This is the story on
Late Dora Akunyili, Muhammadu Buhari, integrity and why it’s important to have
a head that has a very public stance against corruption. It’s a popular story,
but I have refrained from talking about it because there was no evidence. Until
now.
Dora Akunyili was the Zonal Secretary of Petroleum Special Trust Fund (P.T.F.), co-ordinating all projects in the five South Eastern States of Nigeria (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States) between 1997-2000 under Muhamamdu Buhari who was the Chairman of the PTF. The PTF was created by Sani Abacha to use the income from increase in fuel prices to carry out developmental projects across the country.
That is not the story.
Sometime around 1998/9,
Dora Akunyili was very sick. She needed
to go abroad for treatment for cancer treatment and applied to the PTF for
funds, being her employer. The Chairman, Muhammadu Buhari, approved the sum of £17,100
made up of £5,100 for diagnostic tests and £12,000 for surgery and
hospitalization. However, after the diagnostic test and therapy, the doctors
determined she no longer needed the surgery.
In a rare show of
integrity, Dora Akunyili returned the £12,000 meant for surgery to the PTF and
wrote a letter to Buhari to thank him for giving approval. Buhari minuted on
the letter thus:
“See above report from
PTF Zonal Secretary Zone 1. You see there are still Nigerians will personal
integrity. Please take action in line with PTF Financial Regulation”. I’ve
attached the letter (courtesy of Tolu Ogunlesi, ace journalist).
I don’t know how true,
but rumor has it that when Obasanjo wanted a Director General for NAFDAC and
someone mentioned Dora Akunyili, Muhammadu heard about it and called Obasanjo
to vouch for her, given the above story. Obasanjo is one of the rare believers
in the integrity of Buhari (see what he wrote about Buhari in his new book, My
Watch) and appointed Dora Akunyili to head NAFDAC.
What lesson is there
for us?
There are no guarantees
Dora Akunyili would have returned the money if she didn’t have a no-nonsense
man like Buhari as Chairman, but my opinion is that she would have done the
same. However it helps when everyone knows the boss is someone of high personal
integrity and will not take any bullshit. When Dora Akunyili took over at
NAFDAC, she worked with some people she met on ground and a few new hands she
brought it. But they all worked together to clean up the mess at NAFDAC. We all
know the story of NAFDAC under her. It took only one person, the head, for
every other person to sit up and act properly.
How is this related to
Nigeria? I am a firm believer in the school of thought that reckons that
corruption is Nigeria’s biggest problem. Under this government, corruption has
assumed an alarming rate and everything is free for all. We need a leader that
not only has a track record of zero tolerance for corruption, but whom everyone
fears and knows will do all within his power to punish corrupt people. There is
probably worse corruption in China or US than Nigeria, yet there is development
there. Why? Simple. Everyone knows he will get the maximum punishment if/when caught.
I believe if this is
done, everything else will fall into place.
