Fayose to Buhari: Stop lying on recovered loot

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to “stop lying” that some members of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government had started returning stolen funds.

Fayose also asked the president to give details of the actual amount that he claimed officials of the past administration have returned.

In a statement issued on his behalf by Lere Olayinka, his special assistant on new media, Fayose said Buhari has been “junketing around the globe” and “making noise in foreign land”.

“Since the purported looted funds belong to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it ought to have been paid into the federation account and shared by the federal, state and local government,” the statement read.

“Buhari’s statement in Tehran, Iran, that it was easier for him as a military head of state in 1984 to arrest corrupt individuals and put them in protective custody was a pointer to the fact that he has not changed from the dictator that he was then.

“The truth is that Buhari did not fight corruption in 1984. Rather, he persecuted great Nigerians, especially the likes Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Ambrose Ali, Chief Bisi Onabanjo, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Bola Ige, who served the people meritoriously.

“Is Buhari justifying the imprisonment of Dr Alex Ekwueme, who was only the vice-president or All Progressives Congress (APC) leader like Chief Bisi Akande, who only served as a deputy governor?”

He accused Buhari of acting like “the sole administrator of Nigeria”, urging him to focus on developing the country.

“Nigerians are desirous of concrete developments, not rhetoric about fight against corruption that is only being used to persecute perceived political enemies of the president both in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and within the APC,” the statement read.

“As at today, Nigerians are faced with serious hardship occasioned by prolonged fuel scarcity that the federal government does not have any solution to. Multi-national companies are laying-off thousands of workers while contractors working for the federal government have left their sites.

“Yet, what we get to hear from the president is noise in foreign lands about non-existing fight against corruption. Honestly, this president should get to work and stop lying to Nigerians and the international community.”