NASS PROBES: ATIKU’S FINAL EXONERATION
The recent probe panels constituted by Nigeria’s distinguished Senators
and Members of the House of Representatives looking into serious
allegations of fraud, corruption and impropriety against the person of
former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his ministers and key government
functionaries in the eight years of the Obasanjo administration has no
doubt gone a long way in instilling fears in the minds of government
officials and politicians in the country. Furthermore, the probes have
once more brought to focus the truth that one day people entrusted with
the trust of public offices would one day be held accountable for their
actions and inactions while in office. Before now, public officials and
politicians get away with whatever actions, inactions, lootings, and fraud
they have committed while in office.
The popular saying that “the truth will always prevail over falsehood”, is
quite applicable to the war waged against former Vice President Atiku
Abubakar by Former President Olusegun Obasanjo for signifying his
intention to contest the April 2007 Presidential elections. From an
administrative panel constituted to smear Atiku’s name on his alleged
fraud at the PTDF to a declaration of his office vacant and series of
planned intimidation by the country’s electoral body, INEC among others,
Atiku was painted as the most corrupt person ever in the history of the
country for no other reason but to desperately stop him from vying for the
office of the President of Nigeria by Obasanjo.
It is public knowledge that since the probes began at the national
assembly in such key sectors of our national life as Power,
Transportation, FCT, Aviation among others, Atiku’s name never featured in
any way by the government officials, politicians and
contractors/consultants who were used as agents of siphoning public funds
by the Obasanjo administration and his fronts. So God has his way of
vindicating an innocent soul. That is exactly what God has done for Atiku
in this instance. While Obasanjo had tried all he could while in power to
paint Atiku red and drag his name in the mud, God on His part was giving
Atiku the desired protection. Atiku’s name never featured in any of probes
as having a hand in the mess of the wasted OBJ years.
Atiku, having been overwhelmed by his total exoneration from fraud, breach
of trust, corruption and abuse of office, was recently quoted as saying:“as a Muslim, I find it difficult to harbour a sense of vindication. But
the way these young people are exposed one after the other with their
hands found in the public till, it is difficult for one not to feel that
there is a higher power involved”. Atiku has certainly said it all when he
admits that these thieving young now exposed were some years ago during
the tyrannical regime of OBJ calling other good men thieves so as to
smartly divert attention of the public and security agencies from the
massive looting they were doing while in office as ministers.
I sincerely believe that Atiku has every reason to celebrate his
vindication now evolving naturally on the floor of the NASS probe panels
and in the public court. There is no doubt that Atiku’s integrity has now
been fully reinstated. The case of Atiku today is that of one who laughter
comes last but lasts for ever. There is no better vindication than this
given the name calling Nasir el Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Femi Fani Kayode and
the likes have unleashed on Atiku in the last two – three years of the OBJ
regime.
I am of the firm belief that OBJ’s attempt by hook and crook to bury Atiku
politically and its consequences have once more come into our political
history books as another case study for students and teachers of politics.
One only hopes that this will teach our politicians some lessons in
politics. The most important lesson is that no matter what the truth will
always prevail no matter how long it takes. In this case Allah has
vindicated Atiku as a saint and a model politician of our time.
MUSA ILALLAH
(musahk123@yahoo.com)
20 ‘C’ HADEJIA ROAD
KADUNA