President Buhari Urges Nigerians To Help Him Expose Corrupt Government Officials

Published: January 17, 2019

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians with any evidence of corrupt practices against members of his administration to come forward with such evidences to him for prompt action.

President Buhari made this call at a town hall meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, when he was answering to the allegations that his government’s anti-corruption fight was against a particular section of Nigerians, and that members of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) with questionable credentials were being protected by the government.

The Moderator of the programme Kadaria Ahmed, specifically cited the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, who was relieved of his appointment over allegations of corrupt practices, but was not prosecuted, instead he had been seen campaigning for the president.

However, President Buhari said:

“That is not fair criticism of the government. I do not think there is anybody that is being pointed out as corrupt in this dispensation which we looked the other direction.
“I told you why I have to be careful; t

“Then we will take them before the courts through the EFCC and ICPC; and we have to trust the system and allow them to complete investigation.
“If we just take people in as we did during the military and lock them up, the present democracy a multi party democracy does not approve of that.
“If you accuse any person, you have to provide evidence in court for him to be prosecuted. So, if there is strong allegations, the government may decide to ask people to go, like in the case of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, we asked him to go.
“The matter is already before the EFCC and I believe that a directive has been issued to charge him and all persons who have cases before the EFCC.’’

The president stated that his administration would not tolerate any form of corrupt practices from any quarters, saying those making allegations should be able to provide evidence why the accused should be prosecuted.