$1.5m Dubai mansions: Buratai should resign or be sacked

Firstclass newsline:Some prominent Nigerians on Sunday demanded that
if the Chief Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, failed to resign from
his position following the revelation that he bought two houses in
Dubai, worth $1.5m, he should be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Those who called for the Army chief's resignation or sacking are human
rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN); another Senior Advocate of
Nigeria, Chief Mike Ozekhome; and Second Republic House of
Representatives member, Dr. Junaid Mohammed.
Others are the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin,
and the National Publicity Secretary of the National Advance Party,
Mr. Tosin Odeyemi.
Ozekhome specifically demanded that Buratai should be tried before he
would be allowed to resign.
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said people
who were found guilty of stealing public funds, should not just be
fired or allowed to resign but should be made to return such money.
Odumakin, who said it was not in the culture of Nigerians to resign
for wrong-doing, however, believed that the posture of the Buhari
administration on the allegation against Buratai cast a serious doubt
on the anti-corruption war of the administration.
But a SAN, Mr. Yusuf Ali, and the Executive Director of the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Mr. Adetokunbo
Mumumi, believed that the allegation against Buratai should be
thoroughly investigated before he would be asked to resign or be
sacked.
Falana said in a statement that despite Buratai's commendable feat of
leading the Nigerian Army to defeat Boko Haram in the North-East, the
war on corruption was also a must-win for the Buhari administration.
The lawyer described as a "cock and bull story" the explanation by the
Nigerian Army authorities that Buratai paid for the properties in
instalments through his personal savings.
He regretted that the name of the Nigerian Army had been "illegally"
used to defend Buratai in the unfolding scam.
While he condemned the involvement of the Nigerian Army in defending
Buratai, he said no one had yet to explain to Nigerians how an army
General could manage to save $1.5m.
He added, "In view of the ban on the opening and operation of foreign
accounts by public officers, the Code of Conduct Bureau should be
involved in the investigation.
"If the Chief of Army Staff does not deem it fit to resign forthwith,
President Buhari should not hesitate to remove him in the interest of
national morality."
Falana commended the Buhari administration for putting on trial
military officers, allegedly involved in the diversion of the sum of
$15bn, meant for the procurement of arms.
He said the alleged diversion led to the killing of about 25,000
Nigerians by the Boko Haram sect while two million others, including
children, had been displaced.
''How an army General managed to save $1.5m has not been disclosed to
Nigerians. Since the General was in charge of procurement for the
Nigerian Army at the material time, the cock and bull story of the
military high command has been called names," the SAN stated.
Mohammed called on Buratai to honourably resign or be fired by Buhari.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on Sunday, the Second Republic
lawmaker noted that some of Buratai's predecessors from other parts of
the country were currently facing trial over their roles in helping
themselves to funds meant for the procurement of arms.
The medical practitioner argued that it defied logic that Buratai, who
was in charge of procurement when these men held sway, had not been
asked to give account of his stewardship.
Mohammed added, "The fact that he was a long serving Director of
Procurement at Defence Headquarters when some of the nastiest
procurements were made, not only for the Army but for the Armed
Forces, makes it incumbent on him to vacate his seat.
"The manner of his leaving will require tact, which this
administration has never demonstrated from day one, but I believe that
the options are clear: One which is my suggestion is for Buratai to
retire to go and leave his life quietly in Buratai, his village, or
elsewhere, he has tried in the fight against insurgents.
"If Buratai does not want to go that way honourably, he should be
compulsorily retired or sacked outright by the Commander-in-Chief.
"Nobody with any sense of decency or justice can leave Buratai in service."
In his reaction, Ozekhome, believed Buratai should not be removed without trial.
He said the government should make the Chief of Army Staff to undergo
trial while still serving as a military officer to prove that its
anti-corruption war was not targeted at profiled opponents.
Ozekhome said, "I will rather urge that he be first tried through our
criminal justice system trial, which is accusatorial and not
inquisitorial. When found guilty, he can then be dismissed or
court-martialled.
"Let the government for once prove us wrong that its so called
anti-corruption war is not targeted at profiled opponents by putting
him through trial as a serving military officer. Just for once, I want
to be proved wrong."
Odumakin stated that the position of the COAS had become "untenable"
against the backdrop of the illogical defence of Buratai by military
authorities.
The Afenifere spokesman added, "His position has become untenable with
that expose and very weak, feeble and sloppy defence. It is
preposterous to ask the Federal Government that cleared him, to now
fire him. And resignation is not in the dictionary of Nigerian
officials but he obviously is a blight on the anti-corruption war."
In his reaction, Cardinal Onaiyekan said a proven allegation of
corruption against the Army chief would seriously pollute the
anti-graft war of the present administration if not addressed.
The cleric stated, "Let me say that the allegation of stealing public
funds does not hide; it will come out eventually. And like anybody
else, he will face the music; whether he should be punished now or
retired should not be the issue.
"I am not one of those who believe that when somebody has stolen a lot
of money, you simply retire or sack the person. That is not what it
should be; if it is stealing, he should be made to return the money.
It is not a question of sacking somebody and you feel that is the
punishment.
"What I am saying is that if there is a case of misuse of public
funds, he should be treated that way. But like I told you, I don't
have the full picture of what is involved, apart from what I read in
the newspapers. Personally, I will want to give the benefit of doubt
to the government that it knows what it is doing."
In the same vein, Odeyemi, who spoke in an interview with one of our
correspondents in Osogbo on Sunday, said Buhari should order a
thorough probe to ascertain where Buratai got such huge amount of
money to buy the properties.
The NAP spokesperson alleged that Buhari had refused to investigate
those in his cabinet for corruption but had been chasing others
especially those from other political parties.,
"I believe Gen. Buratai should resign immediately. Where did he get
such money to buy the properties in question? How much has he earned
since he joined the Army? Does he have another business?
"He should first resign and a proper investigation should be conducted
to ascertain the truth. Thank God he is already at the pinnacle of his
career. If he is found guilty, then he should be prosecuted. But he
should be honoured and probably elevated if he is found to be
guiltless."
Expressing a different view, however, Ali said the call for Buratai's
resignation or sacking was premature when the allegations had yet to
be substantiated.
Ali added he was not aware of any law in Nigeria which prohibits a
public official from owning foreign properties except the properties
were acquired with stolen public funds.
The SAN said, "In the first place, is it an offence for him to have
properties outside of Nigeria? What I know our law prohibits is for a
public official to have foreign accounts. I am not aware of any law
that prohibits a public official from having properties outside of
Nigeria.
"So, except those who are calling for his sacking could establish that
it was public money that he wrongly took; but then, that would also
have to go through the court and not by argument and newspaper
attacks. So, for me, I think the call is a bit premature."
Mumumi, said the position of SERAP was for the allegation against
Buratai to first be thoroughly investigated by the anti-graft
agencies, after which necessary actions could follow.
The SERAP boss added, "Our position is let the anti-graft agencies –
the EFCC and the ICPC – conduct a thorough investigation into the
matter and let their findings be made public. If you dismiss everybody
based on allegations, that will be too dangerous if eventually the
person is found not guilty."
The Catholics Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Father Matthew Hassan
Kukah, declined comment.
"No comment. Thank You," he told one of our correspondents without
giving any reason.