The Nation Newspaper

Tag: President Buhari

  • Corruption: Questions for President Buhari

    When President Buhari started the war against corruption, he started a worthy struggle, a direction that our country desperately needs. His prosecution of that war is still commendable as far as it goes. But there are already potent indications that this war may soon plunge into some sort of confusion.

    Already, from some of our eminent voices, as well as from the mostly unheard voices of the masses of our people, troubling questions are being asked about the agenda. Some days ago, one of our country’s most respected Christian leaders proposed that the war against corruption should end simply with the recovery of stolen public money. He suggested that once the thief has surrendered his loot, our government and law enforcement agencies should do nothing further against him – indeed that he should be left alone. The implication of this is that recovery of stolen public money is the end purpose of the whole war. But very many citizens are wondering whether this is right.  What about our laws? Are we now maneuvering ourselves into a new culture – one more destructive than the culture of corruption, a culture in which our country’s laws will become negotiable. If a Nigerian be accused of a crime, will it become sufficient for him to send influential relatives and friends to beg the rulers of the land or make some retribution which the rulers arbitrarily deem acceptable? Is this the future we are striving towards? A sort of primitive ‘pre-law’ society?

    A few days ago also, another eminent Nigerian, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, proposed in the course of a public discourse that President Buhari should start the war on corruption from the highest level – that is from the presidency itself. Apparently, he was not thinking of asking anything other than that the probes should start from Buhari’s own presidency. It would appear also that he did not think that his question could have wider ramifications. To his surprise, someone in the audience asked him whether he meant that the probes should extend all the way back to the Obasanjo presidency. The former president sidestepped the question in his response and preferred only to remind his audience that it was he who had created the legal instruments that are now being used by President Buhari to fight corruption. In that, he is right; but most Nigerians would still want to ask him if it would be right to limit the probes only to the present.

    Nigerians know that the era of unrestrained public corruption in our country started in 1966, or at the latest, 1979. The big question is this: Can we really destroy the culture of corruption if we deal with the thieves of the past six years only and leave those of earlier years to luxuriate in their loot? Moreover, is this a war against federal level corruption only or will it also take on functionaries of state and local governments also? And then there is an overarching question: Can we really be said to be killing corruption if we are doing it only amongst the highest public officials only? What about the deep roots that corruption has dug into other levels of our society? Afterall, no nook or cranny appears to have escaped the scourge! Are we going to do something about senior civil servants who regularly take bribes from folks seeking civil service jobs? Or those who dream up phantom contracts, award them to phantom contractors and pay the contractors for the phantom completion of the jobs? How about university officials who take bribes to manipulate university admissions, or those lecturers who coerce their students to buy shoddy handouts or give various types of gifts as a condition of passing the examinations? What shall we do about the rampant passing of bribes at all levels of public service, customs service, immigration service, passport office, driver licensing offices, land administration offices, etcetera? How about the rampant practice of bank employees stealing from their employers and customers? Or the general fear of Nigerian employers about the tendency of Nigerian employees to cheat and steal? For that matter, will we do anything about the perpetual rumour that church officials also steal from church coffers? The list is endless!

    In short, how far do we, as represented by the Buhari presidency, intend to go with this war on corruption? These questions are now emerging because not much is being told us Nigerian citizens by our government. All we hear is a constant stream of stories of mind-boggling amounts of loot that has been detected and sometimes huge amounts that have been returned by the thieves. The president has started the most important war in our country’s history – a war for which he deserves our commendation. But he is not talking to us as he should about it. Perhaps it is his military background that predisposes him to believe that his government can fight this overwhelming war alone. He needs to consider that he may be wrong. This is a war that all Nigerians are mightily interested in. We want it to be won. We have all had enough. We therefore want to understand what is happening in this great war. We want to be able to help in whatever small or large way we can. We know there are powerful forces hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportune moment to wage a counter-offensive. We perceive the rumblings of corruption’s fight back already. President Buhari will need us, the masses of common Nigerians, to resist that counter-offensive. He needs to prepare us accordingly. He must begin to do that now. He must leverage all the authority of the presidency to do so. This is a war for all Nigerians who love their country and want her to become prosperous and respectable. We are in a fight for the very soul of our nation. Those who seek to keep corruption alive and well are akin to vampires who care nothing for their victims but seek only to suck the very lifeblood out of her. President Buhari has begun the rescue of Nigeria from those predators who would bleed her dry and indeed have been doing so for decades. Many hands they say, make light work. Not that this work could ever be light. But it can be made lighter by the participation of millions of willing Nigerians. President Buhari must harness their involvement. Ultimately, this great war will only be won when most of us citizens accept the mantle of ‘corruption fighter’. When love for country supersedes desire for convenience. When we return to the days when dishonesty carried a stigma and thieves were shunned by decent, upright citizens. Then and only then, will we win this war on corruption.

