Re: $65m Fraud: Gimba Yau Kumo is no longer an in-law to Buhari – presidency -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

More than 12 hours after the news first filtered online that the ICPC had declared one Mallam Gimba Yau Kumo (a former in-law to General Muhammadu Buhari) wanted for fraudulently diverting the sum of $65 million USD from the federal mortgage bank of Nigeria and misappropriation of a certain National Housing Funds; the presidency – in her usual style of exonerating self – showed more concern for the fact of associating GMB with the story in the first instance.

Presidential spokesperson Mallam Garba Shehu practically berated the media as he described the attempt to link the wanted Gimba in the following words “It is in our view an attempt to generate views and sell copies of sensational reporting.” Of course, there’s always the sensation side to every reportage but that depended on who is been reported. In this case, whether the presidency wished it was not happening or yes; the media would always make a concise reportage that created a vivid picture of who or what’s been reported.

Gimba Yau Kumo

Therefore, for me the fact of associating Mallam Gimba with General Buhari shouldn’t have mattered more than the question of whether or not Mallam Gimba has been proven guilty or not. This is because it only opened up 2 important aspects to the issue at stake. Firstly, by that act of publicly dissociating self with Mallam Gimba, the presidency had successfully announced that Gimba’s case was not a mere allegation and that the wanted fellow was guilty as charged if one juxtaposed this saga with presidency’s reaction upon the Gandollar saga of Gov. Ganguje.

Secondly, going as far as making mention of the collapsed marriage with GMB’s daughter – Mrs. Fatima, the presidency in Mallam Garba Shehu’s words had scores to settle with Gimba; if we’ll but read in-between the lines of that press release. By implication, it means that Mallam Gimba would’ve most probably enjoyed presidential backing in much the same manner in which Dr. Isa Ali Pantami – federal minister of communication and digital economy – enjoyed. Even the scorn in Garba Shehu’s voice alluded to the fact that Gimba was out of favor with government.

There is yet another side to this analysis. Mallam Gimba Yau Kumo was first appointed managing director with the federal mortgage bank of Nigeria in 2010 and had his appointment renewed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. But by 2016, he along with several other CEOs of government companies where sacked by GMB. Now, by the time Gimba engaged with Mrs. Fatima Buhari in matrimony, he was no longer with the bank. So, when you connected the dots, you’ll probably find that the prosecution was authorized for the purpose of scores settling.

Right before our eyes, Nigeria has turned from a Federal Republic into a Greedy Republic where the pursuit of personal gains was the new norm. The case of a fraudulent diversion of $65 million USD from the federal mortgage bank by Gimba was not supposed to be if Nigeria had not turned itself into a Greedy Republic where anything goes. The dissociation of self from Gimba by the presidency was a selfish pursuit that held no benefit for the common man. GMB has been settling scores since 2015 with all and sundry. The question becomes: how did we get into this?

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