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Tuesday 19 August 2014

Jonathan Shielding Appointees Accused Of Corruption Lai Mohammed

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday reiterated his call on President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend all his appointees accused of corruption instead of protecting them.

The APC spokesman wondered how a minister accused of corruption in reference to Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke would take the National Assembly to court without the presidents knowledge.
Speaking in an interview with reporters after attending the public presentation of a book Corruption and human rights law in Africa, authored by Dr. Kolawole Olaniyan, Mohammed accused Jonathan of condoning corruption and cited examples by past Nigerian leaders, who suspended appointees accused of corruption.
Said Mohammed: The root cause of corruption is bad leadership. It is not a disease with a one prescription cure. If the political and economic policies of a government cannot give assurance to the common man or guarantee security of tenure, the tendency is for whoever is there to see himself as a temporal occupant.
However, the body language of the leader or whoever is there would determine if corruption will be a norm or not.
I was the Chief of Staff of a governor and I could not imagine how any commissioner would have taken the state House of Assembly to court without the governors knowledge. Dont forget every commissioner is an appointee of the governor.
When a Minister takes the National Assembly to court and the president pretends not to be aware, what message does that send? Under Obasanjo and late YarAdua, ministers were suspended on allegations of corruption.
If you are suspended to be investigated, you have not been declared guilty. But when you now shield these officers, one begins to wonder the message you are sending.
The APC chieftain went on: About six months ago, innocent job seekers were asked to pay certain amount of money for Immigration job. At the end, about 16 lives were lost. Till date, no refund has been made to the applicants, no indictments and the minister is still occupying office. What message does that send?
Mohammed also accused security agencies of being too partisan under the Jonathan administration, citing his experience with the Directorate of State Security (DSS) during the Osun election as example.
Noting that he had filed charges against the (DSS) in court, Mohammed said: I was shocked when the SSS spokesperson said it was legitimate for the SSS to wear hoods. I know that any security agency, which wants to operate publicly must be identified and putting on hoods does not identify you. What is the difference between you and Shekau, if you start wearing hoods?
I was going about my lawful business in Osun and SSS said I was picked up for loitering. We all know there is no offence as loitering in Nigeria.
Mohammed pointed out that the opposition was a more credible and viable alternative to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the centre and urged Nigerians to compare the level of human and infrastructural developments in APC and PDP states.

Jonathan Shielding Appointees Accused Of Corruption Lai Mohammed

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Monday reiterated his call on President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend all his appointees accused of corruption instead of protecting them.
The APC spokesman wondered how a minister accused of corruption in reference to Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke would take the National Assembly to court without the presidents knowledge.
Speaking in an interview with reporters after attending the public presentation of a book Corruption and human rights law in Africa, authored by Dr. Kolawole Olaniyan, Mohammed accused Jonathan of condoning corruption and cited examples by past Nigerian leaders, who suspended appointees accused of corruption.
Said Mohammed: The root cause of corruption is bad leadership. It is not a disease with a one prescription cure. If the political and economic policies of a government cannot give assurance to the common man or guarantee security of tenure, the tendency is for whoever is there to see himself as a temporal occupant.
However, the body language of the leader or whoever is there would determine if corruption will be a norm or not.
I was the Chief of Staff of a governor and I could not imagine how any commissioner would have taken the state House of Assembly to court without the governors knowledge. Dont forget every commissioner is an appointee of the governor.
When a Minister takes the National Assembly to court and the president pretends not to be aware, what message does that send? Under Obasanjo and late YarAdua, ministers were suspended on allegations of corruption.
If you are suspended to be investigated, you have not been declared guilty. But when you now shield these officers, one begins to wonder the message you are sending.
The APC chieftain went on: About six months ago, innocent job seekers were asked to pay certain amount of money for Immigration job. At the end, about 16 lives were lost. Till date, no refund has been made to the applicants, no indictments and the minister is still occupying office. What message does that send?
Mohammed also accused security agencies of being too partisan under the Jonathan administration, citing his experience with the Directorate of State Security (DSS) during the Osun election as example.
Noting that he had filed charges against the (DSS) in court, Mohammed said: I was shocked when the SSS spokesperson said it was legitimate for the SSS to wear hoods. I know that any security agency, which wants to operate publicly must be identified and putting on hoods does not identify you. What is the difference between you and Shekau, if you start wearing hoods?
I was going about my lawful business in Osun and SSS said I was picked up for loitering. We all know there is no offence as loitering in Nigeria.
Mohammed pointed out that the opposition was a more credible and viable alternative to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the centre and urged Nigerians to compare the level of human and infrastructural developments in APC and PDP states.

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