  • President Buhari’s worthy example

    President Buhari’s worthy example

    He has set a precedent by handing over to the vice president before going on leave

    Ordinarily, state officials should not be commended for merely adhering to the Constitution they took an oath to uphold and defend. Compliance should be more or less a routine, a matter of duty.

    But where, as in Nigeria, lawless conduct and impunity by officials are rampant, adherence to the spirit and letter of the Constitution by the highest officer of the state is worthy of remark.

    That is the occasion for congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on handing over the instruments of office to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during his recent six-day (February 5 to February 10) vacation abroad.

    There is no precedent for that in Nigeria. Two years after taking office in 2007, President Umaru Yar’Adua became so ill that he could not function. He was spirited away to Saudi Arabia, ostensibly for medical treatment. A cabal sidelined the sitting Vice President and for months exercised power in Yar’Adua’s name.

    It took the National Assembly, invoking a “doctrine of necessity,” to wrest control from the cabal and designate the Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, as Acting President. Even so, the cabal made sure that Dr. Jonathan could exercise no control until he became substantive President on Yar’Adua’s death.

    Under the military, with its partiality for order and hierarchy, it was not different. When General Sani Abacha took ill and was considering medical treatment abroad, one problem loomed large:  Who would take control in his absence?

    His wife Mariam, some members of his inner circle suggested in earnest. It was as if the office was the property of the Abacha family. In the event Abacha stayed put in Abuja. He could not risk losing his vicious grip on the country.

    In the states respect for the letter and the spirit of the Constitution has been just as spotty. Governors travel abroad for weeks or months without handing over the instrument of government to their deputies with whom they had won election on a joint ticket.

    Some governors make the pretence of handing over, but to an unelected subordinate who is often a close relation. It is as if the state is their private estate and it is entirely up to them to determine who will look after it in their absence.

    Many governors simply take off, without committing to anything that can be construed as a vacation. That way, the question of handing over to anyone simply does not arise. To them, the office is personal property. While they are away, virtually all official business is on hold, since power is concentrated in their hands.

    This practice has gone on for so long that it has become more or less entrenched in the nation’s political culture.

    It is therefore most salutary that President Buhari chose to break with this personalisation of state power that has been one of the more vexatious dysfunctions of politics and governance in Nigeria.

    Considering that the break lasted just six days, some might argue that the transfer of power was more symbolic than substantive. But, like the spirit of the laws, symbols also count for much.  Even if it was symbol and nothing else, it was a powerful symbol.

    We commend President Buhari’s worthy example to state governors and indeed to all who hold high public office in Nigeria.

  • Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign on course – NIPR President

    Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign on course – NIPR President

    President Muhammadu Buhari nationwide anti-corruption campaign is surely on course, President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Rotimi Oladele has said.

    He said during Sam Epelle NIPR lecture, Thursday in Abuja that the campaign became significant to revive image of the country and promote accountability.

    Oladele said;‎”It will interest you to know that NIPR started this change before President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    “We launched an ethical revolution. We saw it that we cannot continue this way and the revolution started from within. That is when we started re-certification to ensure that no quack practice this profession.

    “So Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign is on course. There are other approaches such as preventive and creative measures.”

    He added during the induction ceremony that the annual memorial lecture was organised to honour NIPR pioneer President, Dr. Sam Epelle and to impact the country positively.

    He stated that the lecture titled, ‘Effective Communication as a Tool to Drive Nigeria’s Reputation’ became vital to the nation’s continuous change.

    Oladele advised media and public relations practitioners to work in synergy to rebuild image and reputation of the country.
    He called for diversification of the economy to agriculture, thereby focusing peoples’ consciousness to farming all through the year.

  • No going back on anti-graft war – Osinbajo

    No going back on anti-graft war – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday said that pressure from some Nigerian elites to slow down the ongoing fight against graft would not deter the Buhari presidency from ridding the country of the problem of corruption.

    He made the remark during a meeting with a delegation from the Moslem Congress of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Osinbajo, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, noted that the government has been getting regular messages from some Nigerian elites urging it to cool down on the war.

    He said: “It is a very strange morality that some of those people have, very complicated but cutting across all tribes and religious differences.”

