by Talatu Usman
President Goodluck Jonathan has advised the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari, not to single his administration out for probe.
He said if Mr. Buhari must investigate him and his administration, he should do the same for the past governments.
A probe centred only on the Jonathan administration will amount to a “witch hunt”, the president said Wednesday at a valedictory cabinet meeting attended by ministers ahead of his handing over to Mr. Buhari on Friday.
Mr. Jonathan said his comments followed calls from different quarters for his administration to be investigated.
“Some people are even calling for the probe of the government, but I think in Nigeria, there are a lot of many things that will be probed, very many things, even debts owed by states and debts owed by this country from 1960 up to this time.
“They say it is Jonathan’s administration that is owing these debts. I believe that anybody that is calling for probe must also ensure that this probe is extended beyond the Jonathan administration.
“Otherwise, to me, it will be witch-hunt. If we are very sincere, it is not only the Jonathan administration that should be probed,” he said.
He said his government has had to operate under the harshest of conditions, some of which were politically motivated.
Mr. Jonathan attributed the just abating fuel scarcity and the strike action by the oil union to sabotage.
He noted that as a cabinet, all ministers had done their best despite the challenges faced during their tenure.
Noting that Nigeria has twice sat on the Security Council during the life of the outgoing administration, the president said it was obvious that the rest of the world appreciated the little contribution of Nigeria under his leadership.
