Asorock Villa is not meant to house political friends and uncles oe concubine, Civil society group blasts Buhari.

 
Speaking  on Monday,CDNDC convener Mr. Ariyo-Dare Atoye said, “It is unfortunate that President Buhari is abusing his office and using his power to advance selfish motives. Apart from the immediate family of the President and direct staff, the Villa is not meant to be used to house political friends, uncles or concubines.
“It is shameful that Mamman Daura, who is a de facto head in the Villa, allowed his daughter to grant an interview in which she accused the wife of the President. It is not only shameful but an affront.
“As a citizen and a group, we would advise the first lady to take legal action against those who have held her family hostage to advance selfish motives at the expense of the people. We call on the National Assembly to probe the abuse of the Villa.”
 
Also speaking to The PUNCH, the Chairman, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, Mr. Lanre Suraj, said the interview had only confirmed the fear of Nigerians that the Presidency had been hijacked by a cabal.
He said since Daura was neither an appointee nor member of Buhari’s nuclear family, it was wrong of the President to allow him to enjoy public funds.
Suraj said, “There is no justification for such. It would have been different if he (Daura) was a public official. To the best of our knowledge, Mamman Daura is not an aide to the President and not a member of the first family. Bringing members of extended family to eat from taxpayers’ money is unheard of.
“That is why we hear of the powers of the cabal. They not only misadvise the Present but also take advantage of taking over shady deals in the DSS, CBN, NIA and the rest. It is unacceptable and it smacks of corruption and abuse of public funds.
Some Nigerians on Twitter  expressed their support for Fatima, while others criticised her for defying the First Lady.
Emmanuel Ukeme said, “So, these illegal occupants of Aso Rock are being fed, accommodated, etc. at the expense of the Nigerian state, using taxpayers’ money. So, does anyone still have a doubt about the Aso Rock cabals now? @aishambuhari, a mother of the nation, Nigerians are solidly behind you.”
Also, @movtOfDPeople said, “In what capacity are you residing in the Presidential Villa, Miss Fatima Mamman Daura? You’re neither elected nor have any official appointment, yet you are waging war against the only known wife of the President. Your guts in going to town with this exposes hidden truth.”
However, @orenjur, stated, “Why blame Mamman Daura for bringing his family to the Villa? Was it not Buhari that gave him the Glass House in the Villa? We should be blaming Buhari for not putting his house in order.”
@Gimbason_E also said, “The Buhari presidency is already in a shambles. How come Mamman Daura has so much power to the extent that his daughter can say that about the President’s wife?
But a non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership,  said there were issues to be addressed on the incident.
The Executive Director, CACOL, Debo Adeniran, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said although there were issues to be addressed on how the incident had affected the President’s immediate family, there was nothing wrong with him giving an apartment to his relative.
Adeniran said once a person became the executive head of an organisation, they had so many powers concentrated in their hands.
According to him, Buhari, as President, also has some opportunities he could utilise on behalf of whomever he thinks deserves some favours.
He said, “What we cannot say is that the activities of such a person (relation) will be inimical to the growth, development, security and welfare of the people that are in the immediate environment of the President. It doesn’t matter the relationship somebody has with another.
“If it were ordinarily accommodating a third party to the family and it was, in the opinion of the President, necessary to do so, I don’t see anything wrong in that.”
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Likening the apartment in question to an official apartment, the activist said, “You determine who comes there, why the person is there, who gets out of the place and who exits the apartment until the apartment is withdrawn from you. I believe that is what the President is doing.
“What I don’t understand is why it had to affect the immediate family of Mr President. It may be some internal dynamics that the rest of us are not privy to.
“So, basically, we should give them the benefit of the doubt until we have a contrary explanation that it is beyond the powers of those who were running the Villa, maybe the management or maybe they did it on behalf of the President without his knowledge.”