Fayose mocks Buhari, Obasanjo over $16 billion power project

• Don’t politicise anti-graft war, CNPP tells president
• Group seeks probe of ex-leaders, others
Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday mocked President Muhammadu Buhari and former President Olusegun Obasanjo over their latest verbal exchanges over the $16 billion allegedly spent on power during the tenure of the former president.

Fayose, who took to his Twitter handle to mock the two leaders, said he was enjoying the public display of what he called ‘brickbats’ between them.He said: “I am enjoying these latest brickbats between President Buhari and former President Obasanjo. They should keep exposing themselves for Nigerians to know what they have been hiding.

“Nigerians should remember I warned that those who brought Buhari will regret entrusting him with power.”In a related vein, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to politicise the war against corruption in the country, asking him to also turn the searchlight on those under his administration for probe.

Besides, the CNPP said if Buhari has decided to institute a probe on former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he should as well investigate other past regimes.Its Secretary-General of CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu, in a statement yesterday, said President Buhari should not stop at throwing a jibe at Obasanjo for spending $16 billion on power projects as he held sway as the president but must go a step further by instituting a public probe of the power spending and other expenditures during Obasanjo’s tenure.

“We expect President Buhari to institute a full-scale public inquiry into the spending on power by former President Obasanjo’s administration. This will give teeth to his anti-graft war. His administration’s concentration on one particular administration, while leaving the ones before the former President Goodluck Jonathan government has been the reason for our doubt of the sincerity in his war against corruption.

“Although President Buhari did not mention any name, he was widely quoted as saying that a former Nigerian leader was bragging at a time that his administration spent $16 billion on power sector, yet there was nothing to show for it.

“Therefore, if the President knows what we don’t know, it is time to prove to Nigerians that he is really fighting corruption.Also, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged further probe of the recent allegation of mismanagement of $16 billion power projects against former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the group urged Buhari to refer the former presidents to the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) for further investigation and if there are relevant and sufficient admissible evidence against anyone, he should be made to face prosecution.

“Addressing impunity in the power sector should be total. This would help improve the integrity of government and public confidence and trust in their government. It would also serve as a vehicle to further the public’s perception of fairness and thoroughness, and to avert any appearance of political considerations in the whole exercise,” the group said.

“By immediately pursuing justice and recovery of any stolen asset in the power sector, the Buhari government would be acting in the public interest, and consistent with the spirit and letter of the constitution, particularly Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution dealing with Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, and providing that high-level public officials have a clear obligation to “eradicate all corrupt practices and abuse of power,” the group said.