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Political appointees guilty of extortion will be dealt with –Presidency

Ezekiel Johnson
Ezekiel Johnson
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Garba Shehu

The Presidency has warned that political appointees, government officials and party men found guilty of influence peddling for corrupt pecuniary gains and other forms of extortion will be severely dealt with and fired.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, made this known on Tuedsay while addressing State House Correspondents over complaints of extortions of innocent people by what he called “self-serving name droppers and influence peddlers.”

He said the activities of the influence peddlers were already causing increasing embarrassment to the Presidency.

According to Shehu, “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.”

The media aide explained that using one’s office or influence for private advantage or financial gains by political appointees is corruption, warning that “the President would not tolerate any conduct by anybody to use his name to extort innocent people.”

He stressed that President Buhari’s commitment to fight corruption at all fronts in his government remained unchanged, adding that “those who are not genuinely committed to this vision would be weeded out once caught and punished accordingly.”

The media aide advised Nigerians to report any government official or appointees using the President’s name or that of his aides and appointees to extort the public, adding that the current zero tolerance for corruption by the Buhari administration would not condone the repugnant culture in government or public business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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