Stop pontificating on corruption matters, pro-democracy group tells Atiku

With the plethora of yet unresolved allegations of corruption hanging on the neck of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, it does not lie in his mouth to raise accusations of corruption on others, the Democratic Front (TDF) has observed.

The Democratic Front (TDF) made this observation while dismissing the pontification by Atiku on the proprietary or otherwise of the process of the award of contract for the construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

The group said in a statement signed by its Chairman Danjuma Mohammed and Secretary Wale Adedayo that it was most surprising that someone who had been enmeshed in allegations of lack of transparency in the privatization process of most of the nations priced assets would be the one to accuse others.

“Well, he may assume that everyone would toe the same line taken by his government in disposing and squandering the national wealth,” the group noted.

“It interestingly beats all imagination that a man in the eye of the storm and under overwhelming accusations could find the moral courage to pontificate on the process of the award of contract for the construction of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway Project.

“As usual, he misrepresented facts and sought to turn black to white in a vain attempt to reverse the current gains being brought about by the new
Administration in Nigeria.

“His misrepresentations over the coastal
highway project is delusional and an insult to public sensibility, which is clear evidence that corruption is fighting back,” It added.

The political movement also recalled some of the antecedents of the former vice president as described by his former principal, President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The group said: “These are Obasanjo’s direct words in his book ,”My Watch” and to our knowledge has not been challenged or controverted: “What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgment, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety, truth and national interest for self and selfish interest’

“For us, it is neither funny nor coincidental to note that the name, Atiku Abubakar always resound when issues of corruption are being raised and this is not just because of the usual envy of perceived political opponents, but due to his own direct alleged involvement in a plethora of mega corruption cases in Nigeria and abroad.

“Even before former President Olusegun Obasanjo published his book, which contained damning accounts of Atiku’s alleged corruption
escapades, the former vice president, have been repeatedly mentioned in cases of corruption that directly affected the nation’s economy and
international image.

“We recall how sometimes in August 2011, Nigerians were informed through a Senate public hearing on how Atiku Abubakar aided his cohorts and fronts to ring fence over 70% of Federal Government’s assets in a brazen daylight robbery, he supervised in the name of privatization.”

The Democratic Front also gave an insight into Atiku’s activities as head of the privatisation process in the Obasanjo years.

“Many have disgraced Nigeria in the comity of nations, such that, at the
mention of their names, doors of respect, assistance, and cooperation are
closed. Must the name of the former vice president be mentioned in this class of unpatriotic Nigerians? We certainly do not think so.

“Nigerians will not forget in a hurry how Abubakar Atiku took undue advantage of the position entrusted to him as the Chairman of the National Council of Privatization (NCP),to sell, at derisory prices and under questionable circumstances, major public investments like the National Fertilizer Company (NAFCON) Onne, Eleme Petrochemical Company, Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Nigeria Sugar Company Bacita, Sunti Sugar Company, Savanah Sugar Company, Egbin Power Station, Ughelli Power Station, Daily Times, National Insurance Company of Nigeria (NICON), Nicon Noga Hilton Hotel in Abuja, Net Com House in Lagos and MM2, to mention just a few out of the over 600 public corporations sold in an auction that is globally considered today, as the worst privatization sales in human history.”it noted.

The group said it was not shocked that the former vice president would assume that every top public official will display similar tendencies in office.