In an article published in the Washington Post, President Muhammadu Buhari<\/p>\n
is urging President Barrack Obama to help trace the whereabout of $150
\nBillion stolen by previous administration.<\/p>\n
Read on:<\/p>\n
This month, the world moved a step closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the
\njihadist group that has terrorized hundreds of thousands in the northern
\nstates of Nigeria. In one of my first acts since taking office as
\npresident six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria\u2019s army, navy
\nand air force. Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of
\ntheir familiarity with those in government, as was too often the case in
\nthe past, but on their track records and qualifications alone.<\/p>\n
These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern
\nNigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated.
\nThis shift of resources and command directly to the front line, in
\naddition to the replacement of the head of the State Security Service,
\nNigeria\u2019s intelligence organization, and a new emphasis on working in
\npartnership with our neighbors, has equipped us to take the fight directly
\nto Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
Already we are beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram\u2019s capabilities
\nas a fighting force. In recent weeks, it appears to have shifted away from
\nconfronting the military directly to an increase in attacks on civilian
\nareas, as we saw only last week when an elderly woman and 10-year-old girl
\nblew themselves up at a Muslim prayer gathering in northeastern Nigeria.
\nWe should not be confused by this change, hateful as it is: It does not
\nmean that Boko Haram is succeeding in its aims \u2014 it shows that it is
\nlosing.<\/p>\n
While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and
\nthe world for resolve and fortitude. The campaign we will wage will not be
\neasy; it may not be swift. We should expect stages of success and also
\nmoments when it may appear that our advances have been checked. But no one
\nshould have any doubt as to the strength of our collective will or my
\ncommitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy
\nto all affected areas.<\/p>\n
Similarly, my determination should not be underestimated in other matters.
\nThis includes instilling good governance and tackling the scourge of
\ncorruption that has held Nigeria back for too long.<\/p>\n
As I meet with President Obama today \u2014 the first time a president of the
\nUnited States will encounter a Nigerian counterpart following the peaceful
\ntransfer of power in a contested election in our history \u2014 I will be
\ndiscussing my plans for critical reforms. So, too, will I discuss why the
\nformation of my administration is taking time and, crucially, why it must.
\nAlready there are voices saying these changes are taking too long \u2014 even
\nthough only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such
\ncalls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed.<\/p>\n
When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months
\nafter I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did
\nnot have his full Cabinet in place for several months after first taking
\noffice; the United States did not cease to function in the interim. In
\nNigeria\u2019s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of
\nsound government to have made these appointments immediately on my
\nelevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of
\nconduct and good governance in place.<\/p>\n
I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried
\nout correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct
\nleadership of the military and security services before we fully take the
\nfight to Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
There are too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence
\nwhere it can be said that good management and governance were instituted
\nat a national level. This lack of a governance framework has allowed many
\nof those in charge, devoid of any real checks and balances, to plunder.
\nThe fact that I now seek Obama\u2019s assistance in locating and returning $150
\nbillion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank
\naccounts on behalf of former, corrupt officials is testament to how badly
\nNigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue.
\nIndeed, the failure of governance, it can be argued, has been as much a
\nfactor in Nigeria\u2019s inability thus far to defeat Boko Haram as have been
\nissues with the military campaign itself.<\/p>\n
So the path we must take is simple, even if it is not easy: First, instill
\nrules and good governance; second, install officials who are experienced
\nand capable of managing state agencies and ministries; and third, seek to
\nrecover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be
\ninvested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens.<\/p>\n
We seek the support and partnership of the United States in these tasks.
\nThe importance of the fight against terrorism and corruption in Nigeria,
\nAfrica\u2019s most powerful economy and largest populace, cannot be
\nunderestimated. Our allies can provide much-needed military training and
\nintelligence as our soldiers take the war effort to Boko Haram. Similarly,
\nwe look to U.S. businesses as well as the Obama administration to help
\ndevelop governance initiatives that can ensure that Nigeria\u2019s wealth
\nbenefits all its people, not just a few. By taking these steps, we will be
\npositioned to benefit from increased investment \u2014 particularly in energy
\nand electricity \u2014 from the United States.<\/p>\n
I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of
\nNigeria desire more than anything else. I know they are impatient for
\naction. I realize the world waits to see evidence that my administration
\nwill be different from all those that came before. Yet reforming my
\ncountry after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight. In our
\ncampaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain
\nsteadfast and remember, as it is said: \u201cHave patience. All things become
\ndifficult before they become easy.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an article published in the Washington Post, President Muhammadu Buhari is urging President Barrack Obama to help trace the whereabout of $150 Billion stolen by previous administration. Read on:…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n