PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s office on Thursday reacted to what it calls “diversionary attempt by some newspapers” to involve the president in the unfolding bribery scandal involving some members of the Federal House of Assembly and others fingered in the ongoing oil subsidy investigations.
In a statement signed by the chief media adviser to the president, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president asked to be left out of the “unsavory bribery scandal the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Fuel Subsidy Probe Ad-Hoc Committee and a well-known petroleum products marketer,” describing the attempt to involve the president as “mischievous”.
According to the statement, “the mischievous insinuation in today’s editions of the newspapers that the entire affair, in which the two key players have publicly confessed their roles, is part of a plot by President Goodluck Jonathan and the executive arm of government to unseat the leadership of the House of Representatives, is totally false and baseless.
“For the benefit of unwary members of the public who may be deceived by the political innuendoes now being woven into the subsidy probe bribe affair, President Jonathan wishes to affirm that he has absolutely no reason or desire to meddle in the affairs of the House of Representatives and its leadership.
“Neither the President nor anyone acting on his request or order has anything to do with the scandal that has sadly engulfed the House ad-hoc committee on fuel subsidy. The attempt to drag the Presidency into the matter is entirely speculative and without factual foundation.
“Against the background of its avowed commitment to the effective prosecution of the war against corruption in Nigeria, the Presidency notes with satisfaction, that given the seriousness of the scandal, the House of Representatives has already recalled its members from recess for a special session to deliberate on it tomorrow.
“The Presidency therefore urges the media to allow members of the House and law enforcement agencies to conduct and conclude investigations without further unhelpful distractions.
“Recent developments notwithstanding, President Jonathan’s directive to the Attorney-General of the Federation on the report of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy, as adopted by the House of Representatives, subsists and he fully expects that all those indicted in the report will be duly investigated and prosecuted if a prima facie case is established against them. “