Nigeria’s former Military Head of State,General Abdulsalami Abubakar has dismissed as mischievous, insinuations that have trailed a recent meeting he held with Petroleum Minister ,Mr Diezani Alison–Madueke. He said being the chair of National Peace Committee, he has held meetings with several ministers and other key leaders in the country.
There have been insinuations that Diezani had visited Abdulsalami to facilitate a soft-landing with the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration.
But speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Abddulsalami said: “I think people are just trying to be mischievous, I have been meeting with a lot of people and a lot of ministers in the course of this transition. So there is nothing strange in me meeting with anybody.
“I wonder if you go through your records to see the number of meetings I have been engaging in, I don’t know why the last one will be a subject of media chat.
“This is not the first time I have been meeting her and a number of ministers so I don’t see what the whole hullabalu is all about. People are just being mischievious.”
Abdulsalami said further that “As the chairman of the peace committee, there is always interaction between the incoming and President Jonathan, in order to ensure that the peace we have been able to get is sustained.
“So naturally I’m here to touch base with him and also to give him a report of what the committee has been doing,” he stated.
He also denied being an emissary between Jonathan and Buhari: “I’m not serving as intermediary. I told you I’m coming here as the chairman of peace committee and naturally we have to interact, I go and see Gen. Buhari and I also see the President all in an effort to make sure that this transition goes on smoothly and we maintain the peace.
“You are aware that there are some disburbances in some of the states and of course both the incoming and outgoing presidents have roles to play. The chairman of the various parties have roles to play in order to maintain that peace.
“I think we have to thank God in the first place secondly we have to thank President Jonathan for his statesmanship and his actions have really brought peace. We also have to thank Buhari for harping on his supporters to tune down their celebrations.”
Reports said Diezani also drove into the Villa .She went straight the President’s office moments after Abubakar arrived to meet President Jonathan.
