A United Kingdom-based Nigerian activist, Kayode Ogundamisi, has raised concern over the level of alleged corruption under the President Bola Tinubu-led administration with the emergence of a purported fictious Presidential Economic Advisory Council with one Adeniyi Matthew as its Director-General.
NPO Reported that the Presidency had on Wednesday denied link with the establishment of the council and appointment of Adeniyi.
As contained in a rebuttal statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency labelled Adeniyi an impostor and serial con artist.
The rebuttal had emerged under the heels of Adeniyi’s allegation that Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President, demanded billions of naira from a government agency’s take-off grant.
The self-acclaimed Director-General alleged that Gbajabiamila requested N27.4bn and collected N400m through intermediaries to facilitate his appointment as director-general, with an outstanding balance of N200m.
He further claimed that disagreements over the unpaid balance resulted in threats to his life, including alleged assassination attempts.
While debunking Adeniyi’s claim, Onanuga had in the rebuttal recounted efforts by Gbajabiamila in disassociating his office from the controversial Presidential Economic Advisory Council as well as efforts in prosecuting the alleged impostor.
Reacting in a post shared on his X handle on Thursday, Ogundamisi held that Onanuga’s rebuttal raises more concern over the alleged corruption within the Tinubu-led administration.
“Of all the allegations of unprecedented corruption surrounding the Tinubu administration, this case stands out as the clearest indication yet of how some within the government appear to view Nigeria’s collective wealth as a personal cake to be shared.
“Rather than putting public concerns to rest, Mr. Bayo Onanuga’s rebuttal raises even more questions than it answers.” He said.
Ogundamisi maintained that the government’s failure to do as recommended will further deepen suspicion and erode confidence in the government’s transparency and rule of law.
The activist said an administration committed to accountability would have ordered immediate suspension of Gbajabiamila pending genuine investigation.
“In any administration committed to accountability, Femi Gbajabiamila would have been suspended immediately, pending a genuinely independent, transparent, and credible investigation.
“Anything less only deepens public suspicion and further erodes confidence in the government’s commitment to transparency and the rule of law.” He added.
