President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that he would not go to jail at the end of his administration because of his integrity and honesty.
He said that he would have gone to jail after his previous appointments if not for his integrity and honesty.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke while receiving a delegation of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said he had no regrets for being a person of honesty and integrity.
“I am satisfied with what I am. I am happy. I have kept myself and people close to me from benefiting from government contracts,” the President said.
Buhari said he did not award contracts and did not care about who got them as far as they did a good job at a cost that is justifiable to the nation.
“I have been in many places, including (Ministry of) Petroleum. I would have gone to jail if I had taken an oil well. For integrity and honesty, I have no regrets.
“By this, I have contributed to my social safety. I won’t go to jail,” the President boasted.
The President, who said he had been accused of many things, said his critics cannot accuse him of stealing.
“You cannot accuse me of stealing. I have appointed ministers and they are in charge. I appeal to their integrity.
“When they come here (Federal Executive Council chambers), we ensure they follow the due process. If I owned an oil well, I would have gone to jail,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, the Vice-President, Sheikh Hadiyyatullahi Abdulrashid, commended Buhari for accomplishing much of what he promised before his election.
He likened him to the captain of a capsizing ship and the messiah needed by the country.
