Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has asked opposition and those who have been crying that President Muhammadu Buhari is fighting corruption if their intention is that the president should keep quiet and pretend that all is well in the face of the damning relations going on.
“So we should keep quiet and let Nigerians think that everything is ok? That there was no looting. We are in the position we are in because people that came before us preferred to carry our common patrimony and put it in their deposit accounts for their wives and children. What type of country if we decide to play the Ostrich.
“Could we have known for example, that somebody can walk into Central bank, reverse his boot and leave with $2.2 billion raw cash. Could we have known that somebody will sit down and embezzle 40 billion? Look at the type of money they were dispatching.”
Babachir Lawal, who spoke on Channels Television programme, dismissing claims that the ongoing anti-corruption fight is a witch-hunt, saying: “Nigerians most be told what we inherited and majority of Nigerians I can assure you are in favour of what the government is doing. Of course, quite a few that were beneficiaries of this looting will make noise.
“Majority of them that are beneficiaries have access to papers, internet. We are chasing thieves. We are chasing people who took away government money, our money. People who impoverished us.”
The SGF, who also reacted to claims by the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari that the government of her husband has been hijacked by cabal, said: “I am honoured to be a cabal in this presidency. I have no apologies to make.
“If the President decides that he wants a secretary to the government who is going to work with him, coordinate the activities of his government, who will give him advice, obviously that man should be able to have unfettered access to the President.
“He is supposed to be able to give advice to the president because he is with the president on a daily basis in a manner that others might not have.” [myad]
