The spate of arrests of some key personnel in the Jonathan administration and the former president’s perceived “nonchalant” attitude towards the travails of some of his former aides have caused rumbles in the camp of loyalists.
A source in the camp of the former president said many of them were angry with him because he kept them in the dark, “giving no specific direction immediately after handing over.” There were also concerns that more of the former president’s associates might be arrested in what is regarded as a clampdown on top officials of the previous administration.
The source also dismissed a media report that close associates of the former president have gone into hiding. He said: “The report that we are all in hiding is not totally true; yes, there may be some elements of truth in it, but I don’t think we should take it as such. “If you say we are not coordinated, we are not having direction, yes; but not hiding. Hiding for what? The only unfortunate thing is that the former president appears unconcerned about the plight of his men shortly after he left government; he looks not bothered whether or not something is brewing or not.
“In my mind, and I think I am speaking the mind of most of us who worked for Dr. Jonathan, that by giving no specific direction immediately after handing over, he is sending a message of I care not and we are not happy at all. “Some of us warned shortly after the election that this man (President Muhammadu Buhari) will come after some of us; that we should put in place some specific measures, like legal and other strategic contingencies that any time the dictator strikes, we should have a readymade response.
“But what are we seeing now? Persecution, intimidation and witch-hunt; and the man for whom we are all being vilified is not bothered. It can only breed anger, especially when a man who served you as NSA is being publicly disgraced and you are saying nothing.
There is not even a post-election spokesman to speak for him. Is that what it means? “The irony is that this is a man you cannot trust to say you want to defend because he will disappoint you. Look at the way he conceded defeat without letting anyone know.
As far he is concerned, he is the good guy and all others are for themselves. There is no team spirit as it was immediately after Baba Obasanjo left office. We are unhappy, that is the truth.” But a top security source said that the president has directed the DSS to probe top shots of the past government.
“The new DSS is in charge of all top flight probes for now. For now, no one knows exactly what the president might do next, but clearly, all indications are to the effect that the new DSS is in charge of all top flight probes for now,” he said. The source said former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, might soon be summoned over her alleged involvement in the controversial spending of N10 billion on chartered flights while she was in office.
Investigations into the matter had been stalled by suits filed by the former minister.
