Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says President Buhari cannot order EFCC to investigate any of his Ministers accused of corruption because the anti-graft agency is an independent body and is not controlled by the Presidency.
Adesina said this in a recent interview with Naija Standard when he was asked why President Buhari has not ordered EFCC to investigate Rotimi Amaechi and Abbah Kyari who are both ministers and have been accused of corrupt practices.
Adesina in his reply said
"President Buhari does not direct the EFCC. He maintains a critical distance from all the anti-graft agencies, and does not dictate to them. So, if any Minister has a tidy case built against him, the EFCC does its job without waiting for directives from the President"he said
Read more excerpts from the interview as shared by Adesina below
Q: When you received offer from President Buhari to serve in your present capacity, what were the virtues you saw in him that drew you to accept the appointment?
A: Let me say that I had always admired Muhammadu Buhari since he was a military head of state. I admired his discipline, his integrity, forthrightness, and simplicity. The things he represented just resonated with my lifestyle, maybe because I grew up under a father who also stood for such things. It was, therefore, my worst day when Buhari was overthrown in 1985. I believed Nigeria had missed an opportunity to be great, and one was proven right.
When Buhari joined partisan politics in 2002, I was quite glad. As a journalist who wrote a weekly column, I supported him in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015, when he won the presidential election. I had never wanted to work in government, but when I got an invitation to serve as Special Adviser on Media, I accepted because it was Buhari. With any other person, my answer would have been a flat no. President Buhari’s integrity, transparency, simplicity, and patriotism were the things that brought me into government.
Q: What lessons have you learnt so far in your present position?
A: At every stage in life, you learn lessons. Some of those I’ve learnt in government include the fact that some people do not care a hoot what happens to the country, as long as they realize their personal ambitions. That is why they would lie, perjure and assassinate the character of those serving the land faithfully. The power game can be quite devious.
Q: Can you mention few of the lofty accomplishments of President Buhari’s government since assumption of office?
A: The achievements are many. Beating back insurgency in the North-east. Rekindling
hope of a better future for the country. Setting a standard for transparency. Bringing corrupt people to book. Managing the treasury efficiently, despite crash in oil prices. Rolling off the diversification move through agriculture and mining. Teaching Nigerians to look inward, and not depending on imported products. Giving us a new reputation in the comity of nations. Attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment. The achievements are really many, and the government is still warming up. Nigerians are in for good time.
Q: Why do you think Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other oppositions whom you once described as ‘wailing wailers’ have not yet found any single achievement in President Buhari’s administration?
A: Why have the PDP and those I call wailing wailers not seen all these achievements.? Well, it could be that they have deliberately turned a blind eye. They are like the child whose lollipop is taken away, and is throwing tantrums. Because their candidate was given a bloody nose at the 2015 elections, they seem to forget that elections are over, and we should all team up to build the country. But whether they like it or not, whether they see it or not, the good work will continue.
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