Corruption: Between Jonathan and Tambuwal

BY LEVINUS NWABUGHIOGU
THERE is something very uncanny about the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. In the Nigerian context, he is a politician and a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  But in deeds and words, Tambuwal conveys the impression of being a “family member” as PDP would call its members.

Those who have deeper knowledge of the man would not bat an eye lid in saying that his kind of politics towers above parochial party politics. They would also be quick to submit that Tambuwal is anxious to see Nigeria become the cynosure of the world. And so, he reels out his feelings about issues not minding whose ox will be gored.

Perhaps, this accounts for why he has chosen to queue behind the people than playing “family politics”. But conceivably, this is at his own risk. For one, the latest posture of the speaker on corruption in Nigerian at the 2013 International Anti-Corruption Day, organized by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Abuja, on Tuesday where he was a guest speaker has sparked a tirade of fireworks.

Unequivocally, Tambuwal tongue lashed the Executive Arm of Government under President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly paying  lip service to the fight against corruption in country in the midst of mountainous corruption cases that trail most of his ministers and aides.
Of particular reference was the N225 million armoured car controversy involving the Aviation Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah which seemingly appeared to have been swept under the carpet even after the House of Representatives through its Committee on Aviation had investigated and appropriated sanctions against the Minister.


Hear him: “In some cases, you have the government setting up new committees to duplicate the job already done by the parliament. Take the bulletproof cars case: what we have is that the NSA, who should have not been bothered, is being given assignment to investigate what is obvious. What the President should have done was to explicitly direct the EFCC to probe the matter. With such directives coming from the president, I am sure we still have good people in EFCC who can do a good job.”
“By the action of setting up different committees for straightforward cases, the president’s body language doesn’t tend to support the fight against corruption,” he said.
Mixed Feelings
To some people, Tambuwal stirred up a hornet’s nest while to others it was a no holds barred.
Indeed, this is virtually the first time an official of the Legislature would frontally accuse a Nigerian President of not
being serious in the fight against corruption in the country. While many believe that Tambuwal was right in his observation, others think Tambuwal’s was speech was motivated by the present crack in PDP and an anticipated belief that he would switch sides with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Romance with APC
Though Tambuwal is a card carrying member of the PDP and Speaker from that platform, there is a perception that he is presently hob-nobing with APC. In fact, in the wake of the development in PDP that threw up the new PDP and subsequently, the defection of the G5 Governors to APC, speculations were rife that Tambuwal would also join. In fact, there is no gain saying the fact the APC elements are wooing him. To this end, many had come to interpret his outbursts against the presidency as one that has the support of the opposition.
Fears of a reprisal from the Presidency
Feelers from the Presidency indicate that it had been rattled by the statement. Also, It has awoken the feelings that Tambuwal may have been playing hide-and-seek in PDP. There is fear that the realization of this may make the presidency move against him. A similar development occurred on the heels of the brawl between the nPDP and mainstream PDP members in the House last September. It was rumored that the Presidency which was angered by Tambuwal’s acceptance to Abubakar Baraje’s, the then nPDP factional chairman’s request to visit the leadership of the House had hatched a plot to remove  him. But the alleged plot failed due to Tambuwal’s general acceptance by the members across party lines.


The 2014 Budget Brouhaha
Many are also quick to suggest that the seeming face-off between the Legislature and the Executive which the presentation of the 2014 Budget proposal prompted is another contemplated reason for Tambuwal”s position. The House has insisted that the President must accept the N79 oil benchmark but the President disagreed with that and instead deferred indefinitely his appearance to lay the proposal.
The distinguished politician
But despite perception, analysts believe that anyone who knows the speaker will be quick to dismiss the thoughts that his recent statement was a product of outside influence. They also believe, judging from Tambuwal’s action, that he is a detribalized Nigerian.