President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, explained why he cannot release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
The President disclosed that Kanu has two passports, one Nigerian, one British and came to the country without using any passport.
President Buhari also made a robust defence of the integrity of all 36 ministers in his cabinet challenging anyone with a contrary view to present evidence against such a minister.
Speaking in his first media chat, the president said the first gains of the war against corruption would become evident by the end of March, next year, even as he accused erstwhile National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) of having allegedly committed atrocities against Nigeria through reckless disbursement of billions of government funds.
The president made his first dismissal of the agitation for Biafra stating that Igbo were in strategic position in the cabinet including holding the petroleum and labour portfolios besides the stewardship of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
President Buhari also assured of the administration’s readiness to implement the N5,000 monthly transfer to vulnerable Nigerians even as he said the campaign promise did not emanate from him but from his then running mate, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. He also frowned at the allocation of N47.7 billion for the purchase of vehicles by the National Assembly even after the lawmakers had collected car loans from the government.
President Muhammadu Buhari during his first presidential media chat,Thursday, in Abuja.
The president, who expressed his readiness to negotiate with any credible leadership of the Boko Haram sect for the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls also disclosed his readiness to consider a ban on the use of hijab should the trend of bombing through young veiled girls continue.
Noting the dire economic conditions facing the country, President Buhari was, nevertheless, against the immediate devaluation of the naira even as he revealed that N1.5 trillion had been recovered into the federation account through the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.
The president also spoke on the fate of the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, saying that he had allowed the Kaduna State government and the military authorities to take the lead in the investigations. He affirmed that the cleric had over time overstepped his bounds to the distress of the communities he lived.
On the panel that interviewed the president yesterday were Kayode Akintemi, Channels TV; Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbulam, Media World International; Munir Dan Ali, Daily Trust and Ibanga Isine, Premium Times.
On the ministers
“I don’t think I tolerate corruption, I don’t think I picked anybody that I know will embarrass my government. But if you have any evidence about any of my ministers, I accept responsibility for the 36 ministers that I have.
“I don’t think I took anybody among the ministers who has got a case in court. Tell me one out of the 36. I don’t think I will deliberately make that mistake.”
Asked if he would sack any of the ministers if he or she is charged to court for corruption, he said:
“No, I will insist that the case go through the courts.”
On the location and condition of the Chibok girls, he said he would be prepared to negotiate with credible elements in the Boko Haram leadership if there is precise intelligence that could help return the girls to their parents. He, however, affirmed that presently he did not superior intelligence on the fate of the girls.
“We are still keeping our options open. If a credible leadership of Boko Haram can be established and they tell us where those girls are, we are prepared to negotiate with them without any pre-condition. This we have made absolutely clear. But while they are keeping the Chibok girls, they must not get away with the idea that we will not attempt to secure the rest of Nigeria.
“We have no firm intelligence on where they are physically and what condition they are in. But what we believe from our intelligence, they keep taking the girls around, they are not keeping all the girls in one place, we don’t know how many divisions they made of them and where they are.
On the crisis in Kaduna involving followers of the Shite leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, he said:
“I expect the Kaduna State Government to set up a judicial inquiry because it happened in Kaduna, in one of the cities and it has been there for the last twenty years from what I have been reading from papers. They will occupy a federal highway, sometimes from Kano to Kaduna. This is what I heard.
“We have a system of investigation, the military that was involved too have a tradition of investigation and I am the head of the federal government, I have to wait for the official report before I can come out as head of the federal government and make a statement. So I am allowing the Army and the Kaduna State government to submit their report of inquiry. Meanwhile it does not mean that the police, the SSS and other directorate involved are not doing their own part of constitutional role.
Frowning at the activities of the group, he said:
“Unfortunately it is very serious. How can any group proclaim statehood in a state? I don’t want to speak about it in details now, I better leave it still after the report of the inquiry but there are a number of clips I saw, where some excited teenagers were visually hitting the chest of a general, mounting road blocks and threatening them with missiles.
On the contentious issue of subsidy, the president said that by the end of the next quarter that there would be no more talk about subsidy in the price of petroleum.
Money recovered
“Money has been recovered but whatever we recover, has to end up in court because I feel personally that Nigerians are entitled to know the truth and the truth will be what the court has discovered by the submission made to them in terms of documentation and the documentation includes the bank statement of where our money was lodged, when it was lodged and how much. Whether it is petrol from NNPC or Customs and Excise or money directly from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
Told that he was limited in his disclosure of his assets, the president said that he had declared his assets at least four times in the past.
The president expressed reservation on proposals by the National Assembly to commit N47.7 billion to purchase new vehicles after members had collected car loans from the government.
N5,000 monthly stipend for the less privileged
“When my VP was quoted, how can I come here and disown it? First, I believe in getting facts, how many are involved? How are we going to do it? Is it state by state or geo-political zone by geo-political zone? In trying to get the bottom of the problem, a lot of work has to be done and if it is undertaken, we have to look at it very well.”
