Former President Scolds Ex-Minister on Anti-Corruption Remarks

Timothy Choji, Abuja

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Former Nigerian Leader, Muhammadu Buhari says former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adokie lacks the moral capacity to talk about fighting corruption.

Reacting to Adokie’s recent allegations against the former President, Spokesperson to Buhari, Garba Shehu, in a message said Adokie is not fit to be accused of corruption.

According to Shehu: “Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Mohammed Adokie has been enjoying a spotlight, masquerading as an anti-corruption character in a skit for which he is ill-suited. 

“He neither has the track record nor the moral standing to accuse anyone of corruption, not least the former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The fact that this character is a free man, walking away from the industrial corruption their administration foisted on the 200 million-plus Nigerians is an Eighth Wonder. So vast was its scale, that it is today a subject of international scrutiny. That should be a script for a Nollywood/Kannywood blockbuster all by itself. “

Garba Shehu stressed that all the cases listed by the former Justice Minister against Buhari were cases linked to a past administration in which Adokie served.

“Most outrageously, the cases cited by Adoke as a reference point of corruption were cases that originated from an administration in which he was the man responsible for the administration of justice. 

“The contract and incidental judgment in the Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID) were inherited by the Buhari administration. To his credit, President Buhari succeeded in staying its execution even when the previous administration that was responsible for the creation of the liability watched helplessly and exposed Nigeria to over $10bn dollars of liability.

“Paris club saga that Adokie cited as an example of corrupt practices of the Buhari administration is not in any way different in origin and circumstances from the case of P&ID.

“It was rooted in administrations that predated that of President Muhammadu Buhari. Adoke was a product of the administration that planted the evil foundation and the judgments that resulted therefrom.”

He said President Buhari assumed the leadership of Nigeria to salvage the situation and he effectively achieved that.

“The logical conclusion any reasonable person can make on P&ID, Paris Club and Ajaokuta is that President Buhari came on a rescue mission and effectively saved Nigeria from corrupt undertones that were planted to expose its economy to imminent collapse.

“The success of the Buhari administration in the direction of the fight against corruption is unprecedented.

“New legislations were introduced, major recoveries were made at home, stolen monies were repatriated from abroad, and they were judiciously deployed in infrastructure development.  High profile convictions were recorded in unprecedented numbers, with enhanced percentages over and above the records in existence.”

Shehu added that Buhari’s efforts were recognized within and outside Nigeria.

“It is in international recognition of these efforts that the African Union chose the former President as its African Continental Anti-Corruption Champion.

“Additional recognitions by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Corruption, UNODC among others were also lauded on the former president and his administration.

“Adokie also made some wild allegations in the aviation sector.

“The efforts of the Buhari administration in aviation are known: They were visible in terms of capital infrastructure development, safety, and policy; they changed the face of the aviation sector into an attractive one for investment, resulting in new airlines coming on board. No major commercial airline incident was recorded throughout this period.

“All Nigerians by right can say whatever they want of the Buhari administration. No one is offended by their actions, right or wrong.

“But when you come out with innuendos of corruption written all over your face and say that you want to moralise and pontificate, Nigerians in different walks of life will have problems with that.

“Mr. Adokie, your record in office makes you the wrong character for this famous skit.”

 

 

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