die for Buhari and his curse.
FACT!

FEMI ARIBISALA | Fighting Corruption With Double-Standards.

In just six months, the government’s anti-corruption policy has gone off the rail. During the election, candidate Buhari made this pledge: “Whoever that is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in, would be pardoned. I am going to draw a line, anybody who involved himself in corruption after I assume office, will face the music.”
At the time, cynical observers insisted this was designed to reassure corrupt members of his APC party who were campaigning for him that he would not come after them after the election but would let sleeping dogs lie.

But once in office, the president dropped this pledge the same way he and his party have conveniently jettisoned a number of their campaign promises. Speaking on his official trip to the United States, the president declared he would arrest and prosecute past ministers and other officials who stole Nigeria’s oil and diverted government money into personal accounts.

Excluding the Military

CNN iReport maintains Buhari’s new position to probe and prosecute his predecessors prompted a tete-a-tete among Nigeria’s former military rulers, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Olusegun Obasanjo. The outcome of this was the warning that it would not be in the president’s interest to pursue that line of action. Prince Kassim Afegbua, Babangida’s media adviser, released a statement on behalf of his boss that reads:

On General Buhari, it is not in IBB’s tradition to take up issues with his colleague former President. But for the purpose of record, we are conversant with General Buhari’s so-called holier-than-thou attitude. He is a one-time Minister of Petroleum and we have good records of his tenure as minister. Secondly, he also presided over the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) which records we also have.”

“We challenge him to come out with clean hands in those two portfolios he headed. Or, we will help him to expose his records of performance during those periods. Those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. General Buhari should be properly guided.”

Immediately thereafter Femi Adesina, President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, hastened to declare that the government’s probes would be limited to the Jonathan administration. He claimed it would be “a waste of time” to go beyond that.

This was the first curious exclusion in the government’s anti-corruption policy: former generals who became heads of state are untouchables. As a result, the CNN maintained the American government concluded the Nigerian government is not serious about anti-corruption. American businessmen who bribed Nigerian officials in the Halliburton scandal have been sent to jail in the United States. However, the more culpable Nigerian politicians who demanded and received the bribes are allowed to go scot-free in Nigeria.

Excluding APC Kingpins

Another exclusion from prosecution in the government’s anti-corruption policy is APC big-guns. Even when they are substantively accused of corruption, they are seemingly immune from EFCC harassment and prosecution. On the contrary, some of them are even rewarded with APC governorship nominations and ministerial positions. However, PDP members accused of corruption are harassed, grilled by the EFCC and excoriated by government officials in the press.

A judicial commission of enquiry set up by the Rivers State government maintained that, under former governor Rotimi Amaechi, a whopping N53 billion disappeared from the Rivers State Reserve Fund. Similarly, Babatunde Fashola was accused of spending N78 million of government money upgrading his personal website. Among other allegations, Fashola was said to have inflated the cost of the Lekki-Ikoyi link-bridge from N6 billion to N25 billion.

Nevertheless, the EFCC has not picked up the gauntlet on any of these allegations. Neither have Amaechi and Fashola even been summoned for questioning. Instead, Amaechi has been awarded the “juicy” new super-ministry of Transport which now includes road, rail, maritime and aviation. Fashola, on the other hand, has been awarded with the “juicy” new super-ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

Since the two states most able to provide funding for the APC’s election campaign were Amaechi’s Rivers and Fashola’s Lagos, it would appear that their governors are now being provided the opportunity to recoup under the guise of merged “super-ministries.”

This kind of conclusion might seem unfair, except that while the government is preaching anti-corruption, APC legislators are fighting over “juicy” committee positions in the House and Senate. “Juicy” legislative committees are anathema to anti-corruption. What makes a committee “juicy” is precisely its scope for providing the avenues for corrupt enrichment.

Double-standards

While the APC in the Senate insists Amaechi and Fashola must be presumed innocent until proven guilty, the government has declared PDP ministers accused of corruption guilty until proven innocent. For example, without taking Diezani Alison-Madueke, the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, to court and prosecuting her, the government has made itself judge and jury and declared her guilty on the pages of newspapers.

