President Mohammadu Buhari has asked Senator Ali Ndume to mention names of the corrupt leaders that use their power to exploit the people and natural resources to extend their wealth or forever remain quiet.
The Minister and the office of the National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) had been under attack for the alleged lopsidedness over the distribution of the Coronavirus lockdown palliatives.
Senator Ndume, speaking in Borno State had alleged that most of those benefiting from the palliatives do not deserve them, just as he called for the disbandment of the presidential committee responsible for the distribution.
Reacting, the President in a statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody.
The statement read, “I believe in public service, as a servant of the people and I expect the exact same commitment from members of my government and, of course, his closest aides.
”Anyone who will not, cannot, or does not pull his weight nor meet these exacting standards is not welcome in my administration.
”A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this.
”I believe in loyalty and truthfulness.
”Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out.
”But this must be done based on evidence and proof not on conjecture.
‘It is, therefore, disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions.
”If this politician has evidence, then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof.
”Similarly, simply claiming that the COVID-19 Palliative Measures Committee is not functioning as it should is not the same as presenting proof for such a claim.
”No one replaces an institutional government body amid the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing.
”A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence.
”At this difficult time of the battle by Nigeria against Coronavirus, everyone should help the fight and not seek to make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances.”
