Read what Igbo leaders told Buhari on corruption today

Igbo Leaders Ask Buhari to Begin Probe from 1999

A group, Igbo Leaders of Thought, led by respected constitutional lawyer,  Prof Ben Nwabueze, yesterday dismissed insinuations that the group alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari is being tele-guided by some highly placed past heads of state who "played key roles" in his emergence as president.

According to a statement issued in Enugu by the group Deputy Secretary,  Elliot Uko,  the group however said it identified the over-bearing influence, powers and connections of past heads of state who played very key roles in the emergence of President Buhari, and wondered how he expects Nigerians to believe him when his aides pointed at "distraction" as the only reason he is avoiding probing the 1999 to 2007 PDP government. 

"Nobody believes that. Everybody knows that the rat cannot probe the cat. Some past leaders' shadow are hovering over Buhari. He is clearly constrained by certain factors," the group noted.

It however described as "needful and commendable," the ongoing anti-corruption war and probe in order to recover "our stolen common wealth."

The leaders noted that restricting the probe only to the immediate past regime of President Goodluck Jonathan would cast so much doubt on the credibility of the entire exercise.

"This factor will certainly affect the credibility of the probe and recovery exercise if it is only targeted at the last regime. The issues raised by the Igbo Leaders of Thought represents the thought and views of millions of Nigerians who share the opinion that the only way sanity would be restored in our country is to make the exercise a holistic, unbiased and all-inclusive one. The very point Alhaji Garba Shehu cleverly avoided in his response. Nobody said Buhari is tele-guided.  Nigerians merely want the probe and recovery of stolen funds to date back to 1999.

"That is the only way Nigerians, the international community and indeed future generations will agree that the exercise is not to witch hunt some section of the country. 

"Nigerians know that the only pathway to restoring sanity, probity and accountability to governance in our much battered and so much abused nation is to carry out the exercise in a holistic manner without granting a clean bill of health on the 1999 to 2007 regime or any other regime since returning to civil rule in 1999.”

The statement added that: "Nigerians are wondering why the monumental fraud and sleaze that occurred between 1999 and 2007 is about to be swept under the carpet whilst our government only area of interest begins somewhere after 2009.

"Truth is bitter, and this truth is also obvious to all Nigerians over 20 years of age; that the 1999 to 2000 PDP led government laid the foundation for all the other regimes after it. Nigerians know that the sleaze under that regime stink to high heavens. Any fight against corruption and probe and recovery of stolen funds that exempts the 1999 to 2007 regime is tainted, selective, and a confirmation of the large influence of the "invisible government" in our polity."