Buhari hasn't lost anti-corruption battle, but he's close

The return of Abdulrasheed Maina to the federal civil service--four years after he was fired from his duty post in the same civil service for a pension scam running into billions of naira--has been regarded as a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari’s much vaunted war against corruption.

For many, the Maina saga is testament that the administration’s anti-graft train is coming off the rails and heading for the rocks.

Add to that the fact that Babachir Lawal and Ayodele Oke still technically have jobs in the Buhari administration and you begin to get the feeling that the anti-corruption disposition of the incumbent as sold to Nigerians in the electioneering campaigns of 2014 and 2015, is one big, fat lie.

Buhari hasn’t helped his cause by dithering and foot-dragging when he should be decisive and pragmatic. Firing Maina as soon as he got wind of the development, was a pleasant surprise of some sort for millions of Nigerians.

Yes, judicial reforms which will aid the anti-corruption war have been slow in coming, but setting up the corruption and financial crimes cases monitoring committee headed by Justice Ayo Salami, is one huge step in the right direction.

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What Buhari should now do is ensure that a system that allowed the return of Maina on his watch, is reshaped and made foolproof for better performance. That will mean strengthening institutions and imbuing same with the capacity to plug loopholes that allow graft to seep through age old cracks.

The president’s anti-corruption mindset isn’t in doubt, but sometimes he comes across as a battle weary lone ranger confronting a rampaging army. You don’t win wars the scale of corruption in Nigeria by going it alone.

This writer is aware that the president has issued queries to the Attorney General, Head of Service, DSS boss and Interior Ministry in the wake of Maina-gate. These officials have been implicated in Maina’s reinstatement, one way or the other.

The corruption war is definitely failing, make no mistake. To prevent it from finally tipping over and crashing to the floor, the president must strengthen institutions and recruit like minds to go the distance with him.

Buhari.