Peace Committee says ex-president didn't lobby it to stop Buhari’s probe

dimeji akinloye

August 11, 2015 9:23 PM

He said the committee had embarked on routine consultation with relevant stakeholders with a view to ensuring stability in the country.

The National Peace Committee on Tuesday, August 11, dismissed reports that it was lobbied by former President Goodluck Jonathan to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from probing his administration.

Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, a member of the committee chaired by retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, dismissed the report while answering questions from State House correspondents after the committee’s closed-door meeting with Buhari in Abuja.

According to him, though everybody is free to contact the committee to intervene in promoting peaceful coexistence in the society, the former president never talked to the committee for any form of intervention.

"Anybody is free to come to our committee, but President Jonathan never by telephone or by any other means sought to see the committee.

"We went to see him, but that was after we had already seen members of the political parties; we saw a few members of the civil society; we planned to see the speaker because we couldn't see him yesterday.

"So this was a planned series of intervention essentially just to hear out everybody and I think the good news is that Nigerians are committed to a new nation.

"We are committed to ensuring that the gains and the blessings God has given us come to fruition.

"So, it was a very wonderful conversation that we had."

According to him, the committee will continue to support and cooperate with government in its fight against corruption and injustice.

He said: "Again, our own commitment is not to intimidate or fight anybody.

"The former president’s commitment and what he did still remains spectacular and I think that President Buhari himself appreciates that.

"So, our effort really is to make sure that the right thing is done.

"This is not an intervention; it is not a hearing out process.

"When we had election it was like a wedding; the reality of government now is the marriage and people need to be encouraged.

"We need to reaffirm that this is our country and the only thing we can collectively be opposed to is injustice, iniquity, corruption and in that regard we all had one single conversation."

Some members of the peace committee at the meeting are: the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Alhaji Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar; Cardinal John Onaiyekan; and the President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

Others are: Primate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh; Justice Rose Ukeje (rtd); Prof. Ameze Guobadia; Publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka; Dame Priscilla Kuye; Sen. Ben Obi; Dr Yunusa Tanko; and Dr Arthur-Martin Aginam.