COVID-19 Palliatives: Produce Names Of Corrupt Officials Or Keep Quiet, Presidency Tells Senator Ndume

The Presidency has charged the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, to provide proof of his allegations that officials of the Federal Government are fraudulent in the distribution of palliatives meant to alleviate the effects of the restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker had claimed during a press conference addressed in Maiduguri, Borno State, a few days ago that the Federal Government relief committee headed by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, lacks the credibility to manage the huge resources at its disposal and should be disbanded.

But in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), the Presidency said any individual found to be helping themselves rather than serving the people would be shown the way out only on the basis of evidence.

Entitled “Senator Ali Ndume should figure out his mentioned ‘kleptocrats’ around the president or be quiet,” the statement said: “When he was first elected president in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari said that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. What was true then remains true today.

“He believes in public service, as a servant of the people – and he expects the exact same commitment from members of his government and, of course, his closest aides.

“The president has made it clear times without number that anyone who will not, cannot, or does not pull his weight – nor meet these exacting standards – is not welcome in his administration. A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this.

“Similarly, he believes in loyalty and truthfulness. Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out.

“But this must be done on the basis of evidence and proof – not on conjecture.

“It is therefore disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions.

“If this politician has evidence – then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof.

“Similarly, simply claiming that the COVID-19 Palliative Measures Committee is not functioning as it should is not the same as presenting proof for such a claim.

“No one replaces an institutional government body in the midst of the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing.

“A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence.

“At this difficult time of the battle by Nigeria against Coronavirus, everyone should help the fight and not seek to make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances.”