The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari
on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on Friday declared that there is
corruption everywhere including the Presidency.
Adesina made the declaration on Channels Television, while
speaking on the suspension of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal and former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayo Oke, stating that Lawal asked journalists a rhetorical
question by saying ”Who is the presidency.”
Cautioning against beaming corruption searchlight on the
Presidency alone, Adesina said, “You don’t need to single out the presidency.”
According to Adesina, “The question should be how deep is
the corruption in Nigeria. There is corruption everywhere, everywhere in the
country and don’t forget that the Vice President has said it before that there
is corruption everywhere. Judiciary, Executive, Legislator, there is corruption
everywhere, possibly in broadcasting. There is corruption everywhere in
Nigeria.”
Reacting to the question asked by the suspended SGF, “Who is
the Presidency,” Adesina said only Lawal could answer the question as it may be
rhetorical.
Adesina said: “It takes me back to school days when we were
taught rhetorical questions. We were told that Rhetorical questions don’t need
an answer, so I just see that as a rhetorical question. If we must get an answer,
then we must get it from the SGF because he asked it.”
Speaking on why the panel constituted to probe the
connection of the suspended political officers with the recovered $43 million
from the Ikoyi apartment consist of only 3-men, rather than the EFCC or ICPC,
Adesina said: “It is a matter of procedure by government. If government feels
this is the way we want to go about it and it is lawful, then there is nothing
wrong with it. I believe there is nothing wrong with the government setting up
a panel to investigate”.
By Seun Opejobi
