NIGERIA’s President Goodluck Jonathan’s office said on Saturday that it has no plans to probe former
the previous administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration as has been reported by certain media outlets.
A statement signed by the president’s spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that speculations to the effect of an impending probe of the former president by the Jonathan Administration were “nonsensical and should be dismissed”.
Dr. Abati added, in the harsh tone of his recent releases as the president’s chief media aide that the idea of a probe of former President Obasanjo was from “the fertile imagination of mischievous political jobbers.” “The presidency is constrained to state once again that there is no truth whatsoever to rehashed reports in the media that President Goodluck Jonathan intends to order a probe of the Obasanjo Administration because of the former President’s “constant” criticisms of the federal government,” the statement read.
“President Jonathan remains fully focused on the urgent tasks of assuring peace, security and stability across the country to create the right conditions for rapid socio-economic development. “The President will not be distracted from this objective by futile attempts to drive a wedge between him and other respected elders and leaders of his party.
“The President has nothing but the greatest respect for Chief Obasanjo’s very notable contributions to national growth and development over many years. “Far from taking offence or seeking retaliation, the President will always welcome objective criticisms and advice from the very highly-regarded elder statesman,” Abati said in the statement.
Abati said President Jonathan regarded his administration as a continuation of the unbroken chain of PDP-led government started by Chief Obasanjo on May 29, 1999. He said both administrations had worked tirelessly to entrench democratic governance and achieve rapid socio-economic growth in the country.
“Rather than order a pointless probe of his predecessors, he will continue to do his utmost best to build on the solid foundations for national progress laid under previous PDP administrations,” he said.