Buhari and The State Of The Nation (I)

I sat with him over a cup of coffee in my house last Monday before I left Nigeria. I started pressuring him to talk to me on phone a month after his appointment. He declined. He was confident my phone must have been tapped long ago. So I waited. That meeting was long overdue because he holds a sensitive position in government and I have always wanted to discuss the state of the nation as I see it from the eyes of the average Nigerian with him. I wanted him to corroborate or refute some information I have. He did corroborate all my priors with the exception of Mallami on Saraki! Here is what I know.

Buhari set out to do 3 major things from onset;

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR HOLDS ONE-DAY INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGAINST CORRUPTION (PACAC)

The Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption and the Ministry of Interior have concluded a one day interactive session in Abuja.

Professor Femi Odekunle who led other members of the committee to the Ministry of Interior, observed the overall importance of having the session with Interior Ministry considering the fact that agencies under the Ministry such as the Nigeria Police, Immigration and Prison Services are largely seen by many as the face of the Nigeria government, due to their broad-based interaction with the populace as well as their functionality in the Criminal Justice System.

Prof Odekunle in his opening remarks noted the need to articulate the nexus between corruption and poor service delivery with a view to tackling it head-long in order to boost safety and security needed for inflow of direct foreign investments.

CORRUPTION:HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS

1. In 1947, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo wrote that “Corruption is the greatest defect of the Native Court system.” He complained that not only did judges take bribes, people used their connections to enrich themselves and avoid punishment for their crimes. He also wrote that in the north, a new Emir always removed all the people appointed by the previous Emir and replaced them with his own people.

2. In 1950, Abubakar Tafewa Balewa said ‘the twin curses of bribery and corruption pervade every rank and department of government’. At that time, the word ‘awoof’ was already being used to describe how civil servants used their positions to enrich themselves.

Buhari: Americans wanted pragmatic solutions, Trump promised it , and he is fulfilling it

President Donald Trump

Donald Trump made some campaign promises which addressed certain real fears of the American people. Among those fears was the need to deal with terrorism through a pragmatic approach.

Americans saw him as a pragmatic solution to those fears and voted him in. He is now fulfilling those campaign promises. Americans wanted pragmatic solutions. Trump promised it and he is fulfilling it.

General Muhammadu Buhari made some campaign promises which addressed certain fears of the Nigerian people.

RESTRUCTURING THE COUNTRY FROM MAN-MADE MACHIAVELLIAN LEADERSHIP

Prof. Femi Ajayi

When you professionally designed and constructed a home of your dream and the situations at the end of the production are changing, not meeting up with your taste anymore, common sense, if and when applied, dictates that you should do some re-adjustments to the house, or completely abandon the house for a new one. For any human being to say that the way the house was at the time of construction, could not be altered for over the years of staying in the house, could be tagged as being conceptually slothful to meet up with the changes in the family growth. The family size has increased, the taste of the owner of the house and other additional family members have changed, and the community where the structure is situated has changed, whereas the world where they reside, has advanced to the immediate current conditions. For any rational person to say that restructuring the country is a counter move against any group in Nigeria, is not part of the changing world.

Nigeria should wake up for the call to adjust its thinking faculty to something Nigerians need not want, that could accommodate the direction of the world and subscribe to the changes, as the world is becoming a global village.

NO LONGER BUSINESS AS USUAL IN NIGERIA - PRESIDENT BUHARI

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President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the Nigerian elite to stop insisting that things should be done the ‘old way’, which impoverished the nation.

Speaking at a meeting with a group of Nigerians in the Diaspora, on the margins of the 3rd Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa on Tuesday in Dakar, the President said his administration is on the right track to improve the image of the country by entrenching accountability and probity in governance.

President Buhari told the 11-man Nigerian delegation of association leaders resident in Senegal and Cote D’ Ivoire, that the last 16 years of poor handling of the nation’s resources and infrastructure have continued to impact negatively on the country.

Conversation between a Federalist and a Unitarist (Part 1) - Tony Osborg

Federalist: Something is fundamentally wrong with the structure of our federalism. We need to restructure this system and entrench true federalism. This system is not working.

Unitarist: There is nothing wrong with the structure of our federalism. Our problem is bad leadership; bad leaders who have looted our future and have destroyed our federal system. We do not need to restructure the system, what we need is to elect good leaders into office and restructure the minds of Nigerians so they can be less bias, less corrupt and more patriotic.

31-year-old secret revealed - Why Babangida removed me from power – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he was removed from office 31 years ago because he was planning to purge the military hierarchy of corruption.

