UPDATED: I’m not corrupt, Buhari declares

President Muhammadu Buhari has given himself a clean bill of health on issue of corruption, declaring that in all the positions he has held in the country, he has never been convicted of corruption.

He made the declaration at the Abakaliki Township Stadium in Ebonyi State, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential campaign in the state.

President Buhari was former a Head of State between 1983 – 1985, governor of the North Eastern State

1975–1976 and chairman Petroleum Trust Fund between 1994-95.

According to the president, “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.”

The President thanked Ebonyi people for turning out in large numbers for the rally, saying that they demonstrated that they cannot be bought urged them to hold him by his words.

President Buhari recalled that when he came for campaign in 2015, he promised three things, first being to tackle the security situation in the country and that at a time 17 local governments in the north east were under the control of Boko Haram but as at today, there is no local government under the control of the terrorists.

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He continued, “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.”

The President congratulated the military and other law enforcement agencies that today none of the local government in the north east is under the control of Boko Haram.

“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.”

President Buhari also said that with favourable weather, Nigeria has achieved food security and no longer imports rice, adding that the money saved from importations is now being used for infrastructural development.

He added that the monies are now being channeled to building of roads, rails among other infrastructural development.

According to him, “We thank God that Nigeria prayed very hard and the three previous rainy season were good.

“The government realised it and asked the Central Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture to give soft loans and make fertiliser 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.

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“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.”

He added, “The last thing is about fighting corruption and bribery. Fighting corruption is a very difficult process but we are doing our best by trying to reorganise the Nigerian police or and the judiciary itself.

“Because, we appointed people that went into public office without their own houses, without even maybe good cars but 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.

President Buhari, therefore, urged the people to vote for him to continue with the good work his administration has started.

According to him, “What this administration is doing and what it will continue to do, if you vote me back is to make sure we realize the potential of our people and the resources God has given us to make life better for this country, for our future generations.”

Also speaking, national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who received 25 leaders from other parties, who have resolved to work for the APC, accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, of working for a foreign interest.

According to him, Atiku who wrote letters to United Kingdom, Unites States and European Union, was appealing to Western sentiments angling to take over Nigeria’s economy.

“The right to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty is not negotiable,” the APC party chairman said.

Oshiomhole maintained that Atiku deferring to Western interest would only injure Nigeria’s 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 complaints of the likes of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

He asserted that no external force could impose leaders on Nigeria.

The APC chairman in the state, 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 Governor 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.

Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji, APC candidate on his part assured that  Ebonyi would 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.”