Pres. Buhari: Tackling insecurity, corruption and restoring Nigeria\u2019s respect
\nBeing the text of a media parley hosted by the National Publicity
\nSecretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos on Tuesday, June 30th,
\n2015
\nGood afternoon gentlemen.<\/p>\n
I have arranged this interaction to rub minds with you, as always, on the
\nsituation of things in our country, top of which are the efforts being
\nmade by President Muhammadu Buhari to chart a new path for our dear
\ncountry, Nigeria.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been about one month now since President Buhari assumed office, and I
\ncan tell you that there has been motion, and there has been movement,
\ncontrary to what is being peddled in some quarters.<\/p>\n
Let me say straight away that my party, the APC, understands and
\nappreciates the concerns of Nigerians as far as the perceived pace of the
\nadministration is concerned. We understand that they repose so much
\nconfidence in the party and the government to act quickly to stamp out
\ninsecurity, tackle corruption, revive the moribund economy, provide jobs
\nand generally restore hope.<\/p>\n
Justifiably, the expectations are high and urgent, and the Buhari
\nadministration has started addressing them, despite the enormous
\nchallenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that
\nhas virtually collapsed.<\/p>\n
While Nigerians are right to demand quick and sustained action in
\naddressing these challenges \u2013 and honestly we make no excuses \u2013 it is
\nimportant for us to put things in perspective for a better understanding.<\/p>\n
The Buhari administration got the handover notes from the former
\ngovernment just four days before the inauguration, hampering its efforts
\nto have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground before taking
\nthe necessary measures to address it. If any disease is not appropriately
\ndiagnosed, it cannot be effectively treated. Any government that is truly
\ndesirous of bringing about real change will not act hastily and without
\nthe necessary understanding of what is on ground. Coupled with the delay
\nin getting the much-needed information, that takes time.<\/p>\n
Recall that when we raised the alarm over the delay in getting the
\nhandover notes, the former government even accused us of seeking to form a
\nparallel government!<\/p>\n
Secondly, Nigeria has never before witnessed this kind of transition. What
\nthe country has been accustomed to is transition from one government to
\nanother under the same ruling party, not from the ruling party to the
\nopposition as we have now. The implication is that this is a new learning
\ncurve, with its attendant hiccups.<\/p>\n
Thirdly, never before has the ship of Nigerian state been steered aground
\nas we have it now. Never before have Nigerians been this expectant from
\nany leader or any government. These are all the more reasons to get things
\nright, once and for all, so we won\u2019t need to continue with the vicious
\ncycle of hopes raised and dashed!<\/p>\n
Even with these challenges, gentlemen, the Buhari Administration has
\navailed itself creditably within one month of assuming office.
\nTackling insecurity and fight against terrorism<\/p>\n
This is one area in which the Buhari Administration has hit the ground
\nrunning. The President had hardly been sworn into office than he embarked
\non a shuttle diplomacy to rally Nigeria\u2019s neighbours to act as a common
\nfront against the terror group Boko Haram. The President travelled to Chad
\nand Niger, and then hosted a summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission that
\ncomprised Cameroon, Chad and Niger, with Benin also invited.<\/p>\n
The result is the decision to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force
\n(MNJTF), with headquarters in N\u2019Djamena, Chad, on July 30th to pep up the
\nfight against Boko Haram! This is the same force that the past
\nadministration could not get off the ground in six years! That\u2019s what we
\nmeant when we said what the Jonathan Administration could not do in six
\nyears, the Buhari Administration has done in three weeks, not minding that
\nsome mischievous elements decided to quote us out of context.<\/p>\n
President Buhari has also rallied the Economic Community of West African
\nStates (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States
\n(ECCAS) to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency. A
\njoint summit of leaders of both economic blocs is to be held shortly to
\nconcretise these efforts that will complement the one by Nigeria and its
\nneighbours.<\/p>\n
Outside our sub-region, the President travelled to Germany to meet with G7
\nleaders to present to them a wish list that included getting their support
\nfor the battle against Boko Haram. The leaders of the countries affected
\nby the Boko Haram insurgency have compiled their requirements which are
\nbeing forwarded to the G7 for appropriate action.<\/p>\n
While waiting for that, the US has announced a 5-million-dollar assistance
\nfor the fight against the terrorists who have been ravaging our country
\nand our sub-region. Added to the relocation by the Nigerian military of
\nthe command centre to Maiduguri, these are no mean achievements.<\/p>\n
Only a few weeks back, Nigeria could not enlist the support of any Western
