The anti-corruption war embarked by the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been described as a mere propaganda war by elder statesman and Presidential Liaison Officer in the Second Republic, Dr Tanko Yakassai, lamenting it has unfortunately won over right thinking men like Prof. Wole Soyinka.
Dr. Yakassai, who also chairs the Northern Elders’ Council stated that any fight against corruption must be holistic rather than being centred on just an individual.
He chided the Buhari administration for its open disdain for valid court orders urging him to obey all court orders relating to the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd).
According to him, Buhari can only be taken serious if he extends his dragnet across the inter-party divide as well as to other tiers of government.
He said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria is only fighting Sambo Dasuki. Should the fight against corruption begin and end with Dasuki? Is he the only “corrupt” person? Till today, they have not even started his case in the court. He was granted bail twice and they refused to let him go. This is not a fight against corruption. It is a propaganda fight.
“They even convinced people like Prof. Wole Soyinka who now believes that there is a fight against corruption, but there is no such thing. Otherwise, how many people have they arrested?
“All the people that are arrested today are connected with Dasuki. No other person has been picked. What of the governors, ministers, top civil servants and local government officials? Can you fight one person and say you are fighting corruption?” he queried.
Yakassai also traced the menace of corruption to the military saying their incursion into politics in 1966 and 1983 only helped to teach politicians how to steal.