Buhari: I Can’t Be Blackmailed over Illicit Enrichment, Inexplicable Wealth 

* Says he has no investment outside Nigeria

* Laments fighting corruption under his govt not easy

* Vows to serve God, country till last day in office

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that no individual or group can accuse him of corruptly enriching himself since he assumed office as civilian president on May 29, 2015.

The president, according to a release issued on Tuesday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, who spoke on Monday night at a banquet in his honour in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, said nobody can blackmail him on inexplicable wealth and illicit enrichment while in office.

He added for effect that ‘‘I do not have one square-inch outside Nigeria.’’

According to him, “One thing that I am grateful to God for is that nobody can blackmail me. I do not have one-square inch outside Nigeria and I intend to stay in Nigeria when I retire from public office.’’

President Buhari reiterated his vow to serve God and Nigeria until his last day in office and beyond.

He advised Nigerians to remain patriotic, saying ‘‘as I said more than 30 years ago, we have no other country than Nigeria, we must all stay here and salvage it together’’.

Noting that the most critical security challenge inherited by the administration nearly eight years ago was the potent and pervasive threat of terrorism, the president expressed delight that normalcy has returned to affected states in North-east Nigeria.

He recalled that the threat was particularly pervasive across the North-east geopolitical zone with Yobe State as one of the most hit by the terrorists.

President Buhari, therefore, declared that he has fulfilled the commitment made to Nigerians in his May 29, 2015 inaugural address to frontally and courageously tackle Boko Haram terrorists and stabilize the country.

He said after decimating the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east and the economy picking up, his administration has challenges fighting corruption unlike the situation when he was a military Head of State in the 1970s.

His words: ‘‘In the North-east, God has helped us to clear Boko Haram, the economy has picked up and some people are asking me about the achievements of my promise to fight corruption.

‘‘Well, under this system, fighting corruption is not easy. When I was in the military, as Head of State, I locked up some people because the constitution says you must declare your assets and people who couldn’t explain the differences in their assets, I locked them up.

‘‘In the end, I was also locked up. So, if you want to serve this country you must be prepared for the worst.”

Reflecting on his journey to the presidency and re-election, the president said: ‘‘Between 2003 and 2019, I visited all the local government areas in this country. In 2019 when I attempted a re-election, I visited every state and the number of people that came out to see who this Buhari is and was is more than what anybody can pay or force.

‘‘So, I thank God that Nigerians understood me and I made a promise that I will serve God and Nigerians.’’

President Buhari commended Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State for taking advantage of the return of peace and security in the state to execute people-oriented projects.

Describing the governor as very competent and courageous, the president said he was lucky to have him in the saddle as the political leader in the state, supporting the federal efforts to decimate Boko Haram terrorist group.

He also acknowledged the cooperation of Nigeria’s neighbours in the fight against insurgency, recalling that his first visit outside the country in 2015 was to Niger and Chad, to garner support on tackling the misguided sect. 

Buhari thanked the governor and people of Yobe State, including the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, for their warm reception during the state visit.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Buni expressed delight at the president’s inauguration of landmark projects in the state, including the Yobe International Cargo Airport, Damaturu ultra-modern market, Maternal and Child Health Complex at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, the 2,600 Housing Estate in Potiskum and the Damaturu Mega School at new Bra-Bra.

He appealed to the president to approve the takeover of the Yobe State International Cargo airport by the federal government and the refund of N38 billion expended by the state government on the project.

The governor equally requested the takeover of the state University Teaching Hospital, including the Maternity and Child Health Complex by the federal government.

Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Usman Baba Alkali, thanked the president for inaugurating a purpose-built, ultra-modern, and fully furnished state command headquarters; Police Secondary School; and Tertiary Police Hospital during the state visit.

The IG assured the president and Nigerians that the Nigeria Police are fully prepared for the upcoming 2023 general election and would remain apolitical in compliance with the presidential directive.

He disclosed that newly graduated constables are being posted on field operations to their local government areas in line with Mr. President’s directives and ahead of their deployment for the general election. 

‘‘In furtherance to this, we have exposed our personnel to specialized election security management trainings, developed Code of Conduct Handbook to guide the police and other national security agencies that will be involved in the exercise,’’ Alkali said.

He added that the Force has also perfected the logistics and manpower mobilization framework, and fine-tuned the Election Security Operational Action Plan in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the military, intelligence community, and other sister security agencies.

The IG thanked the president for the annual recruitment of 10,000 police constables over a five-year period, adding that the presidential consideration has significantly bridged the manpower gap in the Force and broadly strengthened their capacity to effectively police the electoral process.