On the 2nd of November, 2015, a report concerning fraudulent crude oil deals conducted during Ex-President Jonathan administration, by one of his campaign chiefs was published. The report alleged that Mr. Nimi Barigha-Amange, a director in Sarb Energy Corporation – a company created in 2008 for the sole purpose of this fraud – acted as the middleman between Nigeria and Zambia . The report also mentioned that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) got wind of the fraudulent deal and did nothing about it.
However, these corruption stories are becoming tedious. President Buhari and a number of officials in the new administration have incessantly made mention of how corrupt President Jonathan’s administration was. These consistent corruption stories and probes are already making some Nigerians angry, with many of them expressing their discontentment on social media. Nigerians have still not heard anything about some of the prosecuted government officials charged with corruption in the last administration. Is Buhari’s fight against corruption a smokescreen for incompetence?
Since his inauguration, President Buhari has been declaring Nigeria’s sorry state, which according to him is due to the rampant corruption in the last administration. “Nigeria is broke” he declared last week. Leaders should fill their followers with hope, not with dread and gloom. It is almost six months since his inauguration, so for him to keep saying these things to the press appears to be an indication that he has either run out of ideas or does not know what he is doing.
Corruption was not the only reason Buhari was elected. It is time he focused on what is important, like fixing paralysed sectors, and revamping the economy, amongst other things. He has barely said anything and done very little in achieving his other campaign promises and this is why some Nigerians are tired. There’s a looming fuel scarcity crisis, APC senators are ironically rejecting one of Buhari’s campaign promises at the Senate, electricity supply seems to be going back to the stone ages, Boko Haram attacks are on the ascent, Nigerians still do not know Buhari’s cabinet ministers, among other things, yet all we hear is the level of corruption in the past administration.
Yesterday, rumoured APC apologist, Japheth Omojuwa went on a twitter rant with the hashtag #Buharioptics. Soon, however, it became hijacked by Nigerians who had been looking for a way to express their displeasure with Buhari.
I am sorry to say, but "the fear of Buhari" is faded. "Thieves" have since returned to Nigeria, even Abba Moro is talking #BuhariOptics
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) November 4, 2015
Power went to an all time high & we were told it was due to "body language". Now it is back to normal service. What happened? #BuhariOptics
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) November 4, 2015
We talk about d past govt so much like we will need time travel to go into d past 16 years and made those changes #buharioptics @APCnigeria
— Ademola Adeyemo (@Dem_zie) November 4, 2015
Jonathan stole chicken Jonathan caused rain to start early Jonathan changd d date of Easter Can Buhari start work already? #BuhariOptics
— #GirlInTheMirror (@iamayogeorge) November 4, 2015
I worry genuinely,there are difficult decisions to be made,Nigerians voted Buhari to make those decisions,is he shying away? #BuhariOptics
— Mudi Ogags (@manfromdwest) November 4, 2015
@MusaKabir01 Trials take eternity for judgement to pass, do we wait for PMB to eternity? PMB is failing daily #BuhariOptics
— Flexing (@lovat27) November 5, 2015
President buhari to probe GEJ is what we are seeing all this while no tangible achievement since this government took off #Buharioptics
— adeniyi bowode (@boss_bowode) November 5, 2015
Serious minded people come prepared. Our own wants to redefine the phrase "hit the ground running" #BuhariOptics https://t.co/VIXdMEqSxK
— Somtochukwu (@chosensomto) November 5, 2015
Nigerians which way now, Dsame Apc that told u Dat unemployed youth will get 5k monthly are the same ppl that opposed motion #BuhariOptics
— UZOHO (RANDOM) CHIMA (@LeewayprO) November 5, 2015
My issue with Buhari is not about being slow, is that he's killing the momentum that our youths built to change this nation. #BuhariOptics
— b & 999 others… (@bellorian) November 5, 2015