Gradually, the screening of the ministerial nominees is going
off the media attention. As at this minute, about 18 nominees have been
screened and they have all passed the Senate CT Scan without any of them being
found wanting. What a perfect selection by the President. Or was it the Senate
CT Scan that needed to be checked properly if it was still in order? Only time
will tell by the time real work begins. But we can only pray for them and
support the team in our little way for them to succeed on this journey. So, in
less than one week, the remaining nominees would have been screened including
that personality that I usually referred to as “That man”.
So, back to the scrutiny of the former governor of Lagos State,
Babatunde Raji Fashola before the Senate, it was an outstanding moment. Once again,
I am proud of him. He fought and defended well. I actually asked him and Mr Kachukwu
to make sure that they present to each of the senators a certificate of
participation. It was a true lesson and training period for the senators.
During the scrutiny and as expected, questions on the
alleged misappropriation of funds against Fashola was raised by one of the senators
especially on the website and Borehole scandals. Fashola summed up his defense
by saying he doesn’t sign cheques and also his commissioners but the agencies
assigned for such duties. But not to be carried away by his oratory skill and
for the purpose of precedence and nation building, I put to Mr Raji Babatunde Fashola
that a public officer doesn’t have to sign to cheques to misappropriate public
funds. In a developed world where things are done rightly, such an answer
cannot exempt any public officer from trial. There is always a way public officers
go about it.
Going by that response, you will be surprised that some of
the governors and public officers facing trials at the moment never signed cheques
including the former petroleum minister, Alison Dieziani Madueke. This is why I
am a consistent advocate of an independent assembly, where majority members of
the house belong to an opposition party especially for the purpose of check and
balances if it won’t be abused or to winchhunt the governor or President. This
is another way to curb corruption.
But give it to Babatunde Fashola, his work in Lagos stood
for him before the Senate. Only a person with mischief will say otherwise. He
is one of the best we have among the nominees. But it is necessary we tell him
as patriotic Nigerians and potential public office holders of this great nation
that you do not have to sign cheques to steal. Building strong and reliable public institutions is not
about anybody but about Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria
twitter: @tunde_adenuga
Babatunde Adenuga
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