'Probing Jonathan govt is not a witch-hunt'

The Presidency, on Wednesday, July 22, said the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe only the Jonathan administration, leaving out administrations before him, is not to with-hunt the former President.

It said that series of fraud that pervaded the past government are too massive for any responsible government to ignored.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina, said there is glaring evidence that shows trails of monumental fraud everywhere.

“It is a simple thing. Before he was inaugurated, the President said that it will be a distraction for him to start digging deep into past governments. He said so. I don’t see anything new. But it will be irresponsible of any government to leave things of the immediate past that are glaring and evident and not do anything about it," Adesina said.

Buhari had on Wednesday vowed to arrest and prosecute former ministers and government officials who looted funds and stole Nigeria’s crude oil.

He said the suspected officials stashed the funds in foreign bank accounts, spoke during his three-day visit to the United States.

Adesina further stated, “it is not a witch-hunt. You have evidence and they are glaring. A responsible government should do something about it. It is not about the former president. It is about how they acquitted themselves in the responsibility they were given. When you are given a public responsibility, you are responsible to the people.

“You must account. When you bury a corpse and the legs are sticking out, have you buried the corpse? No. Once there are trails of money, in dollars everywhere, a responsible government should investigate. It is not as if they are witch-hunting anybody"he said

Meanwhile, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) has said it is not against Buhari's plan to plan to probe the Jonathan administration, stating that the past government has nothing to hide, adding that it has nothing to be afraid of.