The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, has faulted reports suggesting that his boss had once absolved sacked Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal of corruption allegation.
Mr. Adesina spoke on Monday, as a guest on Politics Today broadcast by Channels Television.
“You didn’t get it right; the President had at no time said anybody was not guilty. What the President said then was that, he (Babachir) was not given the opportunity to defend himself,” he said.
Contrary to claims that the President was defending the sacked SGF, Adesina said President Buhari was not pleased with the process adopted by the legislature for the accusation of Lawal.
“He (Buhari) said the procedure adopted for the indictment that came from the National Assembly was not proper. The President did not give him a clean bill of health, he only faulted the procedure,” the President’s spokesman insisted.
He, however, said the decision to sack the senior government officials is a proof that the President is careful in taking decisions, adding that nobody could pressure him.
Adesina added that the relevant agencies that had begun investigations into the allegations which led to the sack of the former SGF and NIA boss would be allowed to continue with their work without any interference.
“Anybody that knows this President will know that he’s a man that takes his time but when he makes up his mind, he makes it up real good. Who can pressure the President? All I’ll just say is that the President, once again, has shown himself to be a painstaking and a thorough person.
“The Presidency does not interfere in the works of the security agencies; they know what they should do at any given time. So, the onus is on them to do the next thing,” he said.