the deep rot in the polity occasioned by mindless graft especially
among the leadership class. This was the reason he made eradication of
corruption (clearing rats, mosquitoes and cockroaches) the fulcrum of
his presidential campaign in 1983 when he ran on the platform of the
Nigeria Advance Party (NAP) which he founded. Currently, Braithwaite
says President Muhammadu Buhari has not started fighting corruption
despite claims to the contrary.
He said the arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki before the
Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is a misstep that will make Saraki a
free man soon in spite of the criminal charges slammed against him.
Braithwaite, who has been practising law since 1961, in this interview
at his Victoria Island, Lagos home, fears that Nigeria is not
completely free of military opportunism and its influence in the
polity. Going down memory lane, he disclosed why Chief Obafemi Awolowo
and Malam Aminu Kano could form an alliance in 1979 and why he ran
against Awolowo in 1983 in spite of their closeness.
His assessment of President Muhammadu Buhari administration so far
I spoke on a TV programme where people asked me questions on the
latest appointments that he made – chief of staff, secretary to the
government of the federation, etc, whether they were not slanted to
the North.
Latestappointments
I said may be so but I have other insight to the latest appointments
because I know Buhari very well and he knows me. I said forget about
the northern slant and look at other more significant things. The date
of the announcement of those appointments was significant. The
announcement was made on August 27, which was the anniversary of the
Babangida coup that toppled Buhari in 1985.
I said people should think about that. Why would he make such pivotal
announcement on such an anniversary? People should think. We should
not take things on face value. So, it is clear to me that, Buhari for
the moment, is not thinking about North and South. My analysis is that
Buhari is thinking of the military. He wants to do something about the
Nigerian military. If you looked at his latest appointments, two of
the appointments were his former military colleagues. It shows that
Nigeria is not yet out of the woods when it comes to military
opportunism and he wants to clear his backyard first.
Much noise, no action against graft
We have heard a lot of noise being made about attacking corruption.
What has he done about attacking corruption four months after he was
sworn in? The fact that we are having better electricity supply and
the refineries are working cannot be what he has done.
His body language, may be. But what we got all this time is military
news. To me, he wants to make sure that military opportunists,
military looters, who are still very much around in the control and
administration of this country directly or through their proxies are
adequately handled.
How many people have been charged for corruption? Nobody. One military
fellow, Sambo Dasuki, the former NSA has been taken to a Magistrates'
Court. Put your two and two together if you are a thinker.
What about Senate President Bukola Saraki being taken to the Code of
Conduct Tribunal, CCT?
That is what I am saying. Saraki's arraignment before the CCT will die
a natural death. The charges that I heard read against Saraki were
criminal, why take him to the CCT, which is like a bull dog without
teeth? The CCT has not got criminal power.
Where should Saraki have been taken to?
He should have been taken to a court with criminal power to send
people to jail if found guilty. The CCT cannot jail. You will find
that this circus show will die a natural death.
Read full interview on Monday Vanguard.
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