Oduahgate: Don't use politics to justify corruption, APC warns
The
All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned against any attempt by the
unimaginative spin doctors of the Aviation Ministry to use politics as a
cover for the egregious corruption scandal surrounding the illegal
purchase of two armoured cars for the Minister of Aviation.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday
by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the
party said it is most unconscionable for anyone to blame the supposed
opposition to President Jonathan's re-election in 2015 as the reason
for the widespread outcry against the monumental corruption and abuse of
office engendered by the scandal.
It said that the opposition, in particular, should not be
blamed for the justifiable indignation of most Nigerians to the
corruption scandal, as Yakubu Dati, who goes by the nebulous title of
'coordinating Spokesperson for the Aviation Ministry' (don't blame him.
After all there is a coordinating Minister of the Economy, a title
unknown to the Constitution) tried to do in his winding postulation on
the scandal.
''What Dati and his co-spin doctors tried to do is to
play on President Jonathan's insecurity as far as 2015 elections are
concerned. This is very insulting not only to Nigerians but also to
President Jonathan himself, and it will not sell. After all, attempts to
blame the opposition for the lingering ASUU strike has also failed. In
any case, what is the business of a public servant, who is supposed to
be apolitical, about whether a President is re-elected or not?
''We in the APC have not joined the fray over the
Oduahgate scandal since it broke out because we thought this was a
straightforward case of corruption and abuse of office that should be
summarily dealt with. But President Jonathan has again failed to live up
to expectation, thus allowing all manners of clowns to seek to pull the
wool over the eyes of Nigerians in the name of defending the
indefensible,'' APC said.
The party wondered why President Jonathan will engage in a
diversionary and exculpatory strategy of setting up a panel to
investigate the scandal, when there are statutory bodies that are
supposed to do so.
''There is precedence on how to handle such a matter. In
case President Jonathan has forgotten, his then boss, President Umaru
Musa Yar'Adua, sacked Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, Minister of
Health and Minister of State for Health respectively, for spending
part of the ministry's unspent budget. The Permanent Secretary and other
top officials of the ministry were also suspended when the issue broke
out. No panel was set up before this action was taken.
''While many may argue that President Jonathan is only
following 'due process' in dealing with the issue, we counter that he is
only seeking to buy time while hoping that the issue will die down. The
composition of the panel set up by the President itself supports our
stand. It is doubtful if any of the members will act against what they
perceive to be the 'interest' of the President on the issue,'' it said.
Meanwhile, APC has condemned in strong terms the arrest
of Mr. Dino Melaye and other protesters against the Oduahgate scandal
in Abuja, saying the police, by their action, have signalled that they
will protect corrupt public officials.
The party said the reasons given by the police,
obstruction of traffic and disturbance of public peace, were apparently
cooked up to justify their shameful act.
''The Nigeria
Police must learn to operate in accordance with the best practices
around the world. Elsewhere, the police will offer protection to
peaceful protests, the type that Mr. Melaye led in Abuja, and ensure
that their protests are not hijacked by hoodlums, like the hired
pro-Oduah protesters who reportedly attacked those protesting against
corruption and abuse of office.
''This is not what is expected of a police force that is
maintained with taxpayers fund, and all those involved in harassing and
arresting the anti-corruption protesters must bow their heads in
shame,'' APC said
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