 |
| Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai |
SOCIAL critic and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr.
Femi Falana, yesterday urged Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai to
resign from office over the allegation of properties worth $1.5million in
Dubai, purchased by the army chief.
Falana also urged President Muhammadu Buhari not
to hesitate to disengage him from the Force if he failed to voluntarily resign
adding that the clean bill of health allegedly given to the army chief by the
federal government is unacceptable and baseless.
However, Lt. Gen Buratai had admitted owning
properties in Dubai but denied getting involved in corrupt practices albeit he
has not provided the legitimate source of raising the money used in acquiring
them if they are not proceeds of corruption...
The Acting Director of Army Public Relations,
Colonel Sani Usman, in a statement had cleared the army chief stating that it
is a fact that the Buratai family have two properties in Dubai that were paid
for instalmentally through personal savings three years ago.
It added that this along with other personal
assets have consistently been declared by General Buratai in his assets
declaration form as Commander Multinational Joint Task Force Commander and as
Chief of Army Staff.
Falana, rejecting the claims which he described
as a “cock and bull story” wondered how an Army General on salary could save to
buy a property worth $1.5million, and vehemently demanded explanations from the
public servant as well as his immediate resignation.
“If the Chief of Army Staff does not deem it
fit to resign forthwith, President Buhari should not hesitate to remove him in
the interest of national morality.
”In view of the ban on the opening and operation
of foreign accounts by public officers, the Code of Conduct Bureau should be
involved in the investigation,” Falana said.
“Buratai should step down and allow a full
scale scale investigation by the Arms Procurement Panel and the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
Similarly, in a petition forwarded to the
anti-graft commission and signed by the SERAP’s chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju
and Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mimuni, it said Bratai’s action was a
violation of the law of public service.
Aligning with the human rights lawyer, Falana,
it stated that the army chief should
account for the money used in acquiring such a gigantic property while in
service adding that the EFCC should thoroughly investigate him except the
system has sacred cows.
“The buck stops at the table of the EFCC and
ICPC to investigate the COAS. Did Buratai and his two wives acquired the
property in Dubai and paid for it in a single transaction?
“As a civil servant, how much had he received
in salaries and emoluments? Are these big enough to acquire the properties? For
the anti-corruption war to be seen as fair and not selective, the anti-graft
agencies must investigate Buratai. It is their duty,” it said.
No comments:
Post a Comment