Buhari, who has not spared the military even in his ongoing anti-corruption war, said senior military leaders, led by former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida and General Aliyu Gusau, removed him in August 1985, to save themselves from his wrath.

In an exclusive interview published in the current edition of The Interview magazine, Buhari challenged Babangida and Gusau to tell the truth on why they carried out the coup against him.

“I learnt,” he said, “that Aliyu Gusau, who was in charge of intelligence, took import licence from the ministry of commerce which was in charge of supplies and gave it to Alhaji Mai Deribe.

PRESIDENT BUHARI: BEYOND THE IRON AND STEEL

They were called the unsmiling duo. In his first incarnation as Nigerian leader, the then Major General Muhammadu Buhari was paired with another top brass military officer, Babatunde Idiagbon, who was the number two man. Smile was alien to their lips, laughter a total stranger. They had a job to do, which was to rid the country of corruption, crime and indiscipline, and anybody who didn't fall in line was liable to being dealt with. And summarily too. Laughter was, therefore, a distraction.

Buhari was reticent, Idiagbon, taciturn. A fearful and fearsome combination. Do the crime, serve the time was their motto. Manifest indiscipline, even in something as pressing as answering the call of nature, urinate by the roadside, and you can't tell anybody it was the work and of the Devil. They would tell you the Devil does not pee. Vandalize public utilities? Twenty years in jail. Traffic in cocaine? Goodbye to the world. Nigeria was being whipped into line, and no mistake. But that nirvana lasted only 20 months, and forces of reaction struck. The regime was toppled.

Corruption: Return Nigeria’s loot or risk protest, CD warns Britain

The Campaign for Democracy on Friday called on the British Government to return Nigeria’s looted fund in its custody as a means of supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on corruption.

The group in a statement by its President, Ifeanyi Odili, and Secretary, Abdulahi Jabi, said it agreed with the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who described Nigeria as a fantastically corrupt nation, but noted that the British government allegedly encouraged corruption in Nigeria.

NINE KEY MILESTONES IN PRESIDENT BUHARI'S FIRST YEAR BY GARBA SHEHU

Twelve months ago, President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He came to power following the decisive victory of his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC over the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP and its candidate, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The victory ended the 16-year reign of the PDP.

President Buhari campaigned on a promise to fight Boko Haram terrorism and secure the whole country, fight corruption and develop the economy to the point that it creates jobs for the teeming unemployed.

British PM Cameron Withdraws ‘Fantastically Corrupt’ Statement on Nigeria

Just a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron referred to Nigeria and Afghanistan has fantastically corrupt nations, the leader of the conservatives has praised the nations for the action they have taken in combating corruption.

He made the comments during Prime Minister's Questions in response to Conservative MP Philip Davies, who asked him why aid was being given to countries he considered corrupt.

Mr Cameron said that the leaders of both Nigeria and Afghanistan were "battling hard against very corrupt systems and countries" and had made "remarkable steps forward".

Addresses of EFCC offices across Nigeria

The Acting Chairman, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, conferring with Elizabeth Donnelly, Assistant Head & Research Fellow, Africa Programme, during a visit to Chatham House, Monday May 9 ahead of the London Summit on Corruption scheduled for May 12.

Addresses of EFCC offices across Nigeria:

i. ABUJA:
5 Fomella Street,
Off RockView Hotel
Wuse 2, Abuja

EXPEDITE REPATRIATION OF OUR STOLEN FUNDS, PRESIDENT BUHARI TELLS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

President Buhari and Executive Secretary of
UNODC, Mr. Yury Fedotov

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja urged the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to facilitate the faster recovery of Nigeria’s stolen wealth stashed abroad.

Receiving the Executive Secretary of UNODC, Mr Yury Fedotov, President Buhari said that the process of recovering the stolen assets had “become tedious’’ to the consternation of many Nigerians.

“We are looking for more cooperation from the EU, United States, other countries and international institutions to recover the nation’s stolen assets, particularly proceeds from the stolen crude oil.

“It is taking very long and Nigerians are becoming impatient,” the President said.

Way Forward Against Corruption: What I want President Buhari to Do

Dear President Muhammadu Buhari,

Let me start by stating that the decision on what to do with this piece of advice will be solely yours. It is only an advice; it does not suggest that you didn't have strategy on how to fight corruption. You may as well discover that it tallies with your plan or reinforces your agenda on corruption. But note that there is varied information available on how to solve any problem in society, we may only differ on what is head or tail over the matter.

Corruption did not originate from Nigeria and we are not the only nation that has been confronted with this ugly culture. Many countries from primordial history have had to do battle with this deadly monster. Indeed, corruption is the real hindrance to the proper economic and political development of mankind.

