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‘Remi Oyeyemi: Buhari’s 25 Million Naira Liability

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By ‘Remi Oyeyemi

“…..the competence and character of politicians must of a necessity be examined in the full glare of public limelight because what is at issue is the welfare of the community or nation. In the management of private affairs, a gross mistake would only affect the fortunes of one man or a family or a small group of persons. A serious error of judgment in the management of public affairs might adversely affect the lives and fortunes of millions of people.”
– Obafemi Awolowo, the Sage.

“There is need for the competence and character of public men to be subjected to severer and stricter scrutiny — and that mainly in public — than those of persons engaged in private concerns.
– Obafemi Awolowo, the Sage.

When President Mohammadu Buhari took 25 million naira loan to buy the nomination forms to contest for the Presidential ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC), he had told Nigerians that he had no money. Buhari and his handlers convinced Nigeria that he had never been corrupt and so did not have any money stashed away with which he could live affluently or buy the nomination forms. He was so meekly in appearance that some Nigerians were actually hoodwinked to contribute money for and to him.

Agreeing to buy such an exorbitant nomination form raised eyebrows and put an asterisk on Buhari’s claim of anti-corruption image. It hanged a big question mark on the integrity of his purpose. With his claim of not having any investment and no cash stashed away, some Nigerians became curious as to how he intended paying back the loan of 25 million naira he had taken to buy the nomination forms.

But the cacophony of propaganda sweeping across the political pedestal was overwhelming and all encompassing. Scrutiny was subverted. Truth was twisted. Facts were obfuscated. The media midwived the mystification. The intelligentsia traipsed the extirpation. Social critics cocooned the crass. Some royal fathers fermented the filth. Respected scions cuddled claptraps. The people became confused. And the country, bullied. Those were indeed, desperate times.

And the questions arose: What if Buhari did not win the presidency? How did he plan to pay back such a huge amount of money? What did he use as collateral? What exactly was the deal with the lending Bank? And if he wins the Presidency, would he be able to pay this 25 million Naira with his salary as President? Or would he get “gifts” (please, not bribes, “gifts” only) from his political friends and or contractors to offset the loan and more? Would such “gifts” not influence his policies? Would such “gifts” not serve as encumbrances to his promised war against corruption?

Would such “gifts” in themselves not constitute acts of corruption? Would he not eventually end up condoning acts of corruption? Would he not be constrained in doing what is right for Nigeria? Is this loan not an attestation that he may not be different from others? Are Nigerians not being deceived? Are they not being taken for a ride? Is the country not being fooled? What are Nigerians to expect from a poverty – stricken, highly indebted, poor presidential aspirant?

Well, Mr. Mohammdu Buhari has since become President of Nigeria since May 29, 2015. It is time for accountability. It is time to inform Nigerians how the country is being managed. It is important that Buhari come through with his promise of openness. It is time to put this issue of the 25 million naira loan on the table for Nigerians to behold.

Nigerians want to know the status of that 25 million naira loan that he took. How much has he paid out of the loan? How much interest has this loan generated? Has the loan been paid off? If not, how much is the monthly installment President Buhari is paying to offset this loan? If the loan has not been paid off and it is being paid through monthly installment, what is the balance remaining? Is the loan spread over a term of payments? How long does he expect to pay this loan in full?

It is important that President Buhari comes out to explain to Nigerians the status of this loan. It is important because President Buhari himself made this an issue when he made a public display of a poverty stricken former head of state that was seeking our mandate to govern Nigeria. He wanted us to believe that he had in his personal character what we need as a country – openness, piety, austere living, honesty and integrity.

Now, it is time for President Buhari to live up to the expectations he has raised. He has to be open and answer questions. This is not 1984 or 1985. This is 2016. He has to account to Nigerians. He has to explain to us how he is paying or has paid the loan he took to be able to contest and fix this country. Anyone who is honest in little things would be able to show honesty in bigger things. It is time to defend his integrity. It is time to prove to Nigerians that he is actually following the rules.

Nigerians need to know that they have not been hoodwinked. Nigerians need to know that they have not been taken for a ride. Nigerians want to know that Buhari is indeed what he says he is – that he is honest, has integrity and different from others. The earlier he clears the air about this the better for him. He has to realize that though he is the president, he is actually our number one servant; to serve us and answer to us. He has a responsibility to account to us for his actions.

Since his assumption of office, President Buhari has been making a lot of his supporters nervous in a variety of ways. He had denied several of his campaign promises either for fear that he had no means of fulfilling them or he is incompetent or because he has bad memory as a result of age or because he actually meant to deceive Nigerians to get himself elected. It is difficult to pinpoint actually what the issue is but time would certainly reveal the truth.

Also it took public outcry before President Buhari would declare his assets publicly as he had promised. He resisted and almost denied he promised to do so. But the outcry was overwhelming and the evidence of his promise was pervasive beyond what could be denied. Eventually he declared the assets after a lot of controversy. Even then the declaration of his assets is being held in suspect because of a lot of inconsistencies in the details.

Contrary to what President Buhari made Nigerians to believe that he had no money when he borrowed the 25 million naira to buy the APC nomination forms, his contentious asset declaration showed that he actually had close to 30 million stacked up in his account with the Union Bank according to his spokesperson Shehu Garba. Obviously, his previous claim to Nigerians that he had no money was not true. You cannot have 30 million naira in your account and claim that you have no money.

During the campaign, Nigerians were told that President Buhari had no house in Abuja and that he was the only ex-president or ex- Head of State with this distinction. But Garba Shehu in his press release announcing the declaration of assets by President Buhari informed Nigerians as follows:
“President Buhari had a total of five homes, and two mud houses in Daura. He had two homes in Kaduna, one each in Kano, Daura and in Abuja. One of the mud houses in Daura was inherited from his late older sister, another from his late father. He borrowed money from the old Barclays Bank to build two of his homes. President Buhari also has two undeveloped plots of land, one in Kano and the other in Port Harcourt. He is still trying to trace the location of the Port Harcourt land.”

So, with some of these inconsistencies and holes in the integrity and honesty of President Buhari, his explanation on the status of the 25 million naira loan is of great pertinence. He has to account to the country on the status of this loan. His most important selling point as a candidate was that he was not rich. That he was not a thief. That he has not stolen any money. That he is different. And he promised that he would be open with Nigerians

In addition, Nigerians are still waiting for the release of the full documents of President Buhari’s asset declaration. In the same press release made available to Nigerians, Mr. Shehu Garba informed that “As soon as the CCB is through with the process, the documents will be released to the Nigerian public and people can see for themselves.” For a President, whose selling point is honesty, efficiency, integrity and openness, it does not have to take this long for the full documents to be released if President Buhari really had the intention to have the documents released.

As events continue to unfold, Nigerians, especially a lot of reasonable supporters of President Buhari (not the fundamentalist Buharists who have lost the basic capacity to be reasonable), are holding their breath, praying and hoping that they have not been sold a fake: that they have not made a mistake in supporting him. But, TIME, as usual, WILL soon TELL,

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”
– John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961.

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Please follow me on Twitter @OyeyemiRemi

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