President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday replied former Nigerian ministers
who questioned the sincerity of his anti-corruption war, saying it is
not intended to rubbish the name of anyone.
The ministers, who served
in the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, had in a
statement cautioned against selective anti-corruption war and warned
against labelling the Jonathan government as corrupt.
In his
response, Mr. Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, asked the country’s
latest “trade union formation, the Association of Ex-Jonathan Ministers
to do a bit of self-reflection on the sort of government they handed to
President Muhammadu Buhari back in May to determine for themselves if it
would have been right for any incoming government, not just this one to
ignore the issue of the
brazen theft of public assets, perhaps the
first of its kind we have ever seen in this country”.
“Earlier
statements made in this regard that there is no witch hunt or malice
against anyone in the pursuit of the county’s stolen assets still
stands” Shehu said in a statement, Sunday in Abuja.
He added that the war against corruption knows no friend nor foe, he said .
Mr.
Shehu said there was 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 Mr. Jonathan
who he continues to praise for the way and manner in which he accepted
defeat in the last election.
“For the purpose of emphasis, the issue of fighting corruption by President Buhari is non-negotiable.
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” he said.
He added that no one
in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, can accuse President
Buhari of undermining the economy when “all they handed over to him is
at best, was a tottering economy hobbled by corruption and the absence
of due process”.
He added that the situation in Nigeria has 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 global oil
market. According to Mr. Shehu, all the president has been doing is to
put things together, organize to defeat Boko Haram, pay outstanding
salaries, clean up the mess left behind, improve security and restore
Nigeria’s relationships with neighbours and the world.
“So what are former ministers afraid of in these things? Have they become a new trade union?
“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”.
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