SECTORAL DEBATES ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMY: DOGARA'S WELCOME REMARKS

REMARKS BY RT. HON. DOGARA YAKUBU, SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF COMMENCEMENT OF SECTORAL DEBATES ON NIGERIA’S ECONOMY BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON TUESDAY, 3RD MAY, 2016.

Protocols:

May I warmly welcome you all to the commencement of Sectoral Debates by the House of Representatives on very important aspects of the Nigerian economy. I particularly welcome all Honourable Ministers and Heads of Agencies under their purview to the House.

2. This event is a fulfillment of one of the cardinal commitments we made in our Legislative Agenda at the beginning of the 8th House of Representatives. We had committed ourselves in our Legislative Agenda in Paragraph 7(ii) as follows:
“(ii.) Sectoral Debates
The 8th House will introduce sectoral debates on various aspects of Nigerian economy as part of its legislative initiative to address national problems. These sectoral debates will lead to the crafting of new laws or amendment to existing ones or generate recommendations on how to address the specific problem in question.
The House will designate specific legislative sitting days or weeks in its calendar specifically for discussion on various problems facing the nation. Such identified themes, sectors, areas or problems include employment and job creation, Health, Education and Social Services; Women, Youths and Children concerns; Power/Energy Sector, Oil and Gas, Science and Technology; Commerce and Industry; Transportation; Telecommunications; Agriculture; Mining; Manufacturing; Diversification of the Economy, Finance, Corruption, Security Matters, Infrastructure and other initiatives of urgent national importance”. 

Corruption in Africa: Can Whistle-Blowing Keep Corruption At Bay?

For successive years, Rwanda has been ranked as the least corrupt country in the EAC bloc and fourth as the least corrupt country in Africa.
Obviously, on the one hand, the ranking looks quite impressive and, on the other hand, calls for more action and devising new approaches to keep corruption at bay.

And one of the viable approaches in this undertaking is to shore up whistle-blowing.

5 Quick Suggestions for Nigerian Relation with the International Community -

Our President has travelled a lot to parley the international community. No doubt his integrity has earned him and the country greet respect from various “world leaders”. We wish him well and do not intend to join the debate as to if he should travel less or travel more. Rather, we want to offer some little points with regards to how to earn respect from the International community. Enjoy.                                                                                                                                  

President Muhammadu Buhari In Chin

1. Promote your Culture and Values

A large hunk of the greatness of the Western world is promotion of its culture. America owes more thanks to Michael Jackson, James Bond, 2Pac, and Hollywood than it owes its graduate in terms of the world view of America as a super power. Unfortunately these are the people who taught the world to dress, talk, think, and act like Americans. This is why it was more fanciful in Africa to use American products and operate American system of Government, both of which puts you under the country in terms of economy and leadership respectively.

How Samantha Power leads Obama’s team in Nigeria to back Buhari’s plans

The United States President, Barack Obama, has sent a 42-member high-power delegation to Nigeria in support of the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Leader of the delegation, Ms Samantha Power, said on Thursday in Abuja that the three areas – security, economy and governance remain the focus of the delegation’s visit to Nigeria.

Power at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Nigeria remains a strategic partner to the U.S. not only in Africa but globally.

“As you (Onyeama) indicated, Obama has sent me and members of his cabinet to lead an inter-agency delegation to Nigeria,” she said.

THE CHANGING FACE OF CHANGE: BY JAYE GASKIA

Thanks to the endless monologue of the ‘Change government’, its ‘disunited governing party’ [remember Fela’s Beast Of No Nation – who and who unite for united nations?], and their ‘Common sense revolution’; we now know too much about our past and particularly our recent past; We have managed to acquire far too little understanding of our current challenges and present hardships; and seem to have absolutely no clarity about our future, even of the nearest future!

This seems to me to be the most apt summation of the outcome of nearly one year of change. Yet as the profound Africa proverbs say, ‘the most likely outlook for Sunday can be glimpsed from how Saturday has turned out to be.

And like anyone who went to primary school and took the school leaving certificate exam would know, there is nothing really common about the ‘common entrance’ exam! Certainly not with respect to the simplicity of the exam.

So here we are 14 months after the sweeping electoral victory; 11 months since what was touted as the historic inauguration and handover of power by a defeated sitting president to the elected candidate of the victorious opposition party; Here we are about 5 months since the constitution and inauguration of the Federal Executive Council; and after one ministerial retreat, and a second retreat of the National Economic Council; and we still have no working budget for 2016.