Former Minister of Transport and member of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees,
Chief Ebenezer Babatope, tells LEKE BAIYEWU
why President Muhammadu Buhari’s corruption
probe into the last administration led by former
President Goodluck Jonathan may fail

The Peoples Democratic Party has said the
probes being carried out by the President
Muhammadu Buhari-led administration are
selective. Why are they?
Any government is free to transact any business it wants to transact. So, Buhari is correct to say he wants to probe. But all that we are saying is that he must ensure that the probe is not coloured with injustice, bias and unfairness. Once he can do that, let him go ahead. He has not unfolded the programme; when he unfolds the programme, we will know.

If he has decided to probe only the last
administration, does it have any shortcomings?
He has the choice on whoever he wants to probe.
If he wants to limit it to the Jonathan administration, he has the freedom. But what is important is that the probe must be free and must not be done against those that they want to persecute or humiliate because of their political affiliation. Nobody can question whatever method Buhari’s administration wants to use. It is his government and it is in his best interest to ensure that his government meets the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians. If he says he wants to probe the administration of GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) alone, that is good for him but all we
know is that he must endeavour not to turn the probe into a kind of witch-hunt. This is why we are appealing that he should allow justice and fair play to characterise all the exercises that will be carried out on the probe. I don’t care who wants to probe; he can probe anybody he wants to probe but at the end of the day, he should be careful not to endanger or destroy the integrity of innocent people.

With what you have seen or heard so far, does
the campaign look like a witch-hunt?
I cannot substantiate the witch-hunt claim now, even though the civil servants that were said to be having their property confiscated by the government have raised their voices to say they did not do (commit) anything (crime). I want President Buhari to ensure that the security agencies do very thorough job, and should not do a hush-hush job that will amount to nothing but witch-hunt. We are waiting for when they will start to see or hear the names of those who are now being called looters. As it is now, almost every Nigerian is a looter unless you are proven not to be a looter.

Would you have called for the extension of the
probe to the administrations before Jonathan’s,
especially those widely believed to have been
very corrupt, if you had your way?
I am not a supporter, really, of what is called probe. Our leader, my benefactor, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, warned against a country getting itself into the mess of probing; that there would be no end to it. That was why he said the current administration should erect a thick wall between the events of the past administration and the present. That he would rather strengthen the Nigeria Police to ensure that it is mobile enough to do its job properly; to arrest and
prosecute. All we are saying is that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Police and all other agencies who are to help the government must do their job well, bring culprits to book and ensure that they bring those guilty of looting to book.

But is it appropriate for a new government not to
check the books of the previous administration,
especially when government coffers have been
looted?
At the end of the day, I hope that this probe on corruption will not end up being a mere illusion; when you say somebody has looted but establishing the looting is very difficult. Nobody is saying it is not good for the country to fight corruption, all we are saying – and I want to repeat it – is that in establishing new morality for Nigeria, we must not cast away justice and fair play in the manner we investigate all the cases. If we do so, we will subject Nigeria to a state of
irredeemable despair, and that will be very bad for us.

What then is your take on Prof. Ben Nwabueze’s
stance that certain administrations recorded
corruption of threatening magnitude should be
probed, especially those led by former military
Heads of State, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami
Abubakar and former President Olusegun
Obasanjo?
I am very convinced that no amount of probes on
Jonathan will establish that Jonathan was a corrupt leader. He was not a corrupt leader. That is why I am proposing fairness and justice in this probe. Jonathan is not going to be found guilty of anything; I am telling you the fact. And if he (Buhari) says he wants to extend his probe to other regimes, it will be ridiculous. That was why Awolowo said any nation that goes deep into the ‘probe-probe business;’ that nation is
jeopardising the future of its citizens because it can never get to an end. That was why Awolowo said he would erect a thick wall between the events of the past and of the present. All we need to do is to strengthen the Police. That is all.

If you think Jonathan was not corrupt and will be off the hook, would you admit that he had people whose activities should be probed around him?
If they are found guilty, they should be brought to book. But the way it is going; one governor was on the entourage of President Buhari to America, he came back and told Nigerians that one minister (under Jonathan) stole $6bn. This is a ridiculous thing to say. $6bn! We are talking of stones; we are talking of hard currency. All these comments are really making fun of what President Buhari is trying to do. Let them base their probes on concrete facts. It is not possible for a minister of any country to steal N6bn and stash it away in foreign banks. Which bank can accommodate that? Any of the banks that aid corruption abroad will be hesitant to take that kind of money. I know very well that Buhari’s probe will help us in this country but trying to implicate people who are innocent will be bad for Nigeria.

The PDP also said President Buhari should look
inwards and prosecute corrupt persons in the All
Progressives Congress and among those close to
him to set an example. Does this really matter?
Of course (it does)! It will be foolhardy for anyone to think that there are no corrupt people in the APC. They also ran government (at the state level) either as Action Congress of Nigeria or any other party (before their merger). The PDP was right to say ‘place your binoculars of corruption probe on your men in the APC.’

Must the probe start from within the APC?
It can start from anywhere but make sure that you do a thorough job. If the leaders of the APC are said to be corrupt and you are investigating them, do a thorough job.

What about loyalists of the people who are accusing some leaders of the APC; are they not also expected to provide proofs?
Anybody who alleges must prove the allegation. If a PDP man says an APC man is corrupt, that PDP man must be brought forward to prove his allegation. And those accusing PDP leaders of corruption must prove their allegations against them.

