President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order 6 is aimed at checkmating Nigerians who have corruption cases to answer, the President’s media aide Garba Shehu said on Sunday.
Shehu was reacting to claims that the Buhari administration banned 50 prominent Nigerians from travelling because they are perceived political opponents of the President.
According to him, in the history of independent Nigeria, this is the first time any government is taking such a key decision to fight corruption.
He said: “EO 6 is not only revolutionary to the efforts to rid Nigeria of corruption but a manifestation of systemic changes that are required to make necessary adjustments as we carry on with the war against corruption.
“The very essence of the order is to make for speedy trials and conclusion of graft cases.
“The order is not politics and there is political gain behind its activation.
“These high profile cases we are talking about have been ongoing for between seven to 10 years with no end in sight. These cases were mostly originated by administrations other than this one.
“What is clear is that the access to these resources by the suspects has enabled them to be in a composition to sometime compromise investigation, prosecution and trial.’’
He further explained that, in most of the cases, the courts were held in a helpless position by legal acrobatics paid for from corrupt enrichment by the suspects.
“If it is your money, you have it back. If it belongs to the public, it goes back to the treasury,’’ he said.
But, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had condemned the activation of the EO 6, saying it was a direct clampdown on democratic order.
okay.ng recalls that president buhari signed Executive Order 6.
