MURIC: Jacob Zuma’s Resignation as Moral Lesson to Nigerian Politicians

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, February 19th, 2018

LAGOS, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Although reluctant, the former South African President Jacob Zuma’s exit from power has been described as ”very didactic” as well as a challenge to the alleged corrupt Nigerian political class.

The Muslim Rights Concern MURIC in a statement issued Monday by its Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola noted that the Nigerian case was a ”monumental paradox” as the President is being pressurized to leave office for fighting corruption, a situation it lamented has made country to be a laughing stock before other nations, just as ”they watch the unfolding drama”.

The group cited two former heads of state who have openly asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election, while it alleged that the National Assembly (NASS) was also fighting tooth and nail to get rid of him (Buhari) as many of its members are enmeshed in corruption cases.

”But Buhari’s major selling point has been his incorruptibility. He has no house in London. None in Paris or any foreign country for that matter. Neither has any stolen fund been traced to him before and during his tenure. He has succeeded in blocking leakages through which our common patrimony has been siphoned into the private pockets of greedy politicians. Foreign countries endorse him as a leader of unassailable integrity and the naira is getting back its lost glory as a result of all these. Prices of goods are falling.

”Diversification of the economy is turning other sectors into veritable sources of income. The railways are roaring back. Agriculture is once again taking its prime of place; electricity supply is witnessing unprecedented improvement while macadam roads are fast replacing the death traps which claimed hundreds of lives on a regular basis. Buhari’s social welfare scheme is already taking care of thousands of Nigerian youths” Prof. Akintola stated

The organization therefore urged Nigerians to open their eyes very wide and appreciate the fact that those who stole Nigeria’s money have become very powerful and they are using their stolen money to spread false propaganda to de-market Buhari.

MURIC contended that all the allegations of nepotism, religious bias and incompetence were tales from moonlight concocted by corrupt elements who want to bring back corruption.

”For blocking their access to easy money, they wished Buhari dead. Based on their knowledge of the potency of the alleged gas poison conspiracy theory, they said Buhari was on life-support machine. They claimed he was dead and secretly buried. They made the claims with so much vehemence and total confidence that, with hindsight, we are constrained to believe that only those involved in the alleged attempt could have made such strong claims.

”But when all that failed they are now trying to incite the populace against him. They claimed that herdsmen were killing travelers on Lagos-Ibadan expressway. They also claimed that the same herdsmen were slaughtering people like rams on Shagamu-Ore expressway. Now they are claiming that herdsmen have attacked workers in Ondo council office. But police debunked all these false alarms within hours” the group recalled.

The association reaffirmed its conviction that it was corruption that brought poverty and disease to the Nigerian nation, adding the corruption was responsible for the bad roads; robbed us of a reliable public health and transport system; brought death in the air via frequent plane crashes and wrecked the Nigerian Airways and the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

It argued that corruption was responsible for insecurity; caused mass unemployment; turned the education sector into a comatose environment, alleging that enemy numero uno was now being tackled by the Buhari administration.

MURIC asserted that if it was true that South Africa expelled its corrupt President for the sake of South Africa, ”Nigeria must retain its incorruptible leader for the sake of Nigeria”.

After mounted pressure from the ruling ANC and Parliament, Mr. Zuma announced his resignation last week Thursday, prior to a mere ‘formality’ vote-of-no confidence. Despite his exit, the former President denied all allegations of corrupt practices levelled against him and his allies.