Wada Nas Chides Obasanjo Anti-corruption Campaign
From Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former Minister and the National Chairman of the Peoples Salvation Party (PSP), Alhaji Wada Nas, has chided President Olusegun Oba-sanjo's anti-corruption campaign, saying everything is full of deceit and fraudulent.
He also warned that Nigeria is gradually sliding into a one-party state.
According to the former minister, "when those who preach transparency, anti-corruption and due process emerge through fraudulent, corrupt and very untransparent electoral system, to impose themselves on the people, what kind of transparent, corrupt free and people-oriented leadership would they offer."
The PSP boss said this even worse when the Obasanjo government knows that it hasn't got the people's mandate in the first place, hence they do not care what the people say.
According to him, squandamania has become the order of the day in Nigeria, as there is no accountability within the system.
"In the last five years, we have been earning far above revenue estimates, courtesy of the situation in the Iraq. Yet, recently reports from the House of Representatives Committees that went on their over sight functions is horrible on the implementation of the 2004 budget," the former minister added.
He said reports have it that only about 20 per cent of the budget is implemented, asking where the entire budget money has gone to at a time when the revenue of the nation has almost doubled.
"Yet we have been running a budget deficit in the last five years, inspite of favourable income. Why should government run a deficit budget when we only fund the capital budget to the tune of only 20 per cent? Where has the money appropriated for these projects gone to. Nigerians need to know," Nas stated.
On the strength of democracy in Nigeria, the former minister said "democracy in this country is in shamble, with the principles of separation of powers badly ailing."
According to him, "political parties, labour and civil societies organsisations cannot engage in any peaceful demonstrations without undue harassment from the security agency."
Lamenting the decay in the system, Nas said "painfully, we have been drifting towards a one-party state with plots to kill the party system, a very important corner of democracy."
Nas said the current democratic practice in Nigeria is based on corrupt practice, money and electoral fraud, stating that Obasanjo's close friend, Chief Chris Uba, confirmed it that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not win any election in Anambra State.
Also, Nas quoted Asari Dokubo where he said the party did not win the governorship elections in Rivers State.
He accused the Obasanjo led Federal Government of witch hunting the Abacha's family with the use of outdated laws.
According to the former minister, "the recent judgement of the Federal High Court in the case filed by Ali Abacha, Nigerians now know that the accounts of the late Head of State, his children, relations and others were ordered frozen using an outdated legislation which was expunged from our statute book since May 29, 1999."
He said it is criminal for any one to use outdated laws to witch-hunt or to act outside the provisions of the law merely for the purposes of vendetta.
|
