The Presidency last night hinted why the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari won’t turn a blind eye on the corrupt practices carried out under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The brazen theft of public assets and an almost empty treasury nearly stalled the new administration.
The Presidency asked the Association of Ex-Jonathan ministers, to do self-reflection on the sort of government they handed over to President Muhammadu Buhari.
By doing this, the Presidency said they should be able to determine for themselves if it would have been right for any incoming government to ignore the brazen theft of public assets, which is perhaps the first of its kind ever witnessed in Nigeria.
A statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the the President on Media and Publicity, said the earlier statements made that there was no witch hunt or malice against anyone in the pursuit of the county’s stolen assets still stand.
According to him, the ongoing war against corruption knows no friend nor foe.
He said: “There is no intention to deny anyone of their good name where they are entitled to it and that President Buhari reserves the highest regards for the country’s former leaders, including Dr Jonathan Goodluck who he continues to praise to the high heavens for the way and manner in which he accepted defeat in the last election.
“That singular action remains a feat that has earned the former president and Nigeria befitting commendations all over the world, the latest coming from Mr Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations who visited a week ago.”
But he pointed out that the issue of fighting corruption by Buhari is non negotiable.
He said: “It is sine qua non to the overall reconstruction of the economy and social systems which suffered destruction and severe denigration under the last administration.
“President Buhari will not be deterred or blackmailed into retreat and surrender. No one in the PDP can accuse President Buhari of undermining the economy when all they handed over to him, at best,was a tottering economy hobbled by corruption and the absence of due process.
“Things have become worsened by the continuing fall of oil prices, which is expected to fall even further with the imminent full return of Iran to the market. All he has been doing while around is to put things together, organising to defeat Boko Haram, paying outstanding salaries, cleaning up the mess left behind, improving security and restoring our relationships with neighbours and the world.”
Wondering what the former ministers are afraid of, he queried if they have become a new trade union overnight.
He said: “Let this collection of ex-VIPs allow the President the peace he needs to handle the reconstruction of the economy and the nation in a manner that most serves Nigeria’s best interests.
“President Buhari does not need these types of distraction presented by the so-called association of former ministers.”
No comments:
Post a Comment