Pres. Buhari: Tackling insecurity, corruption and restoring Nigeria’s respect
Being the text of a media parley hosted by the National Publicity
Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos on Tuesday, June 30th,
2015
Good afternoon gentlemen.
I have arranged this interaction to rub minds with you, as always, on the
situation of things in our country, top of which are the efforts being
made by President Muhammadu Buhari to chart a new path for our dear
country, Nigeria.
It’s been about one month now since President Buhari assumed office, and I
can tell you that there has been motion, and there has been movement,
contrary to what is being peddled in some quarters.
Let me say straight away that my party, the APC, understands and
appreciates the concerns of Nigerians as far as the perceived pace of the
administration is concerned. We understand that they repose so much
confidence in the party and the government to act quickly to stamp out
insecurity, tackle corruption, revive the moribund economy, provide jobs
and generally restore hope.
Justifiably, the expectations are high and urgent, and the Buhari
administration has started addressing them, despite the enormous
challenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that
has virtually collapsed.
While Nigerians are right to demand quick and sustained action in
addressing these challenges – and honestly we make no excuses – it is
important for us to put things in perspective for a better understanding.
The Buhari administration got the handover notes from the former
government just four days before the inauguration, hampering its efforts
to have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground before taking
the necessary measures to address it. If any disease is not appropriately
diagnosed, it cannot be effectively treated. Any government that is truly
desirous of bringing about real change will not act hastily and without
the necessary understanding of what is on ground. Coupled with the delay
in getting the much-needed information, that takes time.
Recall that when we raised the alarm over the delay in getting the
handover notes, the former government even accused us of seeking to form a
parallel government!
Secondly, Nigeria has never before witnessed this kind of transition. What
the country has been accustomed to is transition from one government to
another under the same ruling party, not from the ruling party to the
opposition as we have now. The implication is that this is a new learning
curve, with its attendant hiccups.
Thirdly, never before has the ship of Nigerian state been steered aground
as we have it now. Never before have Nigerians been this expectant from
any leader or any government. These are all the more reasons to get things
right, once and for all, so we won’t need to continue with the vicious
cycle of hopes raised and dashed!
Even with these challenges, gentlemen, the Buhari Administration has
availed itself creditably within one month of assuming office.
Tackling insecurity and fight against terrorism
This is one area in which the Buhari Administration has hit the ground
running. The President had hardly been sworn into office than he embarked
on a shuttle diplomacy to rally Nigeria’s neighbours to act as a common
front against the terror group Boko Haram. The President travelled to Chad
and Niger, and then hosted a summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission that
comprised Cameroon, Chad and Niger, with Benin also invited.
The result is the decision to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force
(MNJTF), with headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad, on July 30th to pep up the
fight against Boko Haram! This is the same force that the past
administration could not get off the ground in six years! That’s what we
meant when we said what the Jonathan Administration could not do in six
years, the Buhari Administration has done in three weeks, not minding that
some mischievous elements decided to quote us out of context.
President Buhari has also rallied the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States
(ECCAS) to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency. A
joint summit of leaders of both economic blocs is to be held shortly to
concretise these efforts that will complement the one by Nigeria and its
neighbours.
Outside our sub-region, the President travelled to Germany to meet with G7
leaders to present to them a wish list that included getting their support
for the battle against Boko Haram. The leaders of the countries affected
by the Boko Haram insurgency have compiled their requirements which are
being forwarded to the G7 for appropriate action.
While waiting for that, the US has announced a 5-million-dollar assistance
for the fight against the terrorists who have been ravaging our country
and our sub-region. Added to the relocation by the Nigerian military of
the command centre to Maiduguri, these are no mean achievements.
Only a few weeks back, Nigeria could not enlist the support of any Western
nation in the fight against Boko Haram, could not get the military
hardware needed to pep up the fight and had to resort to using mercenaries
to confront the bandits, even though the country boasts of a military that
has been globally acknowledged for helping to restore peace to many
countries around the world.
The fight against corruption
The fight against corruption ranks very high on the list of the Buhari
Administration’s priorities, and justifiably so. The refrain, ‘If Nigeria
does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,’ is now
commonplace, and it is a truism. Nothing, not even the fight against
terror, can succeed without putting an end to the kind of prodigious and
sickening corruption being witnessed in these climes.
That is why the President also included it on the wish list he took to
Germany during the last G7 summit. Thankfully, some Western nations have
now assured the Buhari Administration of all possible assistance in its
efforts to recover the billions of Naira that was spirited away from the
public till by public officers who abused their office during the
immediate past administration.
Only yesterday, it was revealed that the President has ordered
revenue-generating agencies, including the NNPC, FIRS, Customs and NPA, to
close all Illegal Revenue Accounts and to also remit all funds generated
to the Federation Account. This is a momentous step considering that those
illegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds.
Thanks to the painstaking efforts of President Buhari, Nigerians now know
that out of 8.1 trillion Naira generated by the NNPC in three years, 3.8
trillion Naira was not remitted to the Federation Account. Nigerians now
know that the cash in the Excess Crude Account has been depleted by 2
billion dollars without explanation. A panel of four governors has been
set up to investigate what happened to the money that was not remitted to
the Federation Account. The rot met by the Buhari Administration is
sickening, and the President is working hard to plug all loopholes for
siphoning public funds, in addition to recovering looted public funds.
This is just the beginning of the fight against corruption. Nigerians
should grab a front row seat so they can watch clearly as events unfold in
the ring of anti-corruption fight in the days ahead. It will no longer be
business as usual as the Buhari Administration seeks to make sure that
every kobo of national funds is spent for the benefit of Nigerians, not to
fill the deep pockets of a few fat cats.
Bringing Nigeria back to the comity of respected nations
Since President Buhari’s election on March 28th, 2015, Nigeria has been
moving fast to regain its deserved place in the comity of respected
nations.
Leaders who once shunned Nigeria have been inviting, in droves, President
Buhari to visit their countries. The latest is US President Barack Obama,
who will play host to our President at the White House on July 20th.
There is no better indication of how much Nigeria is regaining its lost
glory than the recent election of former Agriculture Minister Akinwumi
Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Recall
that Nigeria has never before led the continental bank, despite its
front-line role there. In backing and campaigning for Dr. Adesina,
President Buhari put his acclaimed sterling qualities to a global test,
and he passed in flying colours. Adesina’s election is a testimony to the
perception of Nigeria under President Buhari’s leadership.
The Buhari effect
Gentlemen, the mere fact that President Buhari, a man of impeccable
pedigree, an incorruptible personality, has taken over the mantle of
leadership has spurred Nigerians to dream again, put public servants on
their toes, forced many looters to start disgorging some of their loots
even without prompting, and fired the zeal of many public enterprises to
deliver better services.
Conclusion
Despite the laudable achievements of the Buhari Administration within the
past few weeks of its coming into being, Nigerians are right to demand
even a faster pace. Nigerians are right to ask that a government be
quickly put in place. Nigerians are right to demand that looters be
exposed and brought to justice. Nigeria is long suffering, and our
compatriots can’t wait for a paradigm shift in the way we do things.
Nigerians are right and justified in their expectations. All we ask for is
a little more patience, a little more understanding and continuous support
for the Buhari Administration.
We in the APC hereby assure our compatriots, who have expressed their
concerns in recent times, that there is no cause for alarm. The Buhari
Administration is willing, determined and able to effect the change that
Nigerians voted for, despite the initial challenges. No one, not even the
reactionary forces that are rampaging now, can sabotage our party’s change
mantra. Welcome to a new Nigeria!