On March 29, 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari made the statement “I belong to everyone and I belong to nobody”, a lot of people didn’t believe he meant what he had said.
However, as his anti-corruption fight started and took shape the President gathered fans.
As corrupt individuals were picked and prosecuted he gathered more fans.
The President’s fans are however dwindling, and this is not because of the poor economy, but his seeming one sided fight against corruption.
Industry Watchers are shouting nepotism, as the supposed fight against corruption seems a war against only the South, West and the East.
As it is, corrupt individuals from the Northern part of Nigeria seem the safest of individuals irrespective of their crimes.
In recent times, individuals from the Southern and Eastern parts of Nigeria seem to have become target of the Ibrahim Magu-led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A typical case of the nepotism being screamed is that of Dauda Lawal, an Executive Director in charge of Public Affairs in a first generation bank.
Months back, Lawal was arrested by the EFCC for allegedly helping former Nigeria Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, launder about $55million.
Since his arrest, nothing has been heard about the investigation of his case. In fact, Lawal has been globetrotting. Recently he was said to have gone for the lesser Hajj, as he sought divine intervention to his situation.
As you read, the ED is a free man. Unlike others who have been prosecuted, Lawal has not been charged to court nor has any insinuation to that effect been made.
While other corrupt individuals including George Uboh have bagged jail terms Lawal is walking a free man in the street of Lagos State as if he didn’t commit any crime.
This raises questions such as: Is Lawal an untouchable?, was he left off the hook because he is from the north?, doesn’t the situation with Lawal confirm that indeed President Buhari’s fight is indeed one sided?, had he been from the Eastern, Southern or Western part of the country would the situation have been the same.
The situation is another indictment on the President and his anti corruption fight. If President Buhari hopes to change the perception of a lot of people who hold the believe that his war against corruption is one sided he would have to reopen Lawal’s case just like the cases of James Ibori and the 30 others which made headlines recently.
Meanwhile, sources within the first generation bank where Lawal is ED have revealed how he walks and talks tall in the financial institution despite rubbishing their image.
Our source revealed that although there are disgruntled elements within the bank who feel that the bank’s revenue would have increased in a short while had Lawal not diverted the money.
Shockingly, we heard that they can hardly do anything to Lawal, as he is considered a golden boy even at the bank where he is still ED. “They worship the ground on which he walks”, we were told.
That a foremost bank in West Africa decided to retain an ED indicted for fraud is appalling. You may recall that shortly after the GMD/CEO of another bank implicated in the same mess was arrested the board immediately announced a replacement before the later cleared his name and returned to his job.
