Last week, Mr Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria was reported to have said that President Jonathan fought corruption in a more civilized manner. In an interview he granted Channels Television, Mr Falana had noted that President Jonathan’s administration recovered $970m from late head of state, Sani Abacha and sacked three of his ministers.
This remark was reported as saying that he allegedly said President Jonathan fought corruption in a more civilised manner than President Muhammadu Buhari. However, in a rebuttal yesterday, Mr Falana described the said report as a desperate move to discredit the anti-corruption programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He said: "This report was the handiwork of some misguided fellows who have attempted to link me with the forces of corruption that are fighting back in the country. I never made such a stupid statement, hence, the suggestion ascribed to me is grossly misleading and downright dishonest."
Mr Falana challenged the reactionary forces that have twisted and manipulated his views to reproduce any statement made by him suggesting that President Jonathan fought corruption in a civilised manner. He added that to expose the mala fide of the satanic forces that are desperate to sustain corruption and impunity in the country, Nigerian readers may wish to check his full interview in www.channels.tv.
“In accusing the influential members of the National Peace Committee of gargantuan hypocrisy I did say that their chairman, General Abbdulsami Abubakar even probed the dead and recovered properties and over $1bn from the Abacha loot which are contained in the Forfeiture Decree No 45 of 1999. With respect to President Jonathan I never said that those actions were taken quietly as they were announced and celebrated in the media by the Jonathan administration.
Consequently, I questioned the motive of the members of the National Peace Committee in calling for soft landings for corrupt people. Convinced that the call was a demonstration of class solidarity I urged the Buhari administration not to be deterred in prosecuting the anti-corruption war," Mr Falana added.
He pointed out that he did not hesitate in supporting President Buhari’s anti-corruption policy by citing section 15 of the Constitution which has imposed a duty on the Nigerian state to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of power. Mr Falana, a former chairman of the West African Bar Association, has been an anti-corruption campaigner for decades.
Comments
Post a Comment