British newspaper mocks Buhari’s anti-graft war

British newspaper, Daily Mail, has rubbished President Buhari’s anticorruption war, calling it hypocritical. In a report entitled “£250million given by Britain to the Nigerian president with five homes who sends his daughter to a £26,000-a-year English school”, published on Sunday,

Daily Mail accused Nigeria of breeding the “highest-paid” government officials in the world, receiving financial aids from the UK government while President Buhari sends his daughters to some of the most expensive schools in England. The report also revealed that the UK government is planning to give Nigeria a sum of £250million financial grant in 2017. “The presence of Nigeria’s president at David Cameron’s anti-corruption summit this week may surprise many in his nation – which receives vast amounts of UK aid.

Self-proclaimed ‘People’s President’ Muhammadu Buhari began a war on corruption after taking power last year, but critics allege it is a political witch-hunt. The Government is giving nearly £250million in the coming year to oil-rich Nigeria, whose president sends his daughter to a £26,000-a-year English school,” it read. According to it, in April this year, the opposition party uncovered a ticket showing one of the President’s daughters, 16 years Hanan, who flew a first class from London to Nigeria, also citing the case of £150,000 spent on Zahra’s education.

“In April the opposition PDP party unearthed a ticket stub showing Hanan, 16, had flown first-class from London to Nigeria, despite her father’s ban on officials using premium travel. And a Nigerian newspaper claimed Mr Buhari has spent £150,000 on educating his daughter Zahra, a Surrey University student”, the report read. Going further, it clamoured about President Buhari’s failure to fully declare his assets as part of the anti-corruption process being preached by hos administration.

“The president is reported to have failed to give a full account of his worth, but even his partial admission included more than £1million in the bank, five houses and two plots of land. Supporters say 49 arrests of members of the previous regime show the anti-corruption war is genuine, but opponents say it is politically driven. Nigeria has the highestpaid government officials in the world but is one of the largest beneficiaries of UK foreign aid”.

Also citing the case of the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki allegedly secretly bought a £6million London property in the name of his wife, the Publication says is against what President Buhari’s administration preaches. This daunting scrutiny is coming on the heels of President Buhari’s presence at the David Cameron’s anticorruption summit holding this week in the UK.