Why President Buhari’s Government Is The Most Corrupt In Nigeria’s History

By Emeka Ugwuonye, Esquire

Nigerians are by now used to various corruption indices used in scoring Nigerian government on corruption against other governments of the world. What we don’t seem to have are standards for scoring various Nigerian governments in comparison with one another. For instance, how can we compare, say, President Jonathan’s administration with Obasanjo’s administration or Buhari’s administration on corruption? Placed against one another, which of the various administrations is the most corrupt or the least corrupt? This is very important as it also helps Nigerians to score various political parties against others on corruption.

Corruption has been a factor considered by Nigerian voters during various elections. I recall particularly that one of the most selling cards for President Buhari in 2015 was because he was scored high on integrity and Nigerians believed that his government would be less corrupt that the alternatives and the past. But at the end of Buhari’s administration, it was no longer clear whether Buhari did better than his predecessors on corruption. The reason it is difficult to score the various administrations is because there are no clear standards.

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While we keep searching for the best standards, there is an indication that Buhari’s administration is the worst of all Nigerian governments on corruption, with one possible exception being Abacha’s administration.

Why should Buhari be scored the worst? One key factor must be taken into consideration above others. The fact that the EFCC is Nigeria’s watchdog on corruption and it turned out that two heads of the EFCC that were appointed by Buhari ended up being disgraced out of office for corruption is one critical factor. How could the leaders of the corruption watchdog be so blatantly implicated in corruption under Buhari’s administration? It meant that Buhari had actually no serious and sincere anti-corruption agency. Also, it is to be noted that the Governor of the Central Bank during Buhari’s administration turned out to be one of the most corrupt Nigerians in office. And the Central Bank is at the core of Nigerian financial system. That is also a factor. So, judging by the caliber of government officials implicated in corruption at the end of Buhari’s administration, even when he was succeeded by his own party, it is obvious that Buhari’s government was the most corrupt in Nigerian history. If Abacha had been succeeded by a politician he supported, Abacha would have been a saint compared to Buhari. And if Buhari had been succeeded by a party other than APC, Buhari would have been arrested for corruption.

Taken as a whole, one can logically declare the government of President Buhari the most corrupt government in the history of Nigeria.

Do you agree with this analysis?