    He however observed that the masses of the Nigerian people encouragingly have a clearer understanding of right and wrong.

    “The masses don’t have that problem,” he said.

    According to him, a new tribe of Nigerians who would not compromise their values but would maintain a sense of right and wrong is now emerging.

    “The man on the street is very clear, so whatever some of these elites say, we shall keep our focus on the masses who voted for us,” the Vice President declared.

    He said it is simply unacceptable that in the last 16 years there is not a single federal government completed road project, not to talk of rail.

    Noting that the reason for their failure was corruption, he said that the cost of projects was often inflated as people entrusted with public trust struggle to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

    He said it was the same inordinate desire for enrichment that explains why money meant to procure arms was being distributed among persons at a time when the territorial integrity of the nation was being attacked.

    “The insurgency has gone on for 6 years because government could not adequately equip the military,” he said

    But the Vice President assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari and himself would not relent.

    He said the president and himself have no other agenda but “the progress of this country.”

    Continuing, he said: “Mr. President and I are extremely focussed on what we need to do. We will focus on critical things, infrastructure and social investments.”

    Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation from the Moslem Congress of Nigeria, Imam Abdulahi Shuaib conveyed the support of the organization to the government’s programmes including anti-corruption, and expressed readiness to offer assistance.

    According to him, “we are thankful that our candidates of choice in the election emerged.”

    He said the choice of the President and Vice President were made by God Himself during last year’s presidential election.

    The Vice President also received delegations from the Nigeria Society of Engineers, NSE and the Facility for Oil Sector Transparency Reform, FOSTER, a group composed of NGOs involved in different issues in the Niger Delta areas.

    At his courtesy meeting with the NSE, Prof Osinbajo praised the engineers and highlighted the importance of the profession in national development.

    “There is no question at all that engineers are central to the development of the society,” he noted.

    The NSE delegation was led by its President, Engineer Otis Anyaeji.

    Speaking while receiving FOSTER, the Vice President restated the government’s commitment to the development of the Niger Delta.

    He also commended the group for coming together to develop a common framework to support the process of development in the area.

    The group, which said it adopted a common framework in order to avoid duplication, was led by Mr. Richard Oshowole.

  • Nigeria, Italy sign pact on security, logistics supply

    Nigeria, Italy sign pact on security, logistics supply

    The Nigerian and Italian government on Monday signed an agreement on intelligence sharing, capacity building and provision of logistics that will enhance the operations of the Nigeria Police.

    The signing of agreement, witnessed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Matteo Renzi, in the State House, Abuja was part of bilateral meeting between the two countries which covered issues on energy, security, agriculture, immigration, human and drug trafficking, infrastructure and education.

    The agreement on enhancing cooperation between the Nigerian and Italian Police, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, was signed by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and the Italian National Police Chief, Alessandro Pansa.

    Speaking at the bilateral meeting, President Buhari said he was impressed with the relationship between Nigeria and Italy over the years, especially in the areas of security, construction, oil and gas and the exploration of solid minerals.

    He said: ‘‘I am impressed by the resilience and commitment of the Italian business to Nigeria’s development shown by the Italian construction companies and companies in the oil sector.

    ‘‘I am happy to hear that an Italian oil company, Eni ltd, is investing 4 billion U S dollars in the coming three years in the economy spite of the downward spiral of oil prices,’’ the President said.

    In his remarks, the Italian Prime Minister said his country will support Nigeria in the ongoing fight against corruption, terrorism and also encourage Italian companies to invest more in sectors that will enable growth and create jobs for Nigerians like power, agriculture and solid minerals.

  • Justice Uwais, others back Buhari on anti-corruption war

    Justice Uwais, others back Buhari on anti-corruption war

    Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais and Former Nigeria Ambassador to the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari has urged President Muhammed Buhari to remain resolute in his administration’s fight to free the country from corporate and individual corruption.

    They described as callous “the allocation of Nigeria’s scarce resource to individual for political interests at the expense of huge losses of lives and properties, especially, in the North-East, where the fight against Boko Haram continues to rage.”

    Acting under the Umbrella of the Council of the Wise, they said “ten months after Nigeria’s historic elections that pushed out of power, the 16-years PDP Government, President Buhari’s APC-led Government remains trapped by massive state corruption that has almost grounded the country to a halt”.

    They also applauded former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his recent letter to the National Assembly, and called on the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to do the needful by releasing details of the expenditures of the National Assembly for public scrutiny.

