Goodluck Jonathan: 'I am being investigated for corruption'

In an interview with Bloomberg TV this morning, in London, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, said he is aware he is being investigated for corruption in Nigeria by the Buhari led government. He maintained that he could not make comments about the investigations until the whole process is over. 

Asked if he was aware that he is being investigated, Jonathan said

"Of course, obviously we would be investigated and I am being investigated. Yes, investigations are going on" he said

He says he wouldn't want to comment on whether the investigators would find anything incriminating.

"I wouldn't want to comment on certain things because when a government is working, it is not proper for the immediate past president to make certain statements. I would allow the government to do the work they are supposed to do. After all the investigations, the whole story would be properly chronicled"he said

Jonathan, said he doesn't feel liable for the poor state of the Nigerian economy.

"No. You see the economy of Nigeria somehow depends on oil and at anytime that oil prices drop, it affects the economy significantly in terms of its contribution to the GDP"he said

On the assumption that he left an empty treasury, Jonathan said

"That is not true. There is no way he would have inherited empty treasury and at the same time give bailout to the states. It is not possible. Nigeria is a fairly robust economy. but sometimes we over politicize certain issues and make it look so bad but it was not that bad" Some people ask questions like I was the president of Nigeria since independence; I was the president for 5 years.

“It is routine in Nigeria from the collapse of the first republic, people blamed corruption. When the second republic collapsed, the military blamed corruption. If there is a major change in government, one political party taking over from another one, there must be issues.”

He said that his government could not tackle the corruption in the oil sector because of certain people.

“In the area of fertilizer subsidy, we cleaned up and the corruption was removed. I wanted to do the same thing in the oil industry but the same people who are accusing us of corruption are the very people that were frustrating it.”