Hon. Kazaure
Hon. Kazaure: Hero or villain?
By LawalJet Kaugama
Senator Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure, was a member of the Federal House of Representatives, representing Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, Yankwashi Constituency of Jigawa state. His political party platform is the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has stired a controversy trending on social media in Nigeria and among discussion groups.
He had, during a recent live interview on BBC Hausa radio programme, said that a committee inaugurated by President Muhamadu Buhari of which he was a member, uncovered a monumental corruption depriving Nigeria of N89.09 trillion naira worth of stamp duty funds. The case was made easier when he said that he was in possession of documents that prove the looted funds were domiciled in the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Since this revelation, Kazaure has suffered a number of persecutions, and powerful individuals are still haunting him. He was stopped from returning to the House because of his honesty and the courage to speak to power.
The world must note that Hon. Kazaure is a man who always emphatically says no to corruption and all sharp practices. You can imagine a Federal House of Representatives member who is living in a rented apartment even with two wives and many children in a country where even local government chairmen and councillors are building mansions with stolen funds.
It is unfortunate that Hon. Kazaure is being persecuted because of his love for the masses of Nigeria, who always bear the. brunt of corruption by our political leaders.
In a normal clime, Hon. Kazaure’s honesty, fairness and incorruptability should have earned him a reserved seat in the National Assembly. The party on whose platform he rode to power should ensure he goes to the National Assembly tenure after tenure in order to serve his people as required.
Kazaure’s honesty and integrity is an asset not only to the constituency he represented, but to Jigawa state and Nigeria as a whole. If the APC-led government is fighting corruption as they always claim, Kazaure should be treated with respect and handled like an egg instead of hounding him.
The president’s spokeman has since denied Kazaure’s allegation of misappropriation of stamp duty funds by the governor of the central bank.
This controversy is not one to be overlooked by powers that be and swept under the carpet. While some powerful Nigerians are calling for Kazaure’s head, the masses are singing his praises for allegely exposing a monumental corruption in the polity.
Unless agencies responsible for record keeping in the nation’s financial sector are not doing their statutory jobs well, this allegation can be proved to ascertain who is wrong or right.
Authorities concerned should investigate this matter to authenticate the validity of
the claims. If is found to be true, all those involved should be severely punished and disgraced.
Kazaure said that the findings of the Presidential Committee on the Reconciliation and Recovery of All Stamp Duties have indicted some government agencies of sabotaging the committee’s efforts. Kazaure who served as as the committee’s secretary, said they discovered that N89.09tn has so far been realised from deductions by banks, but these funds have not made it to the FG’s coffers, and alleged connivance by some critical operatives of the regime.
Kazaure told the bewildered nation that the CBN has failed to remit stamp duty revenue to government coffers as tax. He insisted that the bank remits only 60 per cent to the government while 40 percent went to private pockets.
The lawmaker said that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him and some other distinguished Nigerians into a secret committee with the mandate to audit all stamp duties, which he said amounted to N89.09 trillion, but was misappropriated.
Nigerians must be note that Hon. Kazaure is being driven by patriotism and love for the common good of ordinary Nigerians. Therefore, we must praise him for his courage and fortrightness.
We believe President Muhammadu Buhari will not let such serious indictment lie low.
Thetefore, he should set up a commission of inquiry to ascertain the veracity of Hon. Kazaure’s allegations.
Kazaure has a long history of incorruptability and altruism and should not be persecuted, rather Nigerians should look at him as a hero of our democracy.
Lawal Jet Kaugama, commentator on national issues, writes from Kano.
