The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has claimed that its previous postulations concerning the “lack of direction” of the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led federal government are coming to pass.
In a statement signed and issued by its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, the group noted that the recent acts of alleged impunity and ‘rascality’ witnessed in the Senate serves to vindicate its earlier statements about the federal government’s use of distraction techniques to cover-up its inefficiencies.
It pointed out that the absence of focused leadership for the country is not peculiar to National Assembly but has also plagued the executive arm of the federal government.
The statement partly reads: “At the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL we have watched very closely the character of the present Senate right from the very day it was inaugurated, just like that of the Presidency, the Judiciary and other superstructures of governance under All Progressive Congress, APC-led ‘change’ government of the Federation.
“The intrigues; melodrama, insensitivities, horse-trading etc. still point to our postulations that governance has basically been directionless and that ‘distractions’ was the mode of governing being practiced since the commencement of the present administration. We pointed out then that the future was foggy for the country.
“We were not doomsayers then, neither we are now, in fact we are being vindicated with the recent acts, particularly the stupidities and criminalities being displayed with impunity in Nigeria’s Senate House of horror and disastrous humour.
“The Executive comfortably houses both elected and appointed public officials that have plethora of corruption allegations against them that are yet to be disproved. Babachir Lawal, who is at the ‘heart’ of the Presidency as Secretary to General of the Federation, SGF is a shining example along that dishonourable path.
“He obviously has a lot to answer for, as far as the allegations against him are concerned, as against the clearance by the President which suggests that he had not been found wanting. Ordinarily, the SGF should have stepped aside long before now to thoroughly clear himself of the misconducts his being accused of.
“This alone implicates the Executive and challenges the presidency’s acclaimed sincerity about fighting corruption no matter whose ox is gored. Several Ministers too have allegations of corruption against them which the Executive have kept on ignoring.
“The Judiciary, despite all the brouhaha that witnessed the arrest of judges by the DSS, the pontifications of members of the Bench that, that the arm of government could cleanse itself of corruption, we see today that the cases that are court which emanated from the saga are either being foot-dragged on, or consciously being ‘killed’ silently.
“This is exactly what has been characteristic of our judicial system where it is always easier for the ‘camel to pass through the eye of the needle’ than for suspected criminals answer to their charges and where perversion of justice is a pastime.”
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