John Adams, Minna
People Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential hopeful for the forthcoming 2019 general election, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, has described the anti-corruption war of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration as a ‘mere witch-hunt’ of political enemies, saying that Nigerians are beginning to lose confidence in the sincerity of the government to tackle corruption.
The former Sokoto State governor also picked holes in the capacity and professional competency of the anti-graft agency to deal with issues of corruption, pointing out that the agency is manned by unqualified professionals, hence its inability to secure convictions.
The Presidential aspirant, spoke in, Minna, Niger State capital, on Monday, when met with the state’s PDP as part of his nationwide mobilisation of delegates for party presidential primary.
Bafarawa also said that due to the unprofessional approach to its assignments, the EFCC has bungled most of its cases in court and failed to complete in record time its investigations.
Said he, “The way and manner the EFCC is carrying out its assignment is not the proper way. We must get qualified people to handle the assignment, EFCC is manned by unqualified people.
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“The fight against corruption is not a thing we say with the mouth. In recent time, the fight against corruption has been targeted at a particularly People, especially perceived enemies.
“If we are really ready to fight corruption, it must start from the top. The top must show a way, there be good example for the corruption fight to succeed”, Bafarawa said.
The Presidential hopeful said that the grave silence by the Federal Government over the allegation of N27 billion against the dismissed Director General of the Department of State Servies (DSS), Lawal Daura, has further buttressed the fact that the corruption fight is selective.
“For him not to have been taken to court shows that the fight is against corruption is a mere propaganda.”
Bafarawa said that his 10-year trial by the EFCC for alleged corruption for which he was recently acquainted by the court, was nothing but political persecution and intimidation.
He continued, “It was political persecution, intimidation and humiliation, but I give gratitude to God that I have been vindicated.”
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He, however, expressed optimistic that he would pick the PDP presidential ticket, but that if he lost at the primaries, he was ready to work for the success of the party in 2919.
“I am a democrat, I will not give up, I will support the party. It is not a do or die affair.”