From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Joseph Waku has said the war against corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration would have been better if the probe started from former president Oluse­gun Obasanjo’s adminis­tratio “because all these corruption and privati­sation saga we are talk­ing about today started from Obasanjo’s admin­istration.”

Waku, who stated this in a chat with newsmen in his Makurdi residence at the weekend, de­scribed Buhari’s efforts at ridding the country of corruption as a step in the right direction. He, however, insisted that it was only if Obasanjo administration is probed that the current war could be said to be ho­listic.

“I insist that Obasan­jo’s administration be probed. Buhari should revoke all Federal Gov­ernment assets that were privatised under Obasanjo. But, on the whole, I think this gov­ernment is trying to sa­nitise the system for the younger generation and it is doing it gradually and well.”

Speaking on the agita­tions by the Niger-Delta Avengers (NDA), Waku­called on government to treat those hiding under the cloak of the group to damage oil installations and destroy the common wealth of the nation as criminals.

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He wondered why “the NDA became so brutal and criminal in their agitation without coming out with any par­ticular demand and no human face but are de­stroying national assets with all rascality. Agita­tions should have a clear vision rather than being criminal. It is only when agitations are ignored that you can resort to any other mechanism.”

He described the dam­age caused to oil installa­tions in the Niger Delta by the avengers as the most burning issue in the country and urged the federal government to treat the perpetrators as criminals if caught.

He, however, called on the avengers to hold their political leaders responsible for failing to develop their areas and noted that “after all, they got 30 per cent der­ivation from the federal government and were given the Ministry for Niger Delta as well as Ni­ger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) headed by their leaders who are saddled with the responsibility of de­veloping their areas.”

Chief Waku, also re­iterated his disapproval for the call in some quar­ters for another National Conference.