All
Progressives Congress, presidential
candidate General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday put forward a covenant with
Nigerians spelling his blueprint to confront corruption, insecurity and
infrastructure decay.
Buhari, who
vowed to lead by example in all areas, pledged to declare his assets and
liabilities publicly and encourage all his aides to do so. He also promised to
stop what he described as the weekly contract bazaar by the Federal Executive
Council by inaugurating the National Council on Procurement, the statutory body
for contract awards.
President
Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP
immediately faulted Buhari saying that he, Jonathan was in a better position to
fight corruption on the ground that Buhari was surrounded by corrupt persons.
President
Jonathan said that Buhari’s legacy in government put him as the last person to
fight corruption on the ground that he has no respect for the rule of law,
further asserting that his military administration jailed people
indiscriminately.
The APC
presidential candidate said his covenant was derived from the manifesto of his
party and his on the ground experience during his recent travels across the
country. He also pledged in his covenant to ensure that no inch of Nigerian
land is ever taken by terrorists vowing to ensure that all victims of
kidnappings including the Chibok girls are quickly recovered.
The 11-point
covenant spread through various areas including Corruption and Governance;
Access to Justice and Respect for Fundamental Human Rights; Insurgency and
Insecurity; Niger Delta; Diversity; Health and Education. Other elements of the
candidate’s agenda are Management of the Economy for Shared Prosperity and
Sports and Culture.
Following a
review of the present situation in each of the enumerated areas, Buhari
followed with a pledge on how he would confront the situation.
On
corruption and governance, he said:
“No matter
how vast our resources, if they are not efficiently utilized, they will only
benefit a privileged few, leaving the majority in poverty. I believe if Nigeria
does not kill corruption; corruption will kill Nigeria.”
He thus
pledged, to “Publicly declare my assets and liabilities and encourage my
political appointees to also publicly declare their assets and liabilities.”
”Affirm that
our strategy for tackling corruption will not only focus on punishment. Rather,
it will also provide incentives for disclosure and transparency.
”Show
personal leadership in the war against corruption and also hold all the people
who work with me to account.
”Inaugurate
the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act so
that the Federal Executive Council, which has been turned to a weekly session
of contract bazaar, will concentrate on its principal function of policy
making.
”Review and
implement audit recommendations by Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (NEITI).
”Work with
the National Assembly towards the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act.
”Work with
the National Assembly to strengthen ICPC and EFCC by guaranteeing institutional
autonomy including financial and prosecutorial independence and security of
tenure of officials.
”Make the
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) an autonomous and operational agency.
”Encourage
proactive disclosure of information by government institutions in the spirit of
the Freedom of Information Act.
”Ensure all
MDAs regularly comply with their accountability responsibilities to Nigerians
through the National Assembly.
”Work with
the leadership of the National Assembly to cut down the cost of governance.
”Present a
national anti-corruption Strategy.
Following
the avowals, Vanguard sought a response from President Jonathan, who responded
that he was in a better position to fight corruption than Buhari.
however,
President Goodluck Jonathan, speaking through his campaign spokesman, Chief
Femi Fani-Kayode, cannot fight corruption because he is not only surrounded by
corrupt men but also unable to give what he does not have.
He said:
“more than any other President in the history of Nigeria President Goodluck
Jonathan has fought corruption and has successfully plugged all the loopholes
that allow corrupt persons to operate freely and with impunity in our country.
“His reforms
in the agricultural sector with special reference to the new system for the
procurement of fertiliser and his reforms in NNPC and the whole area of oil
subsidies prove this. Millions of dollars have been saved in these areas alone
as a consequence of Mr. President’s new and innovative initiatives.
“His focus
is not just on arresting people without any credible evidence and parading them
before television cameras in handcuffs. He believes in fighting corruption in a
responsible, humane and credible manner with special emphasis on civil
liberties, human rights and the rule of law.
“Unlike
others that came before him, he believes that the fight against corruption
should not be selective and neither does he believe in using the security
agencies to intimidate or persecute innocent people or his perceived enemies.
This was not the case up until he became President, and everyone knows this.
“His
government did not fight corruption but was, in fact, the biggest manifestation
of corruption and abuse of power in the history of Nigeria. He jailed innocent
people and sent many to their graves for no just cause. He also applied
retroactive legislation to kill people.
“Buhari says
he now wants to fight corruption but the truth is that this is a contradiction
in terms, and it cannot be so simply because he is surrounded by some of the
most corrupt, dishonest, incompetent, irresponsible and perverse souls in
Nigeria. Anyone that doubts this just needs to consider the names of some of
those that are leading his party.
“His promise
to fight corruption must be taken with a pinch of salt and can best be
described by Shakespeare’s famous words when he said ‘it is a tale told by an
idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’.”
On how he
would confront insurgency and insecurity, Buhari promised to rise to the
occasion said as a father he felt the pains of all victims of violence and thus
pledged that under his watch to:
”Ensure that
under my watch, no force, external or internal, will occupy even an inch of
Nigerian soil. I will give all it takes to ensure that our girls kidnapped from
Chibok are rescued and reunited with their families.
”Deliver a
Marshal Plan on insurgency, terrorism, ethnic and religious violence,
kidnapping, rural banditry and ensure that never again will Nigerian children
be killed or kidnapped at will.’
”Boost the
morale of our fighting forces and the generality of Nigerians by leading from
the front as the Commander-in-Chief and not hide in the comfort and security of
Aso Rock.
”Give
especial attention to the welfare of our armed forces and all other security
personnel and their families.”
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