Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole at the weekend declared that it was not wrong for President Muhammadu Buhari to beam his anti-corruption searchlight on men and women in the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He stressed that the cries of selectiveness of the Buhari’s fight against corruption was uncalled for as Jonathan’s men were fully in charge of managing the Nigerian economy that have been claimed to witness many corrupt practices.
The governor spoke during the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) event for celebrating two media icons, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday night.
Oshiomhole, who represented the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Chairman of the occasion, said: “They are serving a President who appreciates that these problems have to be confronted headon. The President who boldly told the world that the issue of corruption, if it is not killed, it will kill us. And since we don’t want to die, we have to kill corruption.”
“But the forces behind corruption are powerful, some are feasible and some are not feasible. They are men and women of rich, of means. Many are even billionaires in dollars and euros.
“Now where are the forces that will queue behind the president to confront the drivers of corruption. As you can see, people are already asking question about due process, people are asking questions about selective and so on.
“And it will be the job of Shehu and Femi to remind people that if you managed a house for 16 years and members of the community believed that the house has not been properly managed and that the reason for the mismanagement is that some people willfully … including resorting to corrupt practices, you can only deal with those in that house, the people who had responsibility for managing the house.
“So when you select those people and deal with them, of course it is selective. You can only select from among those who are involved with crime. Editors will help to take this to our people.” He said
He wondered why those crying fowl play now decided to keep silent when many wrongdoings were carried out under Jonathan.
He said: “When my helicopter was stopped when going to Ekiti State, as a governor with immunity, I was stopped by a low-level military officer from flying to Ekiti because my purpose was to campaign. I didn’t quite hear pastors protesting on my behalf.
“When Rotimi Amaechi was detained by a Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and they moved tankers to Government House, heaven didn’t fall.” He stated
Stressing that everything must be done now to guide the current democracy, he noted that it is not possible to fight war against corruption without having casualties.
“It is only in Nigeria, that for 16 years a particular political party was in power, they were fighting corruption war but there were no casualties. It is like the Nigerian Police that sees criminal and shoot to the air.”
He said that the good news is that Nigeria now has a President with enormous political will, who is determined to get the job done.
“Whether in the course of doing it, he will make a mistake that he will become too careful as to leave the job undone. For all of us who agree, lamentations won’t be our portion forever. It is time to get organized and deal with these issues.” He added
He urged the NGE to assist the two Presidential Media aides as they have a huge and challenging tasks ahead of them in their spokesman’s job for the President.
The governor prayed for God to give them the desired wisdom to succeed in their assignments.
The NGE Acting President, Garba Mohammed, said that the event was to express their happiness and back the two Presidential aides on their new jobs.
According to him, they are round pegs in round holes and a perfect team for the jobs.
“We will be with them through thin and thick.” He stated
The two presidential aides were also presented with gifts during the event.