    The Executive Director of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) and former Ambassador of Nigeria to Chad, Ambassador Abdullahi A. Omaki spoke on behalf of Justice Uwais and Professor Gambari.

    The Council of the Wise operates under the auspices of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development. Justice Uwais is the Chairman of the Centre, while Professor Gambari is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre.

    In a statement signed by Amb. Omaki they urged President Muhammadu Buhari, “to remain resolute in his administration’s fight to free Nigeria from the claws of corporate and individual corruptions that have held the country hostage”.

    President Buhari is the only Nigerian politician and leader that has the pedigree to engage this systematic corruption because of his own personal record of high integrity which was personalized during the campaigns for the highest office in our country,  Amb.Omaki observed in the statement.

    He said the need for the appeal was “hinged on the mind-boggling revelations on institutional rots that permitted for such callous and heartless lootings to take place under the PDP-Federal Administration until May 2015.”

  • Buhari urged to extend anti-corruption campaign to MDAs

    Buhari urged to extend anti-corruption campaign to MDAs

    President, Association of Ex-Local Government Chairmen in Nigeria (ASELGON), ‎ Hon. Albert Ashipa, Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his anti-corruption campaign to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

    Ashipa said it was necessary to end the culture of fraud in public service and reclaim all stolen funds back into government coffers.

    The association chairman, during sideline meeting of ASELGON Central Working Committee, in Abuja said it was impossible for corrupt politicians to steal money without involving public officials, especially in the MDAs and parastatals.

    He emphasized need for public supports, stressing that Buhari should despise critics condemning prosecution of accused individuals involved in the arms deal fraud.

    Ashipa said, “The humongous funds allegedly being traced to some civil servants when the cleansing effort of Buhari began is commendable. No politician can embezzle public fund without the full connivance of civil servants.

    “Pressures will be less on the state and federal governments if councils are not overstretched to deliver on campaign promises, hospitals will run efficiently and effectively if corruption is decisively tackled head-on the way Buhari’s government is going about it.”

    However, the association restated commitments to continue supporting any government determined to fighting corruption and impunity, whether at the State or Federal levels.

    “Corruption has assumed the status of great demon which every citizen must join hands to fight to standstill,” Ashipa added.

    On recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing with the United Arab Emirates, the association expressed optimism it would encourage Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and help recover stolen funds.
     

  • Ijaw youths to Buhari: Don’t scrap maritime varsity

    Ijaw youths to Buhari: Don’t scrap maritime varsity

    Ijaw youths, Sunday , passionately appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, against taking any decision to scrap the Maritime University at Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    In their letter to the President, the youths argued that the university would address the age-long marginalisation of the Niger Delta region; develop manpower in the maritime sector and help the Federal Government in its efforts to diversify the economy.

    They told the President that they were disturbed by the proposed cancellation of the university by the Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Rotimi Amaechi.

    In the letter signed by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) (Worldwide), Mr. Udens Eradiri, and the council’s Secretary, Mr. Eric Omare, the youths faulted the reasons for the university’s cancellation adduced by Amaechi.

    They said the reasons which Amaechi gave when he briefed the Senate Committee on Marine were weak, mischievous, misleading, highly provocative and inciting.

    The youths noted that scrapping the university would portray Buhari’s government in negative light and provide justification for fresh militancy in the region.

    They said: “The university would no doubt open up the area where it is sited which is in the hinterland of the Niger Delta and help in positively impacting on the life of the people of the area concerned, especially the youths.

    “We cannot be talking of addressing problems of militancy and other associated challenges in the Niger Delta region without giving the people education. The Maritime University, Okerenkoko is part of the post amnesty development plan of the Niger Delta region.”

    They said Amaechi’s position that the country already had similar institutions in Zaria and Oron was not tenable adding that the university in Okerenkoko was designed to play different roles in the sector.

    The youths further posited that instead of relying on allegations of corruption to cancel the university project, such allegations should be investigated and resolved in line with the rule of law.

    They said: “The institutes in Oron and Zaria are meant to train medium class manpower in the maritime sector while the Maritime University, Okerenkoko would train world class technical and managerial manpower.

    “This would obviously address the problems of capital flight in Nigeria where Nigerians are sent to universities in countries like Philippines, Romania, Egypt and other countries to train at great cost to the country. The existing institutes and university are expected to play complimentary roles in the development of the maritime sector.

    “Mr. President, the most ridiculous reason advanced by the Minister is the assertion that parents would not send their children to school at Okerenkoko because of the terrain. This comment is not only ridiculous but also highly provocative and inciting.

