Given events of the last three weeks, the conclusion is unavoidable that President Buhari’s Administration is in total disarray.
Accusations, counter-accusations, arrests, detentions, probes, sieges and below-the-belt attacks involving top officials, plus open confrontations between top Executive officials and National Assembly committees, paint the picture of a meltdown in discipline, cohesion and integrity.
As we observed on this page last week, the arrest, detention, release on bail and continued probe of Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu on allegations of corruption was a severe blow to the Buhari Administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
Although its spokesman put a positive spin to it by saying no one is indispensable, the fact that the man who gave the most teeth to the anti-corruption fight in the last five years is being accused of corruption has greatly dented the administration’s anti-corruption credentials.
Even worse was what followed. Lots of stories were planted in the traditional and social media alleging all kinds of misdeeds against Magu in an attempt to pre-empt the Justice Isa Ayo Salami’s findings.
The allegations tried to smear other people, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and activist lawyer Femi Falana.
If what Magu said after his release on bail is true, these issues never even came up during his interrogation by the panel.
It therefore appears that someone somewhere is hell bent on destroying Magu and other top officials outside the official inquiry.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, who raised the charges against Magu, soon came under a barrage of allegations, of owning mansions and plazas and of his son’s alleged lavish lifestyle and wedding in violation of COVID-19 restrictions.
Malami has denied the charges but Presidency’s silence created the impression of multiple standards, in addition to the disarray.
Equally bizarre has been the face off between Minister of Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio and former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] Ms. Joi Nunieh.
While the minister accused her of corruption and of dodging NYSC, she accused him of corruption and of sexual harassment. An allegation that she has been married four times was added to the mix.
Late last week policemen laid siege to Nunieh’s house in Port Harcourt and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike melodramatically went and “rescued” her.
Also embarrassing has been allegations and counter allegations between Minister of Labour Chris Ngige and suspended top officials of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF.
While suspended MD Adebayo Somefun and his colleagues are being probed for allegedly mismanaging N3.6 billion, the Presidency has been silent on allegations made against Ngige, notably by suspended ED Operations Mrs. Kemi Nelson, nor did it take a public stand during the nasty face off between Communications and Digital Economy Minister Isa Pantami and Diaspora Commission chairperson Ms. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Nor did it comment on allegations of corruption levelled by some social media on Pantami. Buhari Presidency also allowed a squabble between Finance and Power Ministries over the tenure of NBET managing director Mrs. Marilyn Amobi.
Minister of State for Labour Festus Keyamo’s public face off with a House of Representatives committee over planned recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians wasn’t helpful to the government’s image either. Last week too, NDDC’s interim management leader walked out on a House committee.
These, when the Buhari Presidency at last got a loyal—not to say subservient—National Assembly leadership installed last year. Buhari later said he will not tolerate his ministers being disrespectful to the Assembly.
More than that, he needs to bring his Administration back from the brink of disintegration and meltdown.
Discipline and anti-corruption were supposed to be the President’s top political qualities.
Yet, the kind of disarray and the damaging allegations of corruption levelled against his top officials by other top officials is of the kind never before experienced in Nigeria.
Once these allegations are publicly made, silence is not golden. Certainly some of them were mischievous but the Presidency must come clean by taking steps to inquire into them.
Otherwise the remaining three years of this Administration promise much more embarrassment that would prevent it from concentrating on tackling serious national problems such as the pandemic, insurgency, insecurity and economic crunch.
