PEOPLE’S GAZETTE
Laolu Akande, media adviser to former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, came under huge public criticism for admitting that former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele championed huge corruption under the former president Muhammadu Buhari regime.
Peoples Gazette reported how Mr Akande said Mr Emefiele freely looted Nigeria through “dual exchange rate policy” in the government he served as media aide to Mr Osinbajo on Saturday night.
Angered by The Gazette’s report of his tweet, Mr Akande, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church, took to his Twitter page denying his earlier statements and claiming he was misrepresented.
But his followers on Twitter came heavily on him, berating him as a liar who kept silent while Mr Emefiele looted the country only for him to speak up now.
A Twitter user, @REALLUCAS20 said “You actually didn’t speak up against Emefiele’s atrocities when you were in power. Hypocritical!”
Another Twitter user, @Heinz_Gunner The kind of filth RCCG raises as pastors is just mind-boggling!!
@maskupnaija said “I think @GazetteNGR headline is correct. How do you expect them to report it? Your tweet is a serious indictment on your principal @ProfOsinbajo… except the EX-VP wants to claim that he warned his boss @MBuhari and the later didn’t take his advice.”
“Laolu, you & Osinbajo were active players in PMB’s govt. you can’t wash your hands off it, no matter how much you try. There’s a reason men should speak up in the face evil but Your team played along, took their own loot & are now trying to distance themselves from the evil regime,” another Twitter user @ihyi_j said.
@licheli99 said “this exactly the implication of your last post. There is no bad journalism anywhere as regards this post.”
@mysheddy said, “Nothing different from what you tweeted, they simply broke it down to the level a common man will understand.”
Mr Emefiele was suspended on Friday and is now being investigated by the State Security Service.
Mr Akande’s confession contradicts Buhari/Osinbajo regime’s promise to tackle corruption in the country, revealing yet another scandal perpetrated under the regime.
Though Mr Buhari’s regime claimed to be leading an anti-corruption war, his time in office was rocked by several corruption scandals, ranging from certificate forgery among his aides to theft and diversion of public funds.
In 2017, secretary to government of the federation Babachir David Lawal, was fingered in diversion of N544 million fund meant to cater for Internally Displaced Persons in terrorism ravaged North East. Mr Lawal was suspended and he is facing trial by the EFCC.
In April 2017, $43millon slush fund belonging to the NIA was found in a residential apartment at Okoyi, Lagos by EFCC officials. The then NIA boss, Ayo Oke was sacked with President Buhari vowing that those involved in the IkoyiGate scandal will not go unpunished.
Former Nigerian finance minister Kemi Adeosun was in July 2018 exposed by Premium Times to have skipped NYSC and forged a certificate to secure her appointment in Mr Buhari’s government.
Abdulrasheed Bawa, head of Lagos EFCC office, was exposed by Peoples Gazette to have diverted recovered assets in September 2020. Less than 5months after Mr Bawa was exposed, Mr Buhari appointed him as EFCC chair.
In November 2020, The Gazette exposed how SSS director general Salisu Bichi recruited 535 northerners and 93 Southerners and how Mr Buhari regime appointed Usman Baba Alkali as Inspector General of Police, scheming out Moses Jitoboh, the only qualified candidate for the position in violation of the law.
Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, is currently under trial for multi-billon naira fraud.