On Dasuki, Kanu and others
Asked on the alleged flouting of court orders by the state on the issue of Dasuki and detained Biafran agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, he said:
“Technically, if you see the kind of atrocities those people committed, if they jump bail? I am sorry to say this publicly…the former president just wrote to the governor of the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of country do you want to run?
“The one you called Kanu, do you know he has two passports? One Nigerian, one British and he came to this country without using any passport? Do you know that he brought sophisticated equipment into this country and started broadcasting for Radio Biafra? There is a treasonable charge against him and I hope the court will listen to the case.
Biafra and marginalisation of Ndigbo
“They say they are marginalised but they have not defined the extent of marginalisation. Who is marginalising them? Where? Do you know? Choosing a minister is not a matter of ethnicity, it is a matter of the constitution. I am limited by what the constitution says that there must be a member of the executive council from each state. There is a lot of partisan politics in it. Who is the Minister of State for Petroleum? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the governor of the CBN? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the Minister of Labour? Who is the Minister of Science and Technology? What do they want? I stood elections and I won, I am limited by the constitution, I have a member of every state in the Federal Executive Council and I have to listen to them when I sit as chairman. That is the limit the constitution gave me”. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Can one enter way country even his own from another country with out Passport? Nigeria immigration service now over to you.
ReplyDeleteAll ver guy true,unless you see things through a sister viel,!
ReplyDeleteMr presiden u are on d righ tract, go on! fire on!!! u ar d buldozer we ar waitin clear any obstacle 2 d unity and development of nigeria
ReplyDeleteMr presiden u are on d righ tract, go on! fire on!!! u ar d buldozer we ar waitin clear any obstacle 2 d unity and development of nigeria
ReplyDeleteCan you now see that your British passport cant save your ass because you belong to the zoo. You cant just change side bro. You dont have to insult people just because you are angry...Hope you had a merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteIs that the new charge that will be slammed on Kanu if court grant him bail again?
ReplyDeleteMay God Almighty help you accomplish what you have said,to better the lives of Nigerians,Mr. President.
ReplyDeleteLove what you said Mr President.The Igbos should forget dividing us through that MuMu Kanu.I also wonder if those people in the upper are Senators or thieves, after collecting cars loans, they are still requesting for more.WHY can't be content like Mr President.WELLDONE BUHARI
ReplyDeleteI believed if this guy in detention is an Hausa or Fulani he could have been release, the constitution doesn't permit people in the custurdy beyond certain period. Don't release him, propaganda president of APC and northan not nigeria
ReplyDeleteSo Dasuki is an ibo man?
DeleteWhere are the wailers, look at the strategic position the Ibos hold and they say they are marginalized. They should campaign for the presidency next time and see who will vote for them.we are in democracy. They are everywhere in Nigeria, are they denied doing their business. Why can they stay in the state to do business. See them in Ibadan, Lagos, Ilorin, Kano, Kaduna etc. Are other people having this advantage in their states. They know they do not tolerate people as such. So stop making unwarranted noise around let us live in peace.Those living in my state will not dare to call for independent state for the Ibos.
ReplyDeleteTry to read many responses, those may educate should you have receptive "spirit". Any way that for giving them 'refuge'
DeleteTry to read many responses in this site, those may educate you more should you have receptive "spirit". Any way thanks for giving them 'refuge'.
DeleteIgbos don't want to be in Nigeria. Let them have a vote on it
DeleteWhat else do the Ibos want, they should campaign for the presidency next election not to make noise around.The wise among them know what they benifit from other states. Let live in peace.
ReplyDeleteFor once Nigeria has a credible leader. It's not going to be easy rebuilding a nation that has suffered 15 years of serious corruption. However this is a great start. We all need to put our differences aside and support this man for the good of our children. Even the falling oil prices cannot deter this man. God has answered the yearnings of the people!!
ReplyDeleteMr President's answer implicated him as a dictator. He has usurped the power of the court. He is playing the prosecutor and the judge at the same time. In every organised society with constitution predicated on the principles of separation of power, it is the court that pronounces an accused a criminal and not the executive. His duty is to prosecute which he has done. The court has to follow judicial process in handling case which includes bailing. Why is the president not obeying the court process and ruling? Kanu is not the only person he has denied bail. Even Dasuki after meeting bail conditions has been rearrested. Is this not a dictator way of government? I blame the Nigerian Bar Association for this.
ReplyDeleteMr Buhari, firstly I have been and still one of those who support you. However, I want to bring to your attention, in case you do not realize the ramification of your statement on the appointment ministers of Ibo extraction as solution to marginalization of Ndi-Igbo.
ReplyDelete1) That is an ill conceived opinion or either goes to explain you may after all do not understand the real plight of an Ibo man
2) Are you suggesting that these your appointees (Ministers) should corruptly use their portfolios against their constitutional responsibilities.
