Tinubu’s support for Akpabio, endorsement of corruption, says HURIWA

The widely reported endorsement by the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the immediate past minister for Niger Delta Affairs and a Senator-elect from Akwa Ibom State Mr Godswill Akpabio as his preferred candidate for the office of the Senate President of the soon to be inaugurated 10th Session of the National Assembly has been described by HURIWA as an endorsement of corruption and the end of the anti-graft crusade.

The civil rights advocacy group has condemned the alleged overbearing influences of both the National Executive Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President-elect to choose the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

HURIWA insisted that the legislators-elect must stand up and defend the autonomy of the legislature or else, the next session of the National Assembly would be just as the bootlickers of the holder of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

HURIWA predicted that the emergence of Godswill Akpabio that has been invited several times for interrogation over an alleged heist by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would inevitably lead to the scrapping of EFCC or at the least, the administrative downgrading of the Commission.

HURIWA warned that downgrading the fight against corruption will lead to capital flight and discourage foreign direct investments into Nigeria which would crumble the national economy of Nigeria.

It stated that it was therefore not shocked when the President-elect of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, vowed to continue fighting corruption like President Muhammadu Buhari did if elected into office.

The National Coordinator, HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed worries that since it was widely accepted that the current federal administration is one of the most corrupt governments ever in the political annals of Nigeria.

“It is therefore not surprising that the President-elect just before he is sworn into office on May 29th, has already embraced corruption by overlooking the groundswell of allegations of theft of public funds made by EFCC against the former Akwa Ibom governor, Akpabio, and it was reported from credible sources that his choice for the next Senate President is the same person wanted by the EFCC for interrogation.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently said that his government will continue the work of the current administration in reforming the civil service to fight corruption, reduce bureaucracy, streamline agencies and decrease inefficiency and waste.”

HURIWA carpeted the President-elect who himself has been criticized for being allegedly corrupt and accumulating untraceable wealth just as on many occasions, the former Lagos State governor had refused to respond to queries on the ownership of Alpha Beta, a private company that collects tax on behalf of the state for a percentage.

“He is believed to have large shares in the company, which assumed Lagos tax administration under him as governor of Lagos State.”

HURIWA then wondered “how such a man who became suddenly rich stupendously in politics can fight public service corruption..”

The Rights group stated that nobody can give what he doesn’t have “which means that Tinubu is incapable of waging war against an offence he was accused of.”

HURIWA, therefore, called on the President-elect not to continue to give reasons why Nigerians should be very apprehensive that his administration will be the worst ever.

The Rights group also warned the legislators in Abuja including the recently elected legislators awaiting inauguration in June, that it stands the risk of becoming the stooges of the executive arm of government if they become enslaved to the whims and caprices of the President-elect by allowing him to impose his boys and girls as the hierarchical team of the next National Assembly.