It’s obvious Tinubu does not care about integrity, Transparency Int’l slams nomination of ex-govs as ministers

President Bola Tinubu has come under fire from Transparency International for proposing to fill his cabinet with former governors who have been charged with using their positions to enrich themselves.

The organisation explicitly mentioned President Bola Tinubu’s selection of Bello Matawalle and Atiku Bagudu, the former governors of Kebbi and Zamfara States, respectively, as a poor decision when he pledged throughout his campaign to successfully fight corruption.

This was disclosed on Saturday by Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Transparency International in Nigeria, Musa Rafsanjani, during a media briefing.

Rafsanjani explained that with the nomination of ex-governors with graft cases, the President had shown that he did not care about the public outcry against corruption.

He said, “It is obvious that President Tinubu does not care about public integrity and the consequences of corruption. It is sad that he assembled people with corruption cases and people who lack integrity in public service.

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“This was clear when he insisted on having a Senate President who is facing corruption charges and investigations by anti-corruption agencies. Despite evidence of monumental looting and abuse of office, he insisted that (Godswill) must be the Senate President and he got his wish.

“Bagudu who was accused of money laundering and helping Sani Abacha to siphon public taxpayers’ money has now been rewarded with a ministerial nomination. The former Zamfara State governor who is under investigation and corruption charges has also been given a ministerial nomination.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Matawalle in May with appropriating more than N70 billion from the government’s coffers, while Bagudu’s alleged financial wrongdoings go back to his association with the late military dictator General Sani Abacha, whose financial crimes against the nation have not yet been fully atoned for.

Four former governors—Bagudu, Matawalle, Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), and Simon Lalong (Plateau)—were among the ministerial nominations Tinubu forwarded to the Senate on Wednesday for review.

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