Dubai houses: How Buratai killed Buhari’s anti-corruption war

Editor’s note: The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has come under intense criticism over its decision to clear the chief of army staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on his acquisition of properties in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.

What cames as a surprise to many Nigerians following the government’s decision is that the current administration has made the war on corruption one of its main objectives. It is in this light that Kesiena Ewubare, a Senior Editor at Naij.com explains how the decision to clear Buratai of any wrong doing has dealt a death blow to the so called anti-corruption war championed by the current administration.

For weeks, the chief of army staff of Nigeria, Lt. General Tukur Buratai has been in the news, this time, not for his statements regarding the on-going war against the Boko Haram insurgents, but for alleged graft over his acquisition of properties in Dubai, United Arab Emirate.

The Dubai property saga of Buratai began after a leak by Sahara Reporters revealed that the army chief acquired some properties in Dubai, to the tune of $1.5m, money allegedly diverted from a vehicle contract scam.

According to the report, General Buratai and his two wives in 2013 paid the sum of 1,498,534.00 AED (N120 million/$419,000) for the first property, Project TFG Marina Hotel Unit 2711. Sale documents indicated that the first property was handed over to the Buratais on January 13, 2013

After President Muhammadu Buhari appointed General Buratai as chief of army staff on July 13, 2015, investigations by Sahara reporters shows that within 11 days of his appointment, the general was making arrangements for the purchase of a second property from the same company in Dubai. Evidence obtained showed that between July 24 and August 17, 2015, General Buratai paid a total sum of N42.2 million into TFG Sigma 111’s account in Nigeria (Skye Bank 1770380452) for the purchase of the property.

The allegation that Buratai might have pilfered funds meant for the purchase of military vehicles came to limelight after soldiers and officers, especially those from the northeast part of the country petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, urging him to order an investigation into the contract scam.

But in his defence, Buratai claims the two properties in Dubai were paid for instamentally through personal savings three years ago. He said the Dubai properties along with other personal assets have consistently been declared in his assets declaration form as commander Multinational Joint Task Force and as chief of army staff.

The general also branded those seeking a probe of his alleged N120 million properties in Dubai as the defeated Boko Haram terrorists who are now hiding behind the internet to continue with their attacks against the military institution and government of Nigeria.

However, following the outcry generated by the scandal, the federal government in a statement on Tuesday, June 28, said it had concluded investigations on the top military officer and he has been vindicated as his assets and military acquisitions are being shown to be based on capital market principles of shareholding.

According to the statement: “Government, after investigating a recent media report over the acquisition of property in Dubai, by General Buratai, discovered that he and his wives invested as “shareholders,” like many other persons in the property mentioned in the publications and were not sole owners. If you know the property being referred to, you would know that they are like quoted companies. You buy into them and get dividends as profit from your investments. You can also do your own private findings on this fact.”

But Nigerians are not buying the government’s explanation on the issues and have described Buratai’s clearance as a huge setback on President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war.

It also came as a surprise to many that the federal government in a desperado like fashion could hurriedly come up with a kangaroo form of investigation within a few days to pass a NO Guilty verdict on an army officers who admitted to acquiring properties that are significantly above his earning considering soldier’s salary.

It is also suspicious that the purchase of his Dubai properties began in the 2013 an era when most senior military officers now facing trial for graft diverted billions of naira meant for the procurement of arms for the counter insurgency war.

From the way the Buratai issue was handled by the government, it appears the Buhari administration was more interested in about letting Buratai off the hook than actually investigating him, if not, why were agencies of government such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) not allowed to properly investigate (the matter)?

Why did the minister of defence and the secretary to the government of the federation who have no statutory authority to undertake criminal investigation become ant-graft investigators suddenly?

This was the position of former chairman of the Ikeja Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Monday Ubani who described the said the clearance was laughable as reported in the Sun newspaper dated 29th June 2016.

“How can they be the ones to clear him? Are they security agencies? If somebody is alleged to have committed a crime, can another agency that has no constitutional powers clear him? On what basis did they clear him? They should have allowed the EFCC to investigate the man. It sounds ridiculous. That cannot be clearance,” Ubani argued.

The excuse that Buratai saved and saved and saved his salaries until he had enough foreign exchange to make himself a double landlord in the United Arab Emirates is a super story that even kinder garden children will not even believe. It is unbelievable that the present administration which prides itself as fighting corruption can swallow that illogical lie.

I believe this Buratai’s case has exposed the hypocrisy of the Buhari administration as not fighting the war against corruption on a clean slate.

The clearance to Buratai is a death blow on the war against corruption being fought by President Muhammadu Buhari. It also shows that the corruption war is one sided and selective as alleged by members of the opposition who are facing trials for alleged graft.

The clean bill of health handed the army chief is a shame owing to the fact that the “savings from the salaries of any army officer in Nigeria cannot buy a house in Dubai.

The national publicity secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, in an interview with The Punch put succinctly when he said.

“The defence the army put up for him is so silly to be believed outside the barracks. All the earnings of Buratai since he joined the army, if all were saved, cannot buy a house in Dubai, let alone two.

The Buhari administration should realise that if Buratai is not probed in as much as he could not justify the purchase of the Dubai property with his legitimate earnings then that implies that the credibility surrounding the so called anti-corruption war of the present administration would die forever.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.

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