Members of the Federal Executive Council during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration have leapt to the defence of their former boss as well as making attempts to erase the notion instituted by the present administration that they are corrupt.
According to the former ministers, Jonathan’s administration did not encourage corruption but fought it vigorously and laid a solid foundation for the development of the country.
They further contended that the present improvement in the electricity supply, national security, social services and other sectors of the economy were some of the good works of the past administration which also represented evidence of the “products of a solid foundation laid by the same Jonathan administration”.
The ministers further expressed their dismay at the various attempts by the APC and the Buhari government to portray the immediate administration in a bad light as well as to impugn the integrity of its individual members.
In a statement signed by the immediate former Minister of National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Abubakar Suleiman on behalf of other ministers under Jonathan’s government, they stressed that “we are proud to have served Nigeria and we boldly affirm that we did so diligently and to the best of our abilities”.
They also charged Buhari to prosecute the present anti-corruption campaign objectively.
The former ministers also credited their boss for putting a final stop to the fraud in fertiliser subsidies and developed the Government Integrated Financial Management Platform, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Management Systems (IPPIS) as well as the biometric registration of civil servants and pensioners through which over N100 billion was recovered from ghost workers.
The ministers said: “While we concede that every administration has the right to chart its own path as it deems fit, we nevertheless consider the vilification of the Jonathan administration to be ill-intentioned, unduly partisan and in bad faith.
“The effort that has been made to portray each and every member of the Jonathan administration as corrupt and irresponsible, in an orchestrated and vicious trial through the media, has created a lynch mentality that discredits our honest contributions to the growth and development of our beloved nation.
“Contrary to what the APC and its agents would have the public believe, the Jonathan administration did not encourage corruption, rather it fought corruption vigorously within the context of the rule of law and due process.”
Continuing, they maintained that to ensure greater transparency and integrity in the oil and gas sector, the Jonathan administration ordered investigations and put mechanisms in place to check the theft of Nigeria’s crude oil.
“It was also under the Jonathan administration that a Nigerian Content policy was introduced, which opened up that sector to Nigerians in a manner that was not previously the case.
“It was also the Jonathan administration that mobilised and secured the support of our neighbouring countries to ensure a robust multinational response to the menace of terrorism and insurgency, resulting in notable advancements in the fight against terror.
“President Jonathan personally initiated the collaboration that led to these advancements and ensured that Nigeria provided the needed financial support for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
“It was the Jonathan administration that repaired and rehabilitated over 25,000 kilometres of our nation’s roads. Nigeria also became a profitable and preferred investment-friendly destination. It was under President Jonathan, for example, that Nigeria’s electric power sector became more competitive and attractive to local and foreign investors.”
According to them, the same administration promoted the rule of law, free speech, fundamental human rights, and a robust freedom of information regime.
“Women’s rights to participate in public life and the federal character principle as well as other constitutional principles were also respected. In every respect, our administration promoted inclusive governance and encouraged all stakeholders including the private sector to play key roles in the transformation of Nigeria.
“It should also not be forgotten that the Jonathan administration strengthened electoral institutions and created a peaceful environment for democracy to thrive. On this score, it is sad and ironic that the chief beneficiaries of that same legacy are the most vociferous today in condemning President Jonathan and his team.
“Perhaps the new administration and the APC would be sincere enough to publish the details of the handover notes they received. In addition, the Buhari administration should be fair enough to acknowledge the good works of the Jonathan administration.
“No administration can be either completely bad or completely good. President Jonathan’s achievements in moving this country to greater heights deserve to be duly acknowledged. We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to build on these achievements,” they added.
On the anti-corruption campaign against past political office holders, the former ministers said: “We also urge him to press on with the anti-corruption fight, but in a fair and non-partisan manner, in line with due process and not as a political witch-hunt.
“The various lies and fabrications being peddled by some self-appointed spokespersons of the administration may entertain the unwary, but such sensationalism may achieve the unintended effect of de-marketing our country within the international community.
“All such persons playing to the gallery for whatever gains should be called to order. The name-calling of members of the Jonathan administration and the trial by news media should also stop.
“We have reserved our comment until now in the fervent hope that once the euphoria that may have inspired the various attacks on the past administration wears off, reason will prevail.
“But we are constrained to speak up in defence of the legacy of the Jonathan administration and shall do so again for as long as those who are determined to rubbish that legacy, are unrelenting in their usual deployment of blackmail, persecution, and similar tactic.”
Responding to the former ministers, the presidency yesterday encouraged them to be a bit more self-reflective on the sort of government they handed to Buhari in May to “determine for themselves if it would have been right for any incoming government, not just this one, to ignore the brazen theft of public assets, perhaps the first of its kind we have ever seen in this country”.
A statement by the president’s media aide, Mr. Garba Shehu, reiterated its position that the Buhari-led administration would not embark on a witch-hunt while attempting to recover stolen assets. According to him, the war against corruption knows no “friend or foe”.
He said: “There is no intention to deny anyone of their good name where they are entitled to it and that Buhari reserves the highest regards for the country’s former leaders including Dr. Jonathan Goodluck whom he continues to praise to the high heavens for the way and manner in which he accepted defeat in the last election.
“That singular action remains a feat that has earned the former president and Nigeria as a country befitting commendations all over the world, the latest coming from Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations who visited a week ago.
“For the purpose of emphasis, the issue of fighting corruption by Buhari is non negotiable. It is sine qua non to the overall reconstruction of the economy and social systems which suffered destruction and severe denigration under the last administration.”
Shehu pointed out that all the “president has been doing is to put things together, organising to defeat Boko Haram, paying outstanding salaries, cleaning up the mess left behind, improving security and restoring Nigeria’s relationships with neighbours and the world”.
“So what are former ministers afraid of in these things? Have they become a new trade union? Let this collection of ex-VIPs allow the president the peace he needs to handle the reconstruction of the economy and the nation in a manner that most serves Nigeria’s best interests.
“Buhari does not need these types of distractions presented by the so-called association of former ministers,” he said.