President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to discerning Nigerians to ignore orchestrated attempts to sully the integrity of ministers and other senior government officials, who he said are being painted with the brush of corruption without any concrete evidence.
The president was reacting to reports, particularly by online media, that the immediate past Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, is being investigated over crude oil swap deals and gas lifting during his tenure at the head of NNPC.
President Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, appealed for decent and civilized comments, particularly when it has to do with the integrity of those who are serving the country.
“Terrible and unfounded comments about other people’s integrity are not good. We are not going to spare anybody who soils his hands, but people should please wait till such individuals are indicted”, the president said.
He also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to probity, accountability and integrity, promising that transparency remained a watchword, which would never be trifled with.