President Muhammadu Buhari says whoever is interested in serving Nigeria needs to be prepared for the “worst”.
According to a statement on Tuesday by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, Buhari said this on Monday at a state banquet in his honour in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe.
Speaking about his administration’s fight against corruption, the president said curtailing the menace has “not been easy” under the current system operated by Nigeria.
“In the north-east, God has helped us to clear Boko Haram; the economy has picked up, and some people are asking me about the achievements of my promise to fight corruption,” he said.
“Well, under this system, fighting corruption is not easy. When I was in the military, as head of state, I locked up some people because the constitution says you must declare your assets, and people who couldn’t explain the differences in their assets, I locked them up. In the end, I was also locked up.
“So, if you want to serve this country, you must be prepared for the worst. But one thing that I am grateful to God for is that nobody can blackmail me.”
The president also said he doesn’t have any land outside Nigeria, adding that he intends to stay in the country after leaving office.
“I do not have one square inch outside Nigeria and I intend to stay in Nigeria when I retire from public office,” he said.
“As I said more than 30 years ago, we have no other country than Nigeria. We must all stay here and salvage it together.
“Between 2003 and 2019, I visited all the local government areas in this country. In 2019, when I attempted re-election, I visited every state and the number of people that came out to see who this Buhari is and was is more than what anybody can pay or force.
“So, I thank God that Nigerians understood me and I made a promise that I will serve God and Nigerians.”
The development comes weeks after Buhari told King Charles III that he does not own a house in the United Kingdom.
