By Christie Doyin
Really, as a bona fide citizen of this supposedly great country and
giant of Africa, one cannot but be drawn to the unfolding intrigues in
our political terrain. It will be an understatement to say that all we
have been experiencing is so much motion without movement. Or how else
would one describe the macabre dance that is showcasing nothing but
comical stupidity?
Each day heralds its own drama, if not in the corridor of power at the
federal level, then its in one of the states and most often among the
so called leaders and representatives of the people.
I’m talking about those spending money paid as taxes into the coffers
of governments at various levels by honest and innocent Nigerians.
It wasn’t long ago that we heard and read of the power tussle between
the first lady of Nigeria, Hadjia Aisha Buhari and Fatima, daughter of
one of the senior cabals in the presidency, the president’s
influential nephew, Mamman Daura over the occupation of a residence,
Glass House, in Aso Rock, I’m sure Nigerians can vividly recall.
The latest now is the issue being raised by the powerful chief of
staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, concerning the
illicit take over of Keystone Bank by Issa Funtua with the connivance
of Daura.
Keystone Bank Limited, commonly referred to as Keystone Bank, is a
commercial bank founded in 2011 and currently owned by Sigma Golf
River Bank Consortium with a total assets of US$1.916 billion
(NGN:307.5 billion). Recall that Keystone took over the assets and
liabilities of the defunct Bank PHB but on March 22, 2017, Asset
Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, announced that Keystone has been
sold to investors, Sigma Golf-Riverbank Consortium for a paltry
25billion naira ($81.5 million).
The announcement of the sales was trailed by controversies with
allegations that AMCON was acting in breach of extant takeover
provisions.
According to an online medium, some senior officials of the asset
company raised strong opposition to the planned sale of the bank,
specifically alleging that chairman of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, Futua’s son
in-law, had concluded plans to hand over the bank to a coalition of
powerful northern interest in disregard of the extant takeover
provisions in the process, with his father in-law as one of the major
key players.
The macabre dance steps started when President Buhari announced that
anyone seeking audience with him must first be cleared by Kyari, which
gave him the leverage over other cabals, including Daura who as a
matter of fact was instrumental to the emergence of Kyari as the
President’s chief of staff.
Events unfolding reveals that the announcement of the new role gave
Kyari the power to fence off some of the cabals from the president,
including Daura and Funtua, of course, this did not go down well with
those affected. Kyari’s enormous power allegedly became more obvious
when names nominated for ministerial and other appointments by other
cabals, especially Daura and Funtua were ignored.
I may be tempted to say God is answering the prayers of Nigerians over
the cabals in government. Indeed, like the Christians would say, God
is dividing their tongues. Their audacity to take arbitrary decisions
concerning Nigeria was too overwhelming and provocative and so it
could only be God.
Now Kyari is irked about the illicit take over of Keystone could have
been because he was fenced off the deal and has therefore joined
forces with the hitherto embattled first lady, Aisha to fight off the
grips of some of this cabals over her husband and perhaps over the
Nigerian nation just to wield more influence.
With the permission secured by Kyari from the president to investigate
the deal, there is bound to be more exposure of other illicit deals
and transactions from which these cabals and others like them have
been milking Nigeria dry. It is just not a game of wit but exerting
influence in the corridor of power. The alliance between the duo of
Kyari and Aisha, it is believed, would further consolidate his hold on
the president and influence in the presidency, ditto on the country
and that is until some of us are bold enough to wake up and do the
needful towards saving the country from the abyss of hell to which it
is tilted.
I’m yet to find a good reason for why, according to reports from
different online media on why AMCON would take over all debts and
other liabilities of thestate. before the sales.
“Before the sales of Keystone Bank to Is a Funtua, all bad debts in
the books of the bank were taken over by AMCON. So, it was a clean
bank with all the assets and no liabilities that was sold to the
buyers”.
Are Nigerians so gullible or just scared to voice out against the
sales or is it that fingers of those who should have raised dissent
voices are already soiled in the palm oil of corruption and such sales
that speaking out means exposing their own shoddy deals?
I’m still wondering at everything surrounding the sales and the
unfolding events at the presidency. Can this also be explained that
“The Executive Management of AMCON was coerced into approving the
transaction and those who were willing to submit a much higher bid
were disqualified under a most opaque, suspicious process that lacks
all transparency?
“The most disgusting part of the deal is how AMCON used its own funds
as collateral for a loan of 20 Billion Naira to the Funtua Group.
“The Isa Funtua Team then paid 5Billion Naira to AMCON, and then the
balance of 20 Billion Naira was later paid through the most criminal
and corrupt approach ever perpetrated by AMCON in favour of the Buyer,
it was reported. What happened, according to the medium, was that
AMCON moved 20Billion Naira of their own funds as a fixed deposit at
GTBank to anither bank. The keystone deal is the major anger of Kyari
now,” a source told the online media.
The symbolic N5 billion has become a singsong in the economy across
states. Also, another of the game playing out is that of court orders,
which are been vigorously flouted by the present administration
concerning the erstwhile senate president over his personal properties
in the state.
I wonder if Nigerians and those waging vengeance war against the
Sarakis remembered that late Olusola Saraki did not make his money
from government or politics. He had said severally that he was never
into government contracts and business but was doing so much across
board. His son and other children too were in affluence before even
venturing into business or politics.
It is obvious to the most undiscerning that the application to the
Federal High Court, Lagos, for interim forfeiture order on Bukola
Saraki’s Ilorin home by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) is an abuse of court process and a violation of a subsisting
order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Well, that’s story for another day. The saying is, “he who comes to
equity must come with clean hand”, considering the angst and show of
muscles in the presidency over illicitness and affront of some of the
cabals, Nigerians are wont to ask how long the none movement motion
would continue. I think Nigeria can move forward and face reality. If
corruption must be fought and subdued, fighting corruption must start
from the right quarters, and the real anti corruption was must be such
devoid of vengeance, anger or witch hunting. Facts must be trailed
rather than chasing shadows.
Doyin is a former Editor, National Pilot Newspaper. Writes via:
cdoyinronk@gmail.com
