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.”
