Buhari didn’t steal PTF fund, says Obasanjo

Buhari didn’t steal PTF fund, says Obasanjo

Almost 16 years after leaving the Petroleum TrustFund (PTF) as the Chairman, former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, was on Tuesday cleared of any act of misconduct.

Buhari served as the PTF chairman, a body created
by the General Sani Abacha regime and funded from
the revenue generated by the increase in price of
petroleum products to pursue developmental projects
around the country.

In the build up to the February 14 presidential
election, the Daura, Katsina-born politician has been
criticised over his management of PTF finances.
But on Tuesday, one of Buhari’s predecessors and
successors in office, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, said
Buhari never stole PTF money.

Obasanjo was Head of State between 1976 and 1979
when he made Buhari Federal Commissioner for
Petroleum and Natural Resources and Governor of
North-Eastern State.

When Obasanjo returned as a civilian president,
Buhari contested against him during the April, 2003
presidential election and also contested against
Obasanjo’s candidate, the late Alhaji Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua, in 2007.

He repeated the same feat against President
Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

Obasanjo yesterday when Buhari, his running mate,
Prof. Yemi Osibajo, and other APC chiefs visited him
at his Abeokuta, Ogun State residence.
The APC leaders were in Abeokuta for their
presidential campaign.

Obasanjo said: “Buhari never soiled his hands when
he served as the Executive Chairman of PTF. The
investigation conducted by my administration never
found him wanting. Critics of Buhari should focus
on issues, rather than attacking him. When you
(Buhari) were going to become manager of PTF, we
talked about it and when you finished and I took
over, we looked into it. I haven’t said this publicly, I
would say it publicly now. When we looked into it,
there was really nothing amiss, except that that
organisation went from road building to mosquito
net buying and all sort of things.

“And what the investigation discovered is a bit of
inconsistencies in prices and all that. In one area,
mosquito net might have been given for N50; in
another, N45. And then somebody remarked that
this is fishy, we should look into it.

“And I called my brother and colleague (Buhari); I
said this and he said ‘Look, we were managing
billions of Naira and I tried to make sure I see
everything. But I will not say that what they have
said about this is correct or not correct. But I can
assure you I tried to see everything.’ I said okay,
‘Muhammadu, between me, you and God, was there
any personal benefit for you?’ And you said no. I
said that is the end of the matter!

“Although there was that investigation, its report
was not of any material importance. I thought that I
should say it today that I have this opportunity
because I hope people will face issues rather than
trivialities. I wish you well in your presidential
ambition”.

In his response, Buhari said: “The APC is interested
in breaking the vicious circle of insecurity,
economic downturn and corruption. I will not run an
inflexible government but would be dynamic in my
disposition to governance. I have come here to
convince you that APC would do better if voted into
power in the February 14 presidential election.

“We have been going around three fundamental
issues: security, economy, corruption. This vicious
circle is what the APC is determined to break.

Because without security, there is no way the
country can settle down, not to talk of living in it”.