Ahead of the 2019 general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned political appointees, government officials and party men against promoting corruption through influence peddling and extortion for pecuniary gains
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said mounting complaints of name dropping and extortion of innocent Nigerians by what he called “self-serving name droppers and influence peddlers” are causing increasing embarrassment to the Presidency.
He told State House Correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday that “President Buhari had made it very clear since his inauguration that he won’t tolerate any form of impropriety by his appointees, aides, and government officials who abuse and misuse their offices for illegal financial advantages.”
According to the media aide, using one’s office or influence for private advantage or financial gains is corruption, warning that “the President would not tolerate any conduct by anybody to use his name to extort innocent people.”
Shehu said the President’s commitment to fight corruption on all fronts in his government remains unchanged, adding that “those who are not genuinely committed to this vision would be weeded out once caught and punished accordingly.”
He said Nigerians should not hesitate to report any government official or political appointee using the President’s name or that of his aides and appointees to defraud members of the public.
The Media warned that the current zero tolerance for corruption by the Buhari-led administration frowns at any form of extortion and would therefore not condone such repugnant culture in government or public business. – NAN
