"My ministers and officials are not corrupt," - President tells Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, July 19, 2016 said that ministers and senior officials in his government were being "tarred with the brush of corruption."

In a statement issued by Femi Adesina, his senior special assistant on media and publicity, President Buhari appealed to discerning Nigerians to ignore what he described as "orchestrated attempts" to sully the integrity of those in his cabinet without any concrete evidence.

The president was reacting to reports, particularly by online media, that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, is being investigated over crude oil swap deals and gas liftings during his tenure as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

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He called for decent and civilized comments, particularly when it has to do with the integrity of those who are serving the country.

“Terrible and unfounded comments about other people’s integrity are not good. We are not going to spare anybody who soils his hands, but people should please wait till such individuals are indicted,” the president was quoted as saying.

He reiterated the administration’s commitment to probity, accountability and integrity, promising that transparency remains a watchword, which would never be trifled with.