\nnation in the fight against Boko Haram, could not get the military
\nhardware needed to pep up the fight and had to resort to using mercenaries
\nto confront the bandits, even though the country boasts of a military that
\nhas been globally acknowledged for helping to restore peace to many
\ncountries around the world.<\/p>\n
The fight against corruption<\/p>\n
The fight against corruption ranks very high on the list of the Buhari
\nAdministration\u2019s priorities, and justifiably so. The refrain, \u2018If Nigeria
\ndoes not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,\u2019 is now
\ncommonplace, and it is a truism. Nothing, not even the fight against
\nterror, can succeed without putting an end to the kind of prodigious and
\nsickening corruption being witnessed in these climes.<\/p>\n
That is why the President also included it on the wish list he took to
\nGermany during the last G7 summit. Thankfully, some Western nations have
\nnow assured the Buhari Administration of all possible assistance in its
\nefforts to recover the billions of Naira that was spirited away from the
\npublic till by public officers who abused their office during the
\nimmediate past administration.<\/p>\n
Only yesterday, it was revealed that the President has ordered
\nrevenue-generating agencies, including the NNPC, FIRS, Customs and NPA, to
\nclose all Illegal Revenue Accounts and to also remit all funds generated
\nto the Federation Account. This is a momentous step considering that those
\nillegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the painstaking efforts of President Buhari, Nigerians now know
\nthat out of 8.1 trillion Naira generated by the NNPC in three years, 3.8
\ntrillion Naira was not remitted to the Federation Account. Nigerians now
\nknow that the cash in the Excess Crude Account has been depleted by 2
\nbillion dollars without explanation. A panel of four governors has been
\nset up to investigate what happened to the money that was not remitted to
\nthe Federation Account. The rot met by the Buhari Administration is
\nsickening, and the President is working hard to plug all loopholes for
\nsiphoning public funds, in addition to recovering looted public funds.<\/p>\n
This is just the beginning of the fight against corruption. Nigerians
\nshould grab a front row seat so they can watch clearly as events unfold in
\nthe ring of anti-corruption fight in the days ahead. It will no longer be
\nbusiness as usual as the Buhari Administration seeks to make sure that
\nevery kobo of national funds is spent for the benefit of Nigerians, not to
\nfill the deep pockets of a few fat cats.<\/p>\n
Bringing Nigeria back to the comity of respected nations<\/p>\n
Since President Buhari\u2019s election on March 28th, 2015, Nigeria has been
\nmoving fast to regain its deserved place in the comity of respected
\nnations.
\nLeaders who once shunned Nigeria have been inviting, in droves, President
\nBuhari to visit their countries. The latest is US President Barack Obama,
\nwho will play host to our President at the White House on July 20th.<\/p>\n
There is no better indication of how much Nigeria is regaining its lost
\nglory than the recent election of former Agriculture Minister Akinwumi
\nAdesina as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Recall
\nthat Nigeria has never before led the continental bank, despite its
\nfront-line role there. In backing and campaigning for Dr. Adesina,
\nPresident Buhari put his acclaimed sterling qualities to a global test,
\nand he passed in flying colours. Adesina\u2019s election is a testimony to the
\nperception of Nigeria under President Buhari\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n
The Buhari effect<\/p>\n
Gentlemen, the mere fact that President Buhari, a man of impeccable
\npedigree, an incorruptible personality, has taken over the mantle of
\nleadership has spurred Nigerians to dream again, put public servants on
\ntheir toes, forced many looters to start disgorging some of their loots
\neven without prompting, and fired the zeal of many public enterprises to
\ndeliver better services.
\nConclusion<\/p>\n
Despite the laudable achievements of the Buhari Administration within the
\npast few weeks of its coming into being, Nigerians are right to demand
\neven a faster pace. Nigerians are right to ask that a government be
\nquickly put in place. Nigerians are right to demand that looters be
\nexposed and brought to justice. Nigeria is long suffering, and our
\ncompatriots can\u2019t wait for a paradigm shift in the way we do things.<\/p>\n
Nigerians are right and justified in their expectations. All we ask for is
\na little more patience, a little more understanding and continuous support
\nfor the Buhari Administration.<\/p>\n
We in the APC hereby assure our compatriots, who have expressed their
\nconcerns in recent times, that there is no cause for alarm. The Buhari
\nAdministration is willing, determined and able to effect the change that
\nNigerians voted for, despite the initial challenges. No one, not even the
\nreactionary forces that are rampaging now, can sabotage our party\u2019s change
\nmantra. Welcome to a new Nigeria!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pres. Buhari: Tackling insecurity, corruption and restoring Nigeria\u2019s respect Being the text of a media parley hosted by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n