by Alexander O. Onukwue

The defeat of the Federal Government in the trial of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, for false declaration of assets, is yet another blow to the fledgling anti-corruption fight.

The tribunal’s statement that Saraki had “no case to answer” would not have been welcome news at Aso Rock who are badly in need of another example to convince Nigerians. Initiating Saraki’s trial had been the ‘show of force’. That bullet, unfortunately, has hit the wall and rebounded to bad effect.

In a reaction by Wale Salami, the media coordinator of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), it was “disturbing” that the end product of the courtroom meanderings over the past 20 months has led to nothing more than a semblance of “compromise on the side of the Federal Government”

Speaking further, Salami explained the judgment as APC’s way of rubbing everyone’s backs and saying let bygones be. Given that the Saraki case had been the most prominent and most vigorously pursued one out of the several corruption cases, “it was a big indictment on the part of the Federal Government’s anti-corruption drive”.

Having lost the external battle, it may be time to look inwards within the Presidency.

Secretary to the Federal Government, Babachir Lawal, remains suspended and the report of the panel set up by President Buhari to investigate his alleged misuse of funds for the rehabilitation of the North East has not seen the light of day. Bringing closure to the case of Lawal would re-awaken any desires left in Nigerians to see what fight the Presidency has for anti-corruption.

The other essential duty would involve housekeeping, by way of calming the storm between the Directorate of State Security and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. That this inter-agency squabble – both under the watch of the Presidency – was allowed to affect the National Assembly must be counted as a point of mismanagement.

By extension, it will also be in the interest of the Presidency to shake-up the virility of the Code of Conduct Tribunal as well, perhaps under the guise of a general maintenance of all anti-corruption agencies in the control of the Executive.

Editor