Jul 24, 2015

Presidency defends why GEJ is target of probe

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The presidency has said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration would limit its probe of past administrations to the immediate last one of Goodluck Jonathan because it was the right thing to do, and it was what Buhari promised Nigerians during the campaigns.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said on THirsday that the probe was the proper thing to do, given that the anomalies in the immediate past administration were very obvious.
He also added, that it would be a distraction for the present government to enter into a probe of other administrations down the line.

He said: “It is a simple thing. Before he was inaugurated, the President said that it will be a distraction for him to start digging deep into past governments. He said so. I don’t see anything new. But it will be irresponsible of any government to leave things of the immediate past that are glaring and evident and not do anything about it.
“It is not a witch-hunt. You have evidence and they are glaring. A responsible government should do something about it. It is not about the former president. It is about how they acquitted themselves in the responsibility they were given. When you are given a public responsibility, you are responsible to the people.
“You must account. When you bury a corpse and the legs are sticking out, have you buried the corpse? No. Once there are trails of money, in dollars everywhere, a responsible government should investigate. It is not as if they are witch-hunting anybody”, he said.
Before leaving office, former president Jonathan had said any probe by the new government would be seen as a “witch-hunt” if it fails to go beyond his administration. The Presidency, however, argued that it was not a witch-hunt.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has said it was not against President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to single out the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for probe.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, who stated this yesterday in Lokoja during the conduct of the state’s delegates congress of the party, said the probe is in line with the party (PDP)’s stand against corruption.
“If President Buhari singled out the past administration and PDP members for probe, so be it. We are not against it. If one is not guilty he has nothing to be afraid of if he or she is singled out; at the end, it will amount to vindication for such persons. Only the guilty will be afraid”, he said.
Metuh had during the week accused the Federal Government of treating the PDP as ‘prisoners of war’ in view of the way the party members were being treated.
Ripples… without borders, without fears

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