The Presidency has explained the reason President Muhammadu Buhari, will restrict his probe to former Goodluck Jonathan’s administration only.
It said Buhari’s probing of the administrations of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Abdulsalam Abubakar, Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida would amount to waste of time.
The president had consistently insisted he would investigate and bring to book, persons who looted the country’s funds.
Jonathan had, in the last days of his administration, said any probe by the new government should be extended to previous governments else it would be seen as a witch-hunt.
Speaking in Washington DC on Tuesday, Buhari said he would arrest and prosecute past ministers and other officials who stole Nigeria’s oil and diverted government’s money to personal accounts.
But the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, told an online medium, The Premium Times, that President Buhari would limit his anti-corruption war to the immediate past administration in the country.
The presidential spokesman said even before he was sworn in on May 29, the president had categorically stated that he would not extend his corruption probe beyond the Jonathan government.
He said: “If you recall, that was already settled before he got inaugurated as president. He has said he will not waste time digging into the far past.
“The far past will include Obasanjo and others. But the president has said he will not waste time to go that far.”
On criticisms over President Buhari’s decision to travel to the United States (U.S.) with his son, Yusuf, Adesina said there was nothing abnormal about it, saying Buhari did not breach any rule.
He said it was a normal practice for presidents to travel with members of their families, citing the example of American presidents who travel abroad with their wives and children.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with the president travelling with one of his sons. It is an acceptable and standard practice. He could go with up to four members of his family.
“Don’t forget that when former President, Bill Clinton, visited Nigeria while he was in office, he came with his daughter, Chelsea.
“President Barack Obama travels with his children and so the President of Nigeria can travel out with three or four of his children. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua used to travel with two of his sons and one of his grandchildren,” he said.
The presidential spokesman described the outcome of the president’s official visit to the U.S. as ‘a roaring success on every side’, saying: “There are good returns. It is an investment that will yield very handsome returns.” Premium Times
The story that the APC led government of PMB will only probe the regime of Jonathan should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Americans wanted to instigate Jonathan to cause confusion for Nigeria to scatter and the Man surprised them, they have shifted focus to use PMB to scatter Nigeria, we all must rise up against the evil schemes. Is it because Jonathan is from the Minority, he can be probed, Obasanjo, Yar’ Adua, Arbubarkar and Babangida cannot be probed because they are either notherners or from major tribe. Nigerians must rise up to tell PMB that we voted for him to clean the slate, if he is not ready to do it he should forget it. If he must do it then, it has to be holistic. Anything short of that will be the seed for the American dream of scattering Nigeria to come to pass. Every minority group will be called to seek self determination, if justice and equity for all cannot be guaranteed in the Nigerian State as it is today.
Ubong Jesus, your view – that America had wanted to use Jonathan to scatter Nigeria and now extending that alleged plan to Buhari, namely, to use him to scatter Nigeria – is fabulous, to say the least! It is doubtful, Ubong Jesus, if you voted for Buihari, considering the way you call upon the minority ethnic groups to secede! Look, Ubong, secession is not as easy as saying so. If you were old enough to witness the Biafra attempt, you will be wise enough never to mention such a thing. And if you were born after 1970, then go and ask from your older ones about the Biafra story – the “country” whose sun set at the very dawn! Ubong Jesus, I wager, Nigeria’s minority ethnic groups can NEVER be united on any secession struggle! Yes, Buhari is right in probing ONLY the immediate past government, rather than wasting time by stretching far to other previous administrations. Time is of the essence now, especially, as Buhari’s administration has too many wrong things to correct so that a firm foundation can be laid for the future of Nigeria – the new Nigeria that change has brought. It was Jonathan’s responsibility to have probed the Obasanjo administration; but for failing to do so, Jonathan must bear the brunt by having only his government probed by the Buhari administration. You will recall that Obasanjo probed the Abacha 5-year administration (and note that there was no good reason for probing Abdulsalami whose 11-month provisional military govt was in a hurry to handle over to a civilian government).
My dear Monye Ebube, the issue is not calling the minorities to unite in secession bid, the issue is the “seed” of selective “justice” or “injustice”. Until a nation decides to make one set of laws for all, you cannot guarantee anything. The fear of confrontation will perpetually imprison your conscience. Ten years ago I would have sworn that no Nigerian would attempt to detonate a bomb from a distance to kill a fellow Nigerian, but today Nigerians wear the deadly gear on a daily basis detonating at random. The clamour for self determination will never go away if the minorities are treated as second class simply because they are in the minority. The still birth of Biafra will never be an answer to injustice. As a matter of fact that generation that did not know the civil war, will be the ones that will champion the fight. The truth and reality of the matter is that, there will be continued sophistication in modern warfare, whether we like it or not. Anything can happen tomorrow. The certainty of the uncertain future is absolutely certain. Sir, it makes no difference at this point whether I voted for Buhari or not, he is the President of Nigeria. Many of us have a penchant for sycophancy such that every discuss is viewed from the view point of which side of the political divide one belongs. I am sure you are aware that Nigerians did not particularly have any real choice of who to vote for during the last elections even as the numbers of votes declared after balloting, in actual fact, did not represent the actual “votes” cast by flesh and blood. It is worthy of note that not all Nigerians are members of political parties, yet they are entitled to comment freely on issues that affect the nation. Going back to my point, it is important to note that America predicted political instability in Nigeria by 2015. That instability could have been a reality if Jonathan had challenged the outcome of the polls. If that had happened, Buhari would equally have taken a position. The same Americans were the ones who refused to sell arms to Nigeria on allegation of human rights abuse, the same Americans are pledging total support to Buhari today. What actually changed. Has the Army suddenly changed with the change of guards?. Have we forgotten that America has never pretended to consider the interest of any nation above their own? Upon assumption of office and at every opportunity, Mr President has reiterated his commitment to fight corruption and clean up the system and we all are in support of that. How come, Mr President arrives Washington, just one dinner with Obama and suddenly realizes that the corruption war, will be against Jonathan and Jonathan alone?. Mr President says he has seen about USD150 billion stolen from Nigeria that he intends to recover. Question;, was that sum stolen within the last Five years alone?. We need to be very circumspect with the new found romance the American are displaying towards Nigeria. We must relate with America having our interest and expectations clearly and properly articulated. Finally, my brother, there was a story of a man caught stealing and was tied to a stake on a Market day and made a public display. The villagers sneered at the thief on their way to the Market and and cursed him. On their way back from the market, they were surprised to find the thief still tied to the stake. Their hatred in the morning against the thief was turned to hatred against the man who tied the the thief to the stake all day and showed no mercy. The same people who are saying to Mr President crucify him today, will be the turn coat tomorrow.