Posted by By LUCKY NWANKWERE, Abuja on
President Olusegun Obasanjo says any member of his family who gets involved in any form of corruption will not go scot free.
President Olusegun Obasanjo says any member of his family who gets involved in any form of corruption will not go scot free.
In an informal interaction Tuesday with State House correspondents in Abuja, he stated point blank that no Nigerian, including members of his family will be treated as sacred cow if found to be involved in corruption.
"My family knows where I stand on this issue. They all have a code of conduct. If they don't follow, they will be treated like anyone else", he pointed out.
Apparently referring to Chief Sunday Awoniyi's comment last weekend that corruption also thrives in the Presidency, Obasanjo said it was not enough for anyone to allege that corruption emanated from the Presidency without substantiating his claim.
"You say corruption emanated from the Presidency, it's stupidly irresponsible to say that. There are men and women of integrity who must be acclaimed. We can't stand for confusion in this (anti-corruption) exercise.
"You say the SGF (Secretary to the Federal Government), the Head of Service or the Chief of Staff (to the President) is corrupt. When you give us anything that is solid, we'll work on it. There are no sacred cows", he further vowed.
On his son, Gbenga and allegations of corruption making the rounds, President Obasanjo who fingered a member of the National Assembly as being behind the rumours said there was no iota of truth in the stories.
"My son Gbenga (Obasanjo) has no money in his name. Someone said he has $20 million dollars in his account. We know the man who is doing this. He's a member of the National Assembly. He has no credibility. It is criminal.
It is stupid to say the President of the United States has sent a letter to me. There is nothing like that", he stated.
He pointed out that no amount of criticism would distract him from his determination to rid the country of the cankerworm and called on all Nigerians to team up with government in the current effort aimed at evolving a better Nigeria.
"We are going to be focused. We are going to be determined but not going to be diverted or confused. We can even sue people for irresponsible libel and slander. All they want to do is to shortcut this wonderful (anti-corruption) exercise. And this exercise must not be diverted.
We know those who are doing this. We know some in the executive, both at the federal and state level. There are also those in the media. These are the media-419. They say, oh yes, (Tafa) Balogun will open can of worms! Let the can of worms be opened up. Osomo will open up! Let her open up. Oh yes, there is something to come. But there is nothing to come."
The president explained that very early in the life of the National Assembly, some members hired the services of ‘forensic' accountants from Israel who they paid $250,000 to investigate him and come up with information about his involvement in cases of corruption.
He said the experts at the end of their assignment could not pin any wrong doing on him, adding rather jokingly that they should have come to him for the information instead of wasting such a huge amount of money on wild goose chase.
President Obasanjo recalled that the very first case to be filed in court in the anti-corruption issue was that of the former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Dr. Julius Makanjuola and said he had directed the EFCC not to let the case die.
He explained that the tactical withdrawal from court by the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice was to avoid government losing the case, adding it was not the end of the matter.
On the Identity Card scam case, he said though one of the suspects (Chief Sunday Afolabi) is dead, government was continuing with the trial.