Probing the Jonathan administration

The Longman Active Study Dictionary defines probe as “official investigation that tries to find out the truth about something.”From the word go, Muhammadu Buhari had made it clear during the presidential election campaign, that he would probe the political and economic conduct of the previous government. Even when he softened his stance by saying that […]

The Longman Active Study Dictionary defines probe as “official investigation that tries to find out the truth about something.”From the word go, Muhammadu Buhari had made it clear during the presidential election campaign, that he would probe the political and economic conduct of the previous government. Even when he softened his stance by saying that he would draw a line such that he wouldn’t have to inquire into matters that had been conclusively dealt with and instead concern himself only with fresh new violations of the law, some Nigerians claimed that Buhari had lost courage. Now that President Buhari has determined that some decisions taken by the out gone Goodluck Jonathan administration weren’t in the best interest of the country and therefore need to be looked at, another set of Nigerians is suspecting a witch hunt. But anyone who knows something about Buhari also knows that the man will pull up the rug and examine some of the stench oozing from the infractions of the erstwhile government. 
It’s all well that Jonathan didn’t see the need to probe his predecessors and his reasons for not doing so are understandable. Jonathan couldn’t have probed the two-year President Umaru Yar’adua government because he was part of it. Neither did Jonathan find the nerve to examine the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, his godfather. Similarly, Jonathan couldn’t have inquired into the activities of any of the post-1999 governments for the simple reason that they were formed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and he is a party man.
When it became certain that Muhammadu Buhari would succeed him and most probably launch a probe of his government, Jonathan declared that any such investigation that didn’t include the administrations preceding his own would be unjust! Blimey! In the 16 years it exercised power, the PDP failed to investigate the official conduct of its appointees, preferring to do business as usual, but now that someone else wants to clear the clutter, they’re fretful.
Nevertheless, unlike Jonathan, and in the light of complaints against massive corruption in our polity, Buhari has every reason to examine how the former president conducted government business. Unlike Jonathan, Buhari has abiding aversion for sleaze. Unlike Jonathan, Buhari has built a reputation fighting corruption. Additionally, Buhari is not a PDP man which invites people into government presumably to “come and chop.” Unlike Jonathan, Buhari is here to serve, to clean up the Jonathan mess and restore citizen’s confidence and rebuild our decaying institutions. Unlike Jonathan, Buhari will seek to secure the people and truly improve their welfare, which duty is the raison d’être of any government worth its name. 
With the sickening tales of land grabbing in Abuja and elsewhere, industrial scale theft of the country’s crude oil, massive, non-performing billion-Naira contracts, scandalous, indiscriminate and injurious granting of waivers to cronies and business fronts, practical cases of money laundering, burgeoning diplomatic humiliation and isolation, a mediocre cabinet of clowns and leeches and cluelessness that was assuming permanence, Buhari will be a sinner not to seek to unearth the truth about our national life because of some imprecise, unacceptable and perfidious deal calculated to circumscribe him from doing his duty to the country.
There’s no way Buhari should overlook the corruption-riddled arms procurement and trillion-naira security budget for the fight against Boko Haram. The raid conducted by the personnel of the Department of State Security on the home of the former National Security Adviser Dasuki, should be seen in its proper perspective: an attempt to get to the bottom of the stupendous expenditure on defence and demand for accountability.
That’s why Diezani Alison-Madueke, “the greatest and most successful Nigerian oil minister” should be questioned on the basis of circumstantial evidence of the payment of spurious petroleum subsidies, flouting of presidential order prohibiting payment of subsidy on kerosene; illegal withholding of national revenues, use of state’s financial resources in form of payment of bloated aircraft charter fees for her personal comfort without due process.
That’s why Buhari cannot afford to ignore Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s flippancy in the management of our economy characterised by withdrawal of millions of dollars from the so-called excess crude account, which has now turned out had no official authorisation to back it, and granting of the economically injurious waivers to business concerns and individuals that did not deserve them.
Nor should Buhari disregard Muhammed Bello Adoke’s alleged involvement in the recurring but messy Malabu Oil deal; or his apparent tolerance of hefty judgement fees running into billions of naira which the courts ordered federal government to pay on account of feeble legal defence put up by Ministry of Justice under his charge.
Buhari must indeed probe the Tompolo maritime security contract and his involvement in the purchase and importation of naval vessels running into millions of dollars, or the other pipeline protection contract given to Odu’a People’s Congress.
Obviously, President Buhari has put his life on the line in the defence of good moral values in the conduct of public affairs and management of the public treasury; so he cannot afford to waver; if necessary, the president can appoint experts to examine the official conduct and expenditures of Mrs Alison-Madueke, Bello Adoke, Okonjo-Iweala, Sambo Dasuki and a host of others when they held office. That way, he would have an insight into how the Jonathan administration nearly ran Nigeria aground, and then chart how he can salvage the country.
There should be no sacred cows; Buhari must retrieve the loot from whoever looted the country, apply the full weight of the law equally on whomever, no matter the colour of their status to ensure the law its course to serve as deterrence for others.