3)Or they should share their salaries with the people of their states towards ameliorating glaring deprivation.
4) I totally agree with you, Ibo land is not marginalized but completely excluded in Nigeria strategic socioeconomic endeavors.
A) Show the only geopolitical zone without Power generating plant
B) The only geopolitical zone without any direct foreign counterpart investments
C)Non inclusion of some of our states (Anambra and Ebonyi states) into the list strategic National petroleum reserves. So that they can use such fund to develop their states and communities.
D)No perimeter fencing and landing light of Imo Airport since taking over by Nigeria Airport Authority for than 30 years ago
E) The non implementation of 3Rs of Yakubu Gowon government
F) Accepting and solving the direct impact of indigenization decree of 1972 of federal government to Ndi-igbo
Mr. President this is a little extract I picked from Wikipedia that I believe you may know of BUT STILL READ IT;
The end of the war came about on 13 January 1970, with Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo's acceptance of the surrender of Biafran forces.[9] The next day Obasanjo announced the situation on the former rebel radio station Radio Biafra Enugu. Gowon subsequently declared his famous "no victor, no vanquished" speech, and followed it up with an amnesty for the majority of those who had participated in the Biafran uprising, as well as a program of "Reconciliation, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation", to repair the extensive damage done to the economy and infrastructure of the Eastern Region during the years of war.[10] Unfortunately, some of these efforts never left the drawing board. In addition to this, Gen. Gowon's administration's policy of giving 20 pounds to Biafran who had a bank account in Nigeria before the war, regardless of how much money had been in their account, was criticised by foreign and local aid workers, as this led to an unprecedented scale of begging, looting and robbery in the former Biafran areas after the war.
These few areas I believe will arouse your consciousness and understanding how ministerial appointment is a constitutional responsibility and not a conscious effort to right some wrongs.
So what have all the Igbo leaders in Abuja (& the S/E states) been doing for last 16 years?.....
DeleteI can't concur less brother.
DeleteYou must be an ibo man and as usual you just don't get it!
DeleteDeal with people those are don't want country to be calm
ReplyDeleteMr/Mrs Mss, it sounds too easy, remember (ABACHA) Deal with people (NADECO) those who don't want country to be calm
Deleteam among those Nigerians calling for prob of formal Dg Nesrea Dr Ngeri .s. Benebo from four corruption and embezzlement of public funds. She enriched her self with workers promotion arrears, 28days, workers pension housing allowances and other allowances please mr president look into these issue
ReplyDeleteNEPA bill holder. Go back to school. How can a minister you appointed into your cabinet represent Ibos. Which of them is a Substantive minister?
ReplyDeleteYou don't even believe any Igbo man is substantive! How can you govern an independent state of biafra if you don't trust and believe in each other?!
DeleteYou don't even believe any Igbo man is substantive! How can you govern an independent state of biafra if you don't trust and believe in each other?!
DeletePeople let us support this man. He has lay it bear for all to see that he believe in Nigeria, he spoke against Dansuki a northerner, he spoke against el makkey a northerner too and he made salient point on Kanu. We should call a spade a spade. How can an ex president sign n40billion to one man when we have people suffering. We have to let go of this ethnic biasment and say evil is evil even if porported by my brother. I believe in one Nigeria and I also believe that people who put us in this level should pay for ir
ReplyDeleteMr. Buhari should stop giving live Interview or he will ruin his administration and the prospect of the country unity and cohesion. From this interview he can be said to be less dishonest and also tactically deficient towards answering questions on issues. Checkout his answer on provision of 5000 naira stipend to disadvantage individuals in the country. A good social program if well implemented but he indirectly apportioned blame to his Vice president for smuggling it into their campaign. Which is now a torn on his flesh to deal with.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2:50pm do you mean that Buhari is another Dame Patience when it comes to live interviews?
ReplyDeleteyoruba will always show their colour
ReplyDeleteBefore you post blind things due to your terrible ignorance read Anonymous December 31, 2015 at 10:18 AM post. Political appointees is not a solution to marginalization. Over the years, what have the government done to those that behead the igbos in the north. It is important to note that threat to behead the igbos was actually what gave Buhari victory in the north as there were mass exit of the igbos before the election
ReplyDeleteMAY GOD HELP US IN THIS COUNTRY.AMEN
ReplyDeleteAnyone who is not pleased with Buhari's achievement and focus is either beclouded by sectional or religious sentiment. He is the first true president of Nigeria with focus and good intentions to see Nigeria come out of political and economic quagmire the past Government put it. How can a sane person apportion on this Government the faults and mistakes of past administrations. Let him prosecute any found corrupt and guilty of treasonable offence. This country belongs to us all. The few dissident voice of the Ibos can't divide us. If Ibos want separation, let them follow the democratically lead down principles. They have Senator, Reps members and Governor.
ReplyDelete