– Former President Goodluck Jonathan
recently defended Sambo Dasuki, his then
National Security Adviser (NSA)
– Dasuki is still in detention following an
allegation that through his office, some
notable Nigerians got various sums of money
– The money, according to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was
meant to prosecute the war against Boko
Haram
– The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has
replied the former president asking him
asking him why it took this long speak out
The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders
(CACOL) has fired former President Goodluck
Jonathan over his recent comments
attempting to exonerate Sambo Dasuki, his
former National Security Adviser (NSA) of
acts of corruption.
CACOL said it was shocking that Jonathan
suddenly found his voice after maintaining
sealed lips for more than a year, “even in the
face of myriad of palpable accusations
directed at the acute misgovernance that
characterised his administration.”
Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki and Debo Adeniran
Jonathan recently insisted in New York that
Sambo Dasuki could not have stolen the $2.2
billion he is alleged to have shared among
top members of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) and some Nigerians.
The former president further outlined his
administration’s achievements with reference
to ensuring freedom of speech and freedom
after speech; empowering institutions while
reducing government’s influences over them
and enacting the freedom of information act
and the administration of criminal justice act
2015.
CACOL’s executive chairman, Mr Debo
Adeniran, said in a reaction made available to
NAIJ.com that the former president’s attempt
at doing a comparative analysis between his
time in office and the current administration
is baseless, petty and pedestrian.
“A crucial time like this when the country is
in recession and Nigerians are going through
a very harrowing experience, calls for sober
reflections where leaders who are worth their
salts ought to project what will positively
steer the ship called Nigeria forward
particularly by displaying sound
understanding of the ongoing anti-corruption
drive,” he said.
Jonathan had asserted that his government
could not be accused of nepotism, as
according to him, there was no preference to
tribe and ethnicity in the appointment of
members of his cabinet and aides.
But in reaction, Adeniran said: “The former
president’s comments are not helping the
current situation of the country but rather
serving as a distraction from the unpleasant
aftermaths of the his administration.
“What he is doing is creating precedents that
would lead to his invitation for investigations
on issues he has dabbled into by himself.
“However solid his comparisons are, it
cannot be faulted that so much irregularities,
tragedies and atrocities were perpetrated
under his watch.
“Even if it is true that the former president
gave institutions leeway, as he claims, it is
obvious that he failed to exercise control over
its officials and that is why there are issues
of corruption affiliated to his administration.
“We have read in the news about several
allegations of money laundering and missing
funds involving close aides to Jonathan
during his time as president.
“Fresh in our minds is the Dasuki Gate
scandal and in the light of recent revelations,
there have been confessions from Mr. Musiliu
Obanikoro that funds were released to Mr
Ayodele Fayose, the current governor of Ekiti
state, to help finance his election into office,”
Adeniran said, adding that Jonathan cannot
be objective enough in evaluating himself.
“He would only be focused in branding his
administration as competent and failing to
address the irregularities that occurred. He
should leave such comparison to those who
are objective.
“To us in CACOL, we see former president
Jonathan’s comments as a way of saving his
face in the light of the various corruption
allegations linked to his aides, family
members, wife and his defunct cabinet
members.
“We also see this as a desperate attempt by
an individual who is conscious of the reality
that he has a lot of questions to answer for
when it comes to the corrupt practices that
reigned supreme under his watch.
“He has already put himself on ‘trial’!
Nigerians are not fools.” Adeniran said.
Watch the clips where Jonathan defended
Dasuki here:
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