Why Buhari will limit his probe to Jonathan’s govt- Presidency

The Presidency has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will limit his probe to the immediate past government of Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

Buhari, who said the suspected officials stashed the funds in foreign bank accounts, spoke during his three-day visit to the United States.

The Presidency which said yesterday that there were trails of monumental fraud everywhere that would be too difficult to ignore, however, explained that it will be a distraction to exceed Jonathan’s regime.

Before leaving office, former president Jonathan had said any probe by the new government would be seen as a “witch-hunt” if it fails to go beyond his administration. The Presidency, however, argued that it was not a witch-hunt.

Speaking yesterday to VANGUARD, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the probe was the proper thing to do.

His words: “It is a simple thing. Before he was inaugurated, the President said that it will be a distraction for him to start digging deep into past governments. He said so. I don’t see anything new. But it will be irresponsible of any government to leave things of the immediate past that are glaring and evident and not do anything about it.

“It is not a witch-hunt. You have evidence and they are glaring. A responsible government should do something about it. It is not about the former president. It is about how they acquitted themselves in the responsibility they were given. When you are given a public responsibility, you are responsible to the people.

“You must account. When you bury a corpse and the legs are sticking out, have you buried the corpse? No. Once there are trails of money, in dollars everywhere, a responsible government should investigate. It is not as if they are witch-hunting anybody”, he said.