Some prominent Nigerians on Sunday
demanded that if the Chief Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, failed to
resign from his position following the revelation that he bought two
houses in Dubai, worth $1.5m, he should be sacked by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Those who called for the Army chief’s
resignation or sacking are human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN);
another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome; and Second
Republic House of Representatives member, Dr. Junaid Mohammed.
Others are the Publicity Secretary of
Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, and the National Publicity Secretary of
the National Advance Party, Mr. Tosin Odeyemi.
Ozekhome specifically demanded that Buratai should be tried before he would be allowed to resign.
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John
Cardinal Onaiyekan, said people who were found guilty of stealing public
funds, should not just be fired or allowed to resign but should be made
to return such money.
Odumakin, who said it was not in the
culture of Nigerians to resign for wrong-doing, however, believed that
the posture of the Buhari administration on the allegation against
Buratai cast a serious doubt on the anti-corruption war of the
administration.
But a SAN, Mr. Yusuf Ali, and the
Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability
Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumumi, believed that the allegation against
Buratai should be thoroughly investigated before he would be asked to
resign or be sacked.
Falana said in a statement that despite
Buratai’s commendable feat of leading the Nigerian Army to defeat Boko
Haram in the North-East, the war on corruption was also a must-win for
the Buhari administration.
The lawyer described as a “cock and bull
story” the explanation by the Nigerian Army authorities that Buratai
paid for the properties in instalments through his personal savings.
He regretted that the name of the Nigerian Army had been “illegally” used to defend Buratai in the unfolding scam.
While he condemned the involvement of
the Nigerian Army in defending Buratai, he said no one had yet to
explain to Nigerians how an army General could manage to save $1.5m.
He added, “In view of the ban on the
opening and operation of foreign accounts by public officers, the Code
of Conduct Bureau should be involved in the investigation.
“If the Chief of Army Staff does not
deem it fit to resign forthwith, President Buhari should not hesitate to
remove him in the interest of national morality.”
Falana commended the Buhari
administration for putting on trial military officers, allegedly
involved in the diversion of the sum of $15bn, meant for the procurement
of arms.
He said the alleged diversion led to the
killing of about 25,000 Nigerians by the Boko Haram sect while two
million others, including children, had been displaced.
‘‘How an army General managed to save
$1.5m has not been disclosed to Nigerians. Since the General was in
charge of procurement for the Nigerian Army at the material time, the
cock and bull story of the military high command has been called names,”
the SAN stated.
Mohammed called on Buratai to honourably resign or be fired by Buhari.
Speaking with one of our correspondents
on Sunday, the Second Republic lawmaker noted that some of Buratai’s
predecessors from other parts of the country were currently facing trial
over their roles in helping themselves to funds meant for the
procurement of arms.
The medical practitioner argued that it
defied logic that Buratai, who was in charge of procurement when these
men held sway, had not been asked to give account of his stewardship.
Mohammed added, “The fact that he was a
long serving Director of Procurement at Defence Headquarters when some
of the nastiest procurements were made, not only for the Army but for
the Armed Forces, makes it incumbent on him to vacate his seat.
“The manner of his leaving will require
tact, which this administration has never demonstrated from day one, but
I believe that the options are clear: One which is my suggestion is for
Buratai to retire to go and leave his life quietly in Buratai, his
village, or elsewhere, he has tried in the fight against insurgents.
“If Buratai does not want to go that way
honourably, he should be compulsorily retired or sacked outright by the
Commander-in-Chief.
“Nobody with any sense of decency or justice can leave Buratai in service.”
In his reaction, Ozekhome, believed Buratai should not be removed without trial.
He said the government should make the
Chief of Army Staff to undergo trial while still serving as a military
officer to prove that its anti-corruption war was not targeted at
profiled opponents.
Ozekhome said, “I will rather urge that
he be first tried through our criminal justice system trial, which is
accusatorial and not inquisitorial. When found guilty, he can then be
dismissed or court-martialled.
“Let the government for once prove us
wrong that its so called anti-corruption war is not targeted at profiled
opponents by putting him through trial as a serving military officer.
Just for once, I want to be proved wrong.”
Odumakin stated that the position of the
COAS had become “untenable” against the backdrop of the illogical
defence of Buratai by military authorities.
The Afenifere spokesman added, “His
position has become untenable with that expose and very weak, feeble and
sloppy defence. It is preposterous to ask the Federal Government that
cleared him, to now fire him. And resignation is not in the dictionary
of Nigerian officials but he obviously is a blight on the
anti-corruption war.”
In his reaction, Cardinal Onaiyekan said
a proven allegation of corruption against the Army chief would
seriously pollute the anti-graft war of the present administration if
not addressed.
The cleric stated, “Let me say that the
allegation of stealing public funds does not hide; it will come out
eventually. And like anybody else, he will face the music; whether he
should be punished now or retired should not be the issue.
“I am not one of those who believe that
when somebody has stolen a lot of money, you simply retire or sack the
person. That is not what it should be; if it is stealing, he should be
made to return the money. It is not a question of sacking somebody and
you feel that is the punishment.
“What I am saying is that if there is a
case of misuse of public funds, he should be treated that way. But like
I told you, I don’t have the full picture of what is involved, apart
from what I read in the newspapers. Personally, I will want to give the
benefit of doubt to the government that it knows what it is doing.”
In the same vein, Odeyemi, who spoke in
an interview with one of our correspondents in Osogbo on Sunday, said
Buhari should order a thorough probe to ascertain where Buratai got such
huge amount of money to buy the properties.
The NAP spokesperson alleged that Buhari
had refused to investigate those in his cabinet for corruption but had
been chasing others especially those from other political parties.,
“I believe Gen. Buratai should resign
immediately. Where did he get such money to buy the properties in
question? How much has he earned since he joined the Army? Does he have
another business?
“He should first resign and a proper
investigation should be conducted to ascertain the truth. Thank God he
is already at the pinnacle of his career. If he is found guilty, then he
should be prosecuted. But he should be honoured and probably elevated
if he is found to be guiltless.”
Expressing a different view, however,
Ali said the call for Buratai’s resignation or sacking was premature
when the allegations had yet to be substantiated.
Ali added he was not aware of any law in
Nigeria which prohibits a public official from owning foreign
properties except the properties were acquired with stolen public funds.
The SAN said, “In the first place, is it
an offence for him to have properties outside of Nigeria? What I know
our law prohibits is for a public official to have foreign accounts. I
am not aware of any law that prohibits a public official from having
properties outside of Nigeria.
“So, except those who are calling for
his sacking could establish that it was public money that he wrongly
took; but then, that would also have to go through the court and not by
argument and newspaper attacks. So, for me, I think the call is a bit
premature.”
Mumumi, said the position of SERAP was
for the allegation against Buratai to first be thoroughly investigated
by the anti-graft agencies, after which necessary actions could follow.
The SERAP boss added, “Our position is
let the anti-graft agencies – the EFCC and the ICPC – conduct a thorough
investigation into the matter and let their findings be made public. If
you dismiss everybody based on allegations, that will be too dangerous
if eventually the person is found not guilty.”
The Catholics Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Father Matthew Hassan Kukah, declined comment.
“No comment. Thank You,” he told one of our correspondents without giving any reason.
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