President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday vowed never to abuse public trust as his integrity means so much to him.
The President, who said he was satisfied with what he had, told his critics that he did not need to rely on proceeds from government contracts to survive.
Buhari made this known in a statement in a statement issued by his media aide Garba Shehu.
He was said to have made this comment when a delegation of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria visited him at the State House in Abuja.
“I am satisfied with what I am. I am happy I have kept myself and people close to me from benefiting from government contracts,” the President said.
He also he did not award contracts and did not care about who got them, so long as they did a good job at a cost that is justifiable to the nation.
“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,” he added
“You cannot accuse me of stealing,” he said. “I have appointed ministers and they are in charge. I appeal to their integrity.
“When they come here to the [Federal Executive Council] Chambers, we ensure they follow the due process. If I owned an oil well, I would have gone to jail.”