What do you make of the National Peace Commitee’s meeting with the President and the advice given to him on his anti-corruption war?
We must examine what the committee said very
carefully. There are many individuals in that committee who are very good ‘materials;’ like Bishop Mathew Kukah, he is a fine material; and to a great extent, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) is a fine character. All they are saying is that we must not, in the guise of fighting corruption, do things that will lead to impunity and criminality. That is all they are saying. Those who are blaming them (members) are very wrong; the committee is not saying it is begging
for Jonathan or (for the President) not to deal with anybody; the hand that sins must pay for its sin. But then, we must be sure that we are punishing people who have really committed the crime. If you start punishing innocent people, you are jeopardising the future of this country.

http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-not-a-corrupt-leader-babatope/

lalasticlala

Tell that to your fellow PDP wailers and not to real Nigerians


Anyway, when GeJ and his Foot soldiers were embarrassing Gov Amaechi at every point, and they
Openly blocked GOVernor from entering Another State (Ekiti) during the campaigns ,Were they NOT selective?

When GEJ was using The now quite AIG Mbu who is now mor quiet than anything else? Where was Chief Ebenezer Babatope?

Ohhhh! Why is he wailing now?

Eddddddiot

T

If jona is not corrupt, then abacha died as a saint.

Okay

GEJ not corrupt.......



joke of the century
for more of this jokes
text babatope
to 3112 for mtn

to 2112 for glo

to 3231 for Etisalat

to 3451 for airtel

All of you are corruption personified!Obasanjo,Buhari,IBB,Abacha,Abdusalam,Atiku,Rotimi,Adams Oshimole,Tinuubu,Elrufai,Fashola,GEJ,Sanusi Lamido,T.A Orji,Okorocha,Aregbesola etc
Nde oshi!

IPOB Youth

he is not but his followers were corrupt.

Lanretoye:
he is not but his followers were corrupt.

You're very correct, Jonathan isn't corrupt, he is more of a simpleton who couldn't or wouldn't exercise any authority over his associates which is worse....

Yeeepa,

Another person wey sabi Don talkam, masturbators can go on with their mouth action.

Up GEJ till Nigerians get sense!

modath:





You're very correct, Jonathan isn't corrupt, he is more of a simpleton who couldn't or wouldn't exercise any authority over his associates which is worse....

they say "show me ur friends...", na only NEPA's light dey associate with darkness.

Na who dey talk

This is the funniest joke in 2015

Jonathan is not only corrupt,he is too dump, incompetent and clueless that gangantum stealing was going on around him and all he did was feign innocent. Youths died after being extorted during immigration recruitment,the punk did nothing.His shepopo wife terrorized governors,party members etc. Police chiefs became powerful than gov. Diezani,okonjo,asari,oritsejafor,adams,army chiefs stole and launder billions of dolars under him and all he could do was get drunk and sleep off in meetings of heads of states.oil theft,diversion and non payment of revenues reached astronomic heights. Nigeria became a joke among countries of the world courtesy of cow boy,dull looking jonathan. Thank God we are rid of incompetence and cluelessness

Babatope, if the yam and goat theorist is not corrupt in your eyez, then you need to be stoned too.

All this old people are getting things wrong.

Who is probing jonathan? Pmb can't probe jonathan because he himself aint a saint.

What he wants to do is a kind of resolvement between the government and all cabinet members of GEJ.

Like oya former minister how much are u ready to refund? Sir I will gladly refund 10Billion from my loot . That's the mood of operation he wanna do.

If am to be pmb I will tell each ministers to contruct 5 bidges of a long kilometer road in their various state under 4months that way people will see the usefullness of the loot.

Not the ones they will return and Apc will share.

Good bless Nigeria, God bless pmb,God Bless Ogun State.

When you are surrounded by corrupt people, you are their leader, you eat, dine, wine, work, laugh and sleep with them.... What are you?

Noted

really?

I think no pen can give an adequate
description of the all-pervading
corruption produced by jonathan's government.

maryjames9:
Jonathan is not only corrupt,he is too dump, incompetent and clueless that gangantum stealing was going on around him and all he did was feign innocent. Youths died after being extorted during immigration recruitment,the punk did nothing.His shepopo wife terrorized governors,party members etc. Police chiefs became powerful than gov. Diezani,okonjo,asari,oritsejafor,adams,army chiefs stole and launder billions of dolars under him and all he could do was get drunk and sleep off in meetings of heads of states.oil theft,diversion and non payment of revenues reached astronomic heights. Nigeria became a joke among countries of the world courtesy of cow boy,dull looking jonathan. Thank God we are rid of incompetence and cluelessness

Check yourself!! I could go on and on but I'll rather respect you and leave you to think for yourself. He served this country and made a name for himself. Learn How to construct a proper sentence and you may make it outside Nairaland. Happy Sunday

Ok

Ebenezer Babatope always in a wrong side.... Since 1979

What would he have said instead.... Is fellow CORRUPTERS.....GEJ is the Grand Commander of Corruption Practitioners ... GCCP...

Maybe tomorrow, ABBA MORO and DIEZENI ALLISON MADUEKE will come out to give us such long write up painting JONATHAN a saint. who's not aware that GEJ administrations was high on corruption weed from ABA. Oya. wey them. pro APC and the wailing wailers. food don done.

✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️

Na so dem lie give am when him be president so tay he talk say stealing no be corruption

now dem dey talk say him no tiff anything

but another thread talk say if i hear ?

https://www.nairaland.com/2545894/nigerians-stone-jonathan-men-death

I believe he must be sleep talking.

He is no longer relevant!

Me, waste my time on reading this trash!. Olohun maje!

epistle....

If I hear

OK