I have read with keen interest a piece of write-up with the above title produced by one Aminu Abba Kwaru, seeking to identify issues of corrupt acts involving funds acquisition; unfortunately, what I saw in the piece was a display of personal hatred or blackmail labelled against Muhyi Magaji Rimingado, the Chairman of the Public Complaint and Anti Corruption Commission (PCAC) Kano.
More so, what I read carried a notification indicating that it is an English translation of what was said by the producer of the piece. Hence, the inability to properly translate it correctly and transmit the real message into English might have contributed to the context.
The piece’s producer quoted Mr Muhyi from an interview he did, saying that his official conduct being ahead of the commission is perfectly “in tandem” with the statutory laws governing the commission. And that in addition, in the interview, Mr Muhyi mentioned that it is the law governing the commission that gave him the right to have access into every government office to investigate in case of any misconduct.
These are all part of the laws guiding the commission, which the producer of the piece himself accepts.
He further praised the commission’s enthusiasm in fighting for the rights of the downtrodden in the state, which the producer of the piece commended.
But he raised what looks more like a myopic question seeking to know why Mr Muhyi was appointed to the commission’s chairman. In contrast, the law says it is reserved for a retired senior civil servant, and Muhyi was never a retired senior civil servant.
The bone of contention here is that Mr Muhyi was appointed; he did not appoint himself. Hence, if anyone is blamed for bending the law, I’m not sure they did, those who appointed him. He is not to blame for being fit to be appointed to the extent of challenging his integrity and person.
The laws guiding the appointment are more on those who appointed him as chairman and not an appointee. More so, if those who appointed him have to appoint him, there must be a legal window for that; if not, he wouldn’t have been appointed.
Furthermore, why has the piece’s producer not attacked Mr Muhyi in the past and reserved his attack to date?
The piece’s producer should have considered the reality that, as far as the issue of appointment is concerned, Mr Muhyi remains clean, having been appointed chairman of PCAC.
On the issue of the remuneration of the PCAC, everyone, including the producer of the piece, has the right to go and check what the laws establishing the commission have provided, especially those concerning finances. This is not an issue of personal denigration or hatred. Hence, asking Mr Muhyi to present his personal documents, whether of his wealth or health in public, can only be subject to what the law says due to personal safety and security. If the producer of the piece insists, he can seek a court order to that effect.
Presenting this kind of piece should have been more challenging his performance regarding funds, the way they come into the commission and the way they go out and not his personality as a person, for indeed his integrity and personality are determined by how he manages the funds.
As the Nigerian Constitution demands, Mr Muhyi remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. There is no point challenging his integrity or blackmailing him.
In conclusion, I must say I have read and listened to several media reports showing His Excellency Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje praising Mr Muhyi as a hardworking and trustworthy person who has made a name for the Kano anti-graft sector in Nigeria. Mr Muhyi has turned PCAC into a leading state anti-graft agency in Nigeria, a situation that has brought prestige to the state. Even the confidence the state Governor is having made him modernize and enhance the agency, which is clear in the recent renovation of the structure in which it is situated.
Hence, it is only a futile exercise of personal whims and caprices that will clamp down on the personality of Mr Muhyi Magaji to prove that he is not the man in the mirror.
He can be reached at [email protected]
