Is It Just Only PDP Members That Own Houses In Dubai? War Against Corruption, A War To Rubbish And Crush PDP

The news of the outcome of President Muhammadu Buhari’s official visit to the United Arab Emirates, UAE, hit the airwaves with a long list of Nigerians who own luxurious properties in Dubai.

Buhari had on Wednesday January 20, 2016 signed an agreement with the UAE to help recover stolen funds and properties in the oil rich country.

The agreement covers Judicial extradition and Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial Matters, among others.

From the list of those who own properties in Dubai, only top members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were mentioned.

The allegations were made after the Nigerian government reached an agreement with the UAE to enable the extradition of corrupt officials hiding stolen funds in Dubai.

Buhari had also reportedly ordered Nigerian diplomats in the UAE to compile a list of politically exposed Nigerians with properties in Dubai by March 2016.

The alleged names are: Governor Ayodele Fayose, Senate Minority Leader and former Akwa-Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, Former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, Former Bauchi Covernor, Isa Yuguda, Former ‘Chief Servant’ of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, Former Aviation Minster, Femi Fani-Kayode and Former Minister of Transport Idris Umar.

Others are: Former Minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe, Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, Former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

However, the former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu and the Former Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar have refuted the claims. In a separate statement, they dispelled the report as false and concocted to tarnish their reputation.

In reaction to this controversy, a top source lamented that it was unfortunate that the Buhari-led government has reduced the war against corruption to a mere joke.

“How can someone or a country tell us that it’s only members of the PDP that have houses in UAE? It’s now true that the war against corruption is just to rubbish and crush the PDP,” the source stated. Another source added: “This is why genuine Nigerians have lost confidence in the current administration.

“The fight against corruption is one-sided. If the current government wants to correct the past anomalies, they should do it with all honesty.”

Also refuting the claims, Fayose has denied reports that he owns properties in Dubai. “I’m ready to waive my immunity to be prosecuted if any house is linked to me in Dubai. I’m not a kind of person that will deny my assets,” the Governor wrote on Twitter.

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose added; “I’m not among those Nigerians that will deny their assets anywhere.

“They are in the federal government and they should have access to all information both in Nigeria and abroad. “I therefore challenge them to check books on owners of all properties in Dubai.

”If they trace any house to me in Dubai, the federal government should make public all the details including pictures, location and title documents.”

As the ripple of the purported list keeps generating controversy, Nigerians are calling on the Buhari led government to ensure that the fight against corruption is across board.

The current direction being taken by Buhari could cause a serious injury to the government’s anti-corruption war and symptomatische the underlying malaise of governmental indiscipline and ignorance.

The challenge before Buhari is to prove to Nigerians that his anti-corruption crusade is holistic and not lopsided like we have been made to believe. Source; post-nigeria.com