    “It would interest your Excellency to note that Okerenkoko Community, Gbaramatu Clan, Delta State is surrounded by several oil installations and platforms such as Egwa 1 Flow station owned by NPDC, Abiteye owned by Chevron, Makarava, Odidi 1 & 11 owned by NPDC, the Chevron Escravos Terminal and several other oil installations.

    “And these oil installations and platforms have several oil workers including foreign expatriates who have been working for several years in that environment even during the period of hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

    “The question is, if oil workers can go to this same environment to explore and exploit oil, why can’t the same place play host to a university that would develop the people and environment?

    “Contrary to Mr. Amaechi’s assertion, the Okerenkoko environment is a natural location for a maritime university. It is ridiculous for the Minister to suggest that one of the Maritime institutes in Zaria be upgraded to a maritime university.”

    They added: “Is Mr. Rotimi Amaechi saying that the Niger Delta environment is only good for oil exploration and exploitation but not good enough for education and infrastructural development?

    “Is Amaechi saying that the people in the creeks of the Niger Delta region unlike other Nigerians have no right to acquire education and live a decent life? Whose interest is Mr. Amaechi serving or promoting?

    “Mr. President, Mr. Amaechi is obviously not promoting the interest of your government! He has only succeeded in painting your government as an anti-Niger Delta administration.

    “We of the IYC are shocked that a suggestion not to build a university in the hinterland of the Niger Delta is coming from Mr. Amaechi who is from the same region.

    “We wish to also point out that if allegations of alleged corruption are one of the reasons for the decision, such issues be handled in accordance with the law. It should not be a reason for cancellation of a laudable project”.

    The youths further said it was not true that there was no work done at the permanent site of the university apart from the feasibility studies.

    According to them the tragedy of the country had been facilitated and often repeated by politicians driven by sectional, ethnic and other primordial sentiments.

    They lamented that the policies and decisions needed in the march to greatness had been sacrificed on the altar of personal and egoistic indulgence to the detriment of the greater good of the nation.

    “Mr. President, we call on you to reject the proposed decision of the Ministry of Transportation to cancel the Maritime University, Okerenkoko. If it is a decision that already has your blessing, we appeal for the reversal of the decision.

    “It is not in the interest of the country and your administration. The decision would only provide justification for hostility in the Niger Delta region towards your administration,” they said.

  • Buhari emerges Grand Patron Committee on Corporate Philanthropy

    Buhari emerges Grand Patron Committee on Corporate Philanthropy

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday accepted an invitation to serve as Grand Patron of the Committee Empowering Corporate Philanthropy  in Nigeria.

    He gave his nod while receiving the group led by Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

    Buhari, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the Federal Ministry of Health will work in close concert with the committee.

    The committee has “Big War Against Cancer” as its focal point for 2016.

    Dr. Kolade told President Buhari that the committee was out to promote philanthropy nationwide, and to encourage organizations and individuals to use their resources to help others.

    “As father of the nation, we want you to be our Grand Patron, so that you can give us the benefit of your support for the things we do.  Your integrity and credibility will serve us in good stead,” Dr. Kolade said.

    He added that the war against cancer can be won, if both the government and the private sector support the acquisition of mobile cancer centres, which could be deployed in all states of the federation, and Abuja.

    President Buhari was decorated with the garland of the committee and presented with a plaque of the organization.

  • We’ve driven Boko Haram to fall-back positions – Buhari

    We’ve driven Boko Haram to fall-back positions – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said that Nigeria has made very significant progress towards ending the Boko Haram insurgency since his assumption of office on May 29 last year.

    Speaking at a meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, President Buhari said that in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force, the Nigerian Armed Forces have driven the terrorist group from Nigerian territory into “fall-back positions”.

    In a statement by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari said: “They are currently not holding any territory today as we speak, ”

    He also told the United Nations Secretary-General that Nigeria will persistently pursue global action to reverse the drying up of Lake Chad and save the lives of those who depend on it for survival.

    “With all due respect to our neighbours, Nigeria has been worst hit by the drying up of the Lake Chad and we are hoping that the global community will support the process of halting the drying up of the lake,” President Buhari said.

    Mr. Ban Ki Moon commended the President for his courage in fighting terrorism and corruption.

    The Secretary-General said that Nigeria has made amazing progress against terrorism since President Buhari assumed office, while the President’s war against corruption has boosted global confidence in the Nigerian economy.

    He urged President Buhari to integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into Nigeria’s economic and environmental vision.