President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State Capital declared that he is free from corruption, adding that he has lived a corruption free life, despite having held several high profile positions in the country.
The President, while speaking at the Abakaliki township stadium, said he never abused public trust
“I can assure you that I, as the President today has never been in a position of abusing trust. As a governor of the whole six north eastern states, as minister of petroleum for over three years and as a former head of state. I was arrested, detained, investigated but they never found anything against me.“
He explained that fighting corruption is a very difficult challenge, adding that “we are doing our best by trying to reorganize the Nigerian police or and the judiciary itself.
He noted that people appointed Into public office without their own houses, end up owning houses and fleet of cars within three years.
“ They build houses in Abuja, open accounts in Europe or America and we cannot touch them. But when we discover what they have we take them to court and when we take them to court we hope they will be prosecuted and then we will punish them.”
“I can assure you that I, as the President today has never been in a position of abusing trust. As a governor of the whole six north eastern states, as minister of petroleum for over three years and as a former head of state. I was arrested, detained, investigated but they never found anything against me. So I went through all the rigmarole that is against our development as a nation. God has given us people, he has given us resources.
Recall that Buhari was Nigeria’s former Head of State from 1983 to 1985, when he was overthrown by former President Ibrahim Babangida
He also held the office of Governor of the Northeastern State 1975 to 1976, before he was appointed Petroleum Minister, when Olusegun Obasanjo was Head of State, in 1977 and later, chairman Petroleum Trust Fund between 1994 to 1995.
Buhari recalled that when he came for campaign in 2015, he promised three things, called on Nigerians to hold him by his promises ahead of the 2019 general election.
“The important thing is that, please try and hold us by our promise. When we came here the last time, we told you there are three fundamental things the country is facing. First we have to secure the country because part of the country is under threat in the north east, at least 17 local governments were in the hands of Boko Haram. Secondly, the economy. The able bodied unemployed persons in Nigeria are too many. Thirdly, to fight corruption.”
Speaking on the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents, the President lamented that they are now indoctrinating young men and abducting young girls below the ages of 15 years.
“They have resulted in indoctrinating young men and abducting young girls below the ages of 15, wrap them with explosives and send them to soft targets- churches, mosques, market places and motor parks. Even that is becoming rear now.”
He added that the monies are now being channeled to building of roads, rails among other infrastructural development.
“We thank God that Nigeria prayed very hard and the three previous rainy season were good. The government realized it and asked the Central Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture to give soft loans and make fertilizer available to farmers at half the price it used to be. And every able bodied persons who does not feel too big to earn a living went back to the farm and nobody regretted it. We have now virtually achieved food security, we no longer import rice as we used to and the money we have saved are for infrastructure. We are doing the roads, the rails and we are doing the new standard gauge and we are improving power.”
Speaking earlier, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar of working for foreign interest.
According to him, Atiku who wrote letters to United Kingdom (UK), Unites States (US) and European Union (EU), was appealing to western sentiments angling to take over Nigeria’s economy.
He however noted that “The right to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty is not negotiable,”
Oshiomhole maintained that Atiku deferring to western interest will only injure Nigeria economy and pauperised the people, calling on the voters never to vote for Atiku.
He described the forth coming election as a class war between the elites and the poor, just as he insisted that Buhari’s policies including TraderMoni are pro-poor despite the complains of the likes of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo.
He asserted that no external force can impose leaders on Nigeria.
The APC state chairman, Eze Nwachukwu Eze, described Governor David Umahi’s administration as total failure, urging the president to resist the temptation of believing the governor’s sweet talks, that he will support his re-election.
The Ebonyi APC party boss said, the civil servants in the state have been short changed by the PDP administration. He said that the governor pays only what he feels like paying at the end of every month.
He alleged that that Umahi met 5,200 workforce when he resumed in 2015, which has been depleted to 3,200 in 2019 with the governor not employing anyone to replace the dead and the retired.
He also alleged that the governor has refused to appoint permanent secretaries who are supposed to be accounting officers or ministries. He requested the president to order the audit of the state so as exposed alleged corruption in the management of the state resources by Umahi.
He assured the president that APC has grown in Ebonyi exponentially to be able to deliver at least 25 percent to ensure Buhari’s victory in the presidential election.
Senator Sonni Ogbuoji, APC candidate on his part assured that Ebonyi will deliver a total vote for APC.
He said, “We are resolved to lead the state to prosperity and advancement. It has been in the wrong hands since 2015.
“Our state has dined with maladministration since 2015?and will die except we rescue it now.”
