CNN Moves To Investigate Why Buhari Dumped The $182 Halliburton Bribe Scandal

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari surely meant well for
the Nigerian people. His integrity, discipline and avowed
commitment to fight, name and shame corruption had never
been in doubt since Nigerians have high hopes in his
administration to ‘fight corruption among the elites’, in a bid
to free Nigeria’s economy from Kleptomaniac. As it is a fad
that “when you fight corruption, surely corruption will fight
back,” aptly captures the trending conspiracy of few Nigerian
Army Generals (retired) and former Heads of State who
allegedly prompted Buhari to ‘let-off’ his earlier, intentional
investigation of $182million Halliburton bribe scandal, so he
may continually ‘govern Nigeria in peace’.

CNN iReport gathered that few weeks before Buhari made his
maiden visit to United States, words reached him that few
retired Army Generals who were erstwhile Heads of State
were allegedly not happy with the planned moves by the no-
nonsense disciplinarian to re-open the Halliburton scandal,
with the sole intention to expose, disgrace and prosecute
some of culpable generals and other highly-placed Nigerians
whose hands may have been ‘soiled’ by the cookie-jar of
corruption in Bonny Island Liquefied Natural Gas Project.

As such, after General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), a
former Nigeria’s Head of State received a phone call from
from General Olusegun Obasanjo, also a former Nigeria’s
president where he brought the attention of IBB to the fact
that they way Buhari was going about corruption-fight, he
would eventually probe the majority of past administration,
including IBB era. This position was echoed by another
Nigerian Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar; which
prompted a conspiracy theory to ‘place Buhari in order’.

Abdusalami had visited IBB in his Minna Castle in Niger State,
there it was concluded that IBB should stylishly pass on their
position to Buhari to halt his earlier intended probe of his
predecessors.

In a press statement issued by IBB through his media
adviser, Prince Kassim Afegbua, it reportedly reads: “On
General Buhari, it is not in IBB’s tradition to take up issues
with his colleague former president. But, for the purpose of
the record, we are conversant with General Buhari’s so-called
holier-than-thou-attitude. He is a one-time minister of
petroleum and we have good records of his tenure.

Secondly, he also presided over Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF)
which records we also have. We challenge him to come out
in clean hands in those two portfolios he headed. Or, we will
help him to expose his records of performance during those
periods. Those who live in glass houses do not throw
stones. General Buhari should be properly guided.”

CNN iReport gathered when intelligence report reached Buhari
on the position of these retired Army Generals and former
Heads of State, and bearing in mind how mean they can fully
engage him in ‘dirty-fight’ which may ridicule him in the eyes
of Nigerians and expose his stewardship then as Minister of
Petroleum in 1976 that led to the mysterious disappearance
of a whooping US $2.8 Billion from Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC account in Midlands Bank,
United Kingdom allegedly under his watchful eyes, Buhari
quickly made a detour and issued a press statement through
Femi Adesina, his Special Adviser, Media & Publicity claiming
the investigation of Buhari administration would only be
limited to his predecessor, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GEJ,
the man who honorably handed peacefully to Buhari on May
28, 2015 at Eagle Square so Nigeria may remain united as
an indivisible nation.

For the records, Buhari was appointed Minister of Petroleum
in 1976 under the Murtala/Obasanjo administration. Not
much is known about any scandals that occured during his
tenure as Minister, but there are rumors of the mysterious
disappearance of US$2.8 Billion from the NNPC account in
Midlands Bank in the United Kingdom, during Buhari’s
stewardship. Now that IBB has threatened to expose him, it
lends a certain credibility to the rumors indicting Buhari of
grand graft.

As if Jonathan knew that this would happen. In the last days
of his administration as president in Aso Rock villa on May
27, 2015 during Federal Executive Council valedictory
session witnessed by big-wigs of Peoples Democratic Party,
he said “Some people are even calling for the probe of the
government, but I think in Nigeria, there are a lot of many
things that will be probed, very many things, even debts
owed by states and debts owed by this country from 1960
up to this time. They say it is Jonathan’s administration that
accrued these debts,” Jonathan said.

“I believe that anybody that is coming for probe must also
ensure that this probe is extended beyond the Jonathan
administration. Otherwise, to me, it will be a witch-hunt. If we
are very sincere, it is not only the Jonathan administration
that should be probed.”

CNN iReport investigation showed that Jonathan
administration may have been singled-out as ‘corrupt
government’ due to the fact that he was a minority-leader
from Niger-Delta and obviously not a military, but a civilian
leader. There are feelers from some Nigerians that this probe
may not have happened if Jonathan had been a retired Army
General.

For Folu Adewope, an undergraduate of University of Texas
Arlington, UTA, her words: “This is obviously a witch-hunt,
charade and selective humiliation with ethnic coloration under
corruption-guise. I strongly believe this investigation would
not have happened if Jonathan had hailed from the North
and had been a retired Army General. Why can’t Buhari open
the Halliburton scandal, and openly prosecute Obasanjo,
Abdusalami, Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigeria’s Vice
president and every other corrupt Nigerians named in the
scandal. As Nigerians, we are interested in this case.”

Recently on his Facebook wall-page, Femi Adeshina, special
aide to the president on media and publicity, said: “It would
be a distraction for the President to begin digging into all
former administrations, but for a proper take off of the
President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, there is need to
look into the immediate past government (Jonathan’s). We
are interested in investigating Jonathan’s government to
recover stolen funds”.

International Community watch in Disbelief
As at the time of going to the press, members of
International Community, particularly the United States
government is shocked that Buhari ought not to leave any
stone unturned in fighting corruption no matter whose ox is
gored. The Halliburton bribery scandal is seen by members
of international community as a litmus test for Buhari to
prove his desire effectively to combat corruption among the
elites in Nigeria.



-Source; CNN