President Muhammadu Buhari says he will not go to jail at the end of his administration because of his integrity and honesty.
He said this while receiving a delegation of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Buhari said but for his integrity, he would have gone to jail after his previous appointments.
Buhari was formerly a minister of petroleum. He was also a head of state.
The president added that 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 am satisfied with what I am. I am happy. I have kept myself and people close to me from benefiting from government contracts,” Buhari said.
“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.”
Buhari, 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,” he said.
“When they come here, we ensure they follow the due process. If I owned an oil well, I would have gone to jail.”
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Hadiyyatullahi Abdulrashid, the vice-president of the council, 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.