Repeatedly, government officials cast aspersions on her integrity, so much so that it can be argued that it will be well-nigh impossible for her to have a free and fair trial again in Nigeria. The Nigerian press has not helped matters but has gone ahead to write all kinds of sensational things against her without proof. As a result, she has practically become the most hated woman in Nigeria. Many even refused to believe she is suffering from cancer.

She was reported to have been arrested in London, whereas she was not. Neither was her passport seized, as reported in the press. Her family has come out to contest a number of the allegations made against her. She has also come out to insist on her innocence and to challenge the government to prosecute her.

But instead, the government has declared Diezani guilty without trial, while declaring Amaechi and Fashola innocent without trial. This double-standard does not bode well for the administration of justice in Nigeria.

Violation of Human Rights

The case of retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser to President Jonathan, is also cause for worry by all freedom-loving Nigerians. When General Buhari was overthrown in a military coup in 1985, it is claimed that Colonel Dasuki was one of those sent to arrest him. It was also Dasuki’s security report that led to the postponement of the February 2015 presidential election, buying valuable time for the PDP.

This makes the persecution of Dasuki immediately President Buhari came to power seem very much like vendetta and payback. It is difficult to convince Nigerians that within a matter of months of the Buhari administration, the former National Security Adviser was already guilty of the treasonable felony and conspiracy as the government is now alleging. Even more baffling is the request of the government that he should be tried in a secret kangaroo court with witnesses whose identities are to be hidden.

Dasuki claims to be suffering from cancer. He appealed to the court to be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment. Surprisingly, this appeal was granted and the court ruled that Dasuki’s passport should be released to him. However, he was required to bring a surety who will stand for him and suffer the consequences should he abscond.

Nevertheless, the government has flouted the court ruling by preventing Dasuki from traveling and placing him again under house arrest. In effect, the same government that has been making a case against impunity is now clearly guilty of the same. The right of Dasuki to receive urgent attention is being denied government agents. This violation of Dasuki’s rights is a violation of the rights of all Nigerians.

We must be careful that history should not be allowed to repeat itself here. In the president’s first coming between 1984 and 1985, similar rights of some Nigerians were infringed, sometimes to fatal effects. Ayo Oyewunmi was not allowed to get medical treatment while in detention, with the result that he became blind and died soon after his release. Busari Adelakun developed chronic ulcer complications after he was arrested by the Buhari regime and was not allowed to get treatment. The ailment eventually killed him.

The president promised in his Chatham House speech that the protocols of a military regime are inappropriate under civilian administrations. He needs to be reminded of this pledge.

The contempt of DSS operatives for the rule of law was further laid bare when they harassed and tried to arrest former Adamawa governor, Boni Haruna, who had gone to court to stand surety for Dasuki. Haruna, a former minister in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan, was reportedly questioned on how he knew that Dasuki would be granted bail and why he went to the court as a surety. This is preposterous. Going to court as a surety is not against the law.

Settling Scores

The case of Godsday Orubebe is equally worrisome. Orubebe disrupted INEC’s official declaration of the results of the presidential elections in favour of President Buhari, alleging that Attahiru Jega, chairman of INEC, was biased. It took the intervention of President Jonathan for him to give up his protest. It is therefore curious that while many cases are yet to be attended to by the Code of Conduct Bureau, Orubebe has been singled out and charged to court for false declaration of assets and for receiving bribes.

When the case came to court for hearing, the judge was constrained to berate the government prosecution for failure to produce a single witness to back up its allegations against Orubebe. This lends itself to the conclusion that Orubebe is merely being prosecuted as a vendetta for the action he took during the election. If the case against Orubebe had not been fully established, why bring him to court prematurely. What is the hurry all about?

In short, what we have today is a situation where the government is becoming a law unto itself. Under the guise of fighting corruption, the rule of law is negated and security agents act with impunity; even ignoring court orders. Jonathan administration officials are hounded, harassed and molested, sometimes to untimely death, as happened with Diepreye Alamieseigha. They are tried in the press and declared guilty without the benefit of prosecution or trial.

This must not be allowed to continue. It certainly does not represent the change Nigerians were promised by the APC during the election. Neither can it be excused in the name of anti-corruption. The persecution and violation of the fundamental rights of APC’s political opponents is itself evidence of corruption.

SignalNg.Com