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-Presidency wades in on Kukah’s torrent of attacks
Bishop, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Dr. Mathew Kukah has again queried the stance of President Muhammadu Buhari as the messiah sent to combat corruption, insecurity in Nigeria.
Furious over the state of the nation (Nigeria), Kukah, threw the second salvo while delivering a speech as a Guest Speaker in a lecture titled “Is Corruption a Biological Necessity or a Political Invention”, at the launching of a book “One Step Ahead: Life of a Spy, Detective and Anti-Graft Czar”, authored by former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri in Abuja yesterday.
He asked Nigerian leaders to show probity and accountability. He said: “First, the President for example won his elections on the plank that he would fight corruption. We have had such statements like, fighting corruption to a standstill, killing corruption, getting rid of corruption or, the favourite and life changing one, which is, if we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill us. All great soundbites, I say. And of course, having been drenched in the cesspool of corruption, only the sadist, the fool would not want to see the pool drenched.
“The philosophical questions however for me are, how do you fight corruption? Who and where is corruption sitting or standing? What tools do you use to fight corruption? How will we know when corruption has been killed? What will its body look like and who will officiate at the funeral of corruption? In other words, will the high priests of the funeral of corruption be those who have wined and dined with it or those who have washed their garments in purity?
“You may find my questions quite irritating because they strike at the root of what we have not thought through but they will also help you understand why corruption has not died, will not die any time soon despite our marksmanship. Here are the reasons why I think corruption will not die so soon. “I do not for one moment doubt or question the enthusiasm, patriotism and moral probity of those who have sought to fight corruption and are fighting corruption. I am saying that in all of these, like my fever, we are only seeing symptoms. Only a proper diagnosis can begin a process of curing us. And, in my view, we have sought to fight corruption without enough diagnostic effort. And this brings me to the first section of my question, namely, is corruption a biological necessity?”
The Bishop, who was represented at the event by Revered Father Patrick Alukumu from Abuja, however, provoked some thoughts, asking if President Buhari had fulfilled his promise of declaring his own assets public. Defining corruption He said: “The next issue is how do we define the corrupt? Who is corrupt? When power is used to shield those at the top, it is one of the worst forms of corruption. Often, those in power can subordinate the apparatus of state to hide their own corruption and leave the poor and ordinary people vulnerable. We create all kinds of fireballs of protections around those who govern us and we call it Immunity. When the politician controls the security agencies and the judiciary, when all these are made to serve the people in power, then we must find another word for defining corruption.
“A man of integrity and piety and we can call him incorruptible. However, what happens if the thief pays his rent, sponsors his political career, or donates proceeds from his or her theft indirectly to the friends, family and cronies of those in power? Is the canvass of their piety or integrity and honour wide enough to cover the stench of corruption or do we only see the agent of corruption?
“On a final note, let me ask two or three questions that I have heard being asked. First, is it in the Law that the Chairman of EFCC must be from the Police Force and a Muslim from Northern Nigeria? Two, people have asked, how is it that the President used Justice Onnoghen’s Asset Declaration form to prove his corruption and proceed to sack him, yet the President himself has not publicly declared his own assets as he promised during his campaigns? Thirdly, why has Mr. Magu not been confirmed as EFCC Chairman and what is the state of the trial of those who attempted to kill him in December, 2017? Thank you for your kind attention.”
Meanwhile, Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina who was also at the event partly replied Kukah.
In his reaction, Adesina said Buhari never promised to declare his assets publicly, adding that the president had not broken any law by not doing so.
The presidential spokesman, therefore, challenged Kukah to produce evidence of where the president promised to publicly declare his assets if elected.
He stated: “I remember I was appointed on May 31, 2015, and when I resumed work on June 1 2015, in a private meeting with the president, one of the first questions I asked him was: this promise about the public declaration of assets, when are you doing it?
“And then he asked me: can you please show me where that promise was ever made? And behold, we searched everywhere, there was no place where the president ever said he would do a public declaration and he asked me what the law required. And he said: ‘The law requires you to declare your assets and that is what I will do.’ Yet, since that year, they keep repeating that he promised a public declaration.
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“Sir, can you tell Bishop Kukah that I challenge him to produce that promise by the president because the president stands by it till tomorrow that he never promised a public declaration.
“In 2015, he made his assets public, in 2019, he had declared, he has chosen not to go public, he has not broken any law. So, please let’s not continue to repeat what is untrue.”