By Abba Taufiq
A feather in the cap that features the Buhari’s led government is the ruse anti-corruption fight that is biasedly compromised so as to pave an illicit path of forgiveness for kleptomaniacs that undoubtedly wreacked havock in our states.
As antiquity gave a positive verdict on BUHARI’S presumed valour in the anti-corruption battleground , He (Buhari) on the spectacular event of his ascension to office voiced “we are not after anyone, people should only fear the consequences of their actions”. A clearly eloquent intimidation that sent chills down the spine of everyone that wolfed our country’s economy.
Diversifying the strategies deviced to curb off corrupt practices and to cleanse the country from the mess of ghost workers, IPPIS was implemented according to hoyle. But unfortunately, this implementation is up to now causing a crying shame that is characterized by unnecessarily huge deductions from the stipends of those who are being paid under the IPPIS platform.
This however gave rise to another bona-fide reason that led to the falling out between Nigerian government and ASUU from 2019 to a day we Nigerian students earnestly pray for the mercy of God to quell it.
Another fly in the ointment that gives a long shot in BUHARI’S anti-corruption warfare remains one sided trial on the account of corruption and his close association with the old guards–people that were being tried “for abuse of office. Some
have gone to jail. Others have had to refund money to the state. Yet they are not only revered as lords, they also dictate
the pace and character of the polity. Discredited, sometimes
banned from active participation in politics, but they remain the pillar upon which Nigerian’s experiment in democracy rests”.
Taken as hostages in the crossfire between Nigerian government and ASUU, Nigerian students cannot exonerate the duo on the charges of corruption. Corruption, no matter how meager or enormous, no facts can refute it from being considered as one hence no one’s hands is clean in the deal.
Ruining the anti corruption fights, we can’t deny the cognizance of hard sells of appointments at a cost of a thousand thousand naira by IPPIS officials at virtually all institutions.
It is therefore reasonably unfair of Nigerian government pulling the rug from under ASUU’S fair struggles of freedom by cherishing its recalcitrant stance on accepting and implementing UTAS–a preferred platform designated by the universities for the payment of their staff among other needs. Thus, prolonging our tedious stay at home.
Abba Muhammad Tawfiq
*500L Medical Rehabilitation Student, University of Maiduguri. Writes from Yola*
