The Presidency has risen in defence of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he has achieved a lot in the area of fighting corruption in the seven months of his administration.
The Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said this in a statement on Wednesday.
Shehu was reacting to a recent report by the Centre for Democracy and Development which claimed that Buhari had only achieved one out of his 222 tracked electoral promises, representing 0.5 per cent of the promises.
The CDD had based its report on critical sectors such as security, the economy, fighting corruption, oil and gas, agriculture, and social and environmental sectors.
But the presidential spokesman said it was mischievous to attribute to the President promises he did not make during the campaigns and hold him accountable.
While advising leaders of the CDD to rise above what he called petty partisanship and stop misleading Nigerians, Shehu said any unbiased person would recognise the achievement so far made by Buhari in curbing corruption.
According to him, no sincere Nigerian will fail to recognise the courage of the President to tackle corruption in a country where impunity was once celebrated.
The presidential spokesman added that within seven months, Buhari had successfully blocked the leakages in the system.
He said as a result of these efforts, the Nigeria Customs Service had quadrupled its revenue base within seven months, a feat the service could not achieve in years.
“Doesn’t the President deserve credit for this and other efforts to confront the monster of corruption?” Shehu asked.
On the economy, he said it was wrong to blame the President for the falling oil prices in the world market, a challenge which he said had made Buhari lay emphasis on economic diversification.
He recalled that President Barack Obama of the United States had inherited an economy in crisis in 2009 and was not judged in his first seven months in office.
Shehu explained that in the case of Buhari, it was a double tragedy because he inherited an economy in crisis on account of declining oil revenues and an economy also ravaged by large-scale corruption.
He, however, said progress was being made in recovering the nation’s stolen funds.
He said an escrow account had been opened for that purpose.
Shehu added, “He (Buhari) is making good strides towards improving governance by tackling corruption. Till date, a good number of persons believed to have collectively stolen billions from taxpayers have been arrested and are facing the courts.
“We are working with our allies across the world from Britain and America to France and Germany to China and the UAE to source, locate and repatriate misappropriated funds.
“So far, an escrow account has been opened for money that is being returned. This is only the start. The return of stolen funds is important, but it is just as critical to ensure that those who seek to steal realise that no longer will there be such impunity in Nigeria.”
He said Buhari’s war against corruption and terrorism had become a template for Africa and the rest of the world.
The presidential spokesman said it was, however, ironic that at home, some individuals were not prepared to give these successes the recognition they deserved.
Shehu said, “The latest CDD episode is a shocking reminder to their failed attempt to hold the President to ‘100 promises in 100 days’ which disastrously crashed on the head of the proponent.
“The elevation of the act to a new high of 220 promises is a knee-jerk reaction that seeks to play to the gallery and score points against the President.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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The problems of the present administration begin and end with all its aides and ministers including your bloody self. You cannot tolerate any criticism at all, even from international bodies. Even with naira moving towards #400 to $1, all is still well??? Well, as events are unfolding...
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the FG has been arresting political opponents in the guise of fighting corruption while swimming with the most corrupt too, cannot be trumpeted as an achievement. You clamp some people in jail and force them to agree to pay money in order to achieve bail is arm twisting. Has the courts found any of them guilty? The economy is in shambles, investors are fleeing, workers are being sacked, insecurity pervades the land,clamour of the disintegration of the country is rising and the General is busty flying to countries that do not want to be disturbed by him . This government is shameless. Instead of tackling the dead economy, it is busy covering its cluelessness with vabose figures that never existed. Dasuki has to been forgiven for arresting the general during the 1984 coup and is being persecuted for a fictitious $2.1 billion arms scam which was never an amount for arms, now te amount has fizzled out to become N13 billion. The courts have been made a caricature with its judgements and bail pronouncements ignored and the general even going on television o say he will not respect any of their judgments he is not co for table with. Nigeria is going down and I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.
ReplyDeleteYes, He has achieve his goal of travelling abroad every week without any good feedback. He has achieved in making prices of comodities to rise without any rise in personal income of the common man. He has achieve in over taxing the ordinary man through any transaction done in the bank. What more can I say? Let him continue to achieve.
ReplyDeletePls relax uncle, if they don't recognize these, we do. May greez to ur elbow. Long life Mr president! Long life Nigeria!!
ReplyDeleteIn eight months of governance, all you could say or point to is corruption even when nobody have been convicted. What a cheap defence.
ReplyDeletestory story, story! dont call names, give us data. The CDD came up with a verifiable data, bring yours. Kawai! Na corruption fight we go chop? No be to pursue corruption, na to prosecute the defaulters and utilize the collected money. Abi, no be the promises wey everybody hear wey him make them dey remind am of? No denials please, we all heard the promises. He didnt tell us that fulfilling them, depended on anything. Foresight is also a good leadership quality, unless you are endorsing that baba lacks it, then we will agree with you!
ReplyDeleteFight Boko Haram, not missing pieces of paper
ReplyDeleteCDD is a PDP machine. They are working for PDP.
ReplyDeleteVery funny comment....is that all u have to offer???smh
DeleteA government of deception and crook. What else do we expect from a blend of thieves, crooks and liars. They are not fighting corruption but trying to reduce PDP financial might before the next general election.
ReplyDeleteChange dat fed workers salaries can no longer be certained at d end of d month
ReplyDeleteIt is too early. Let us to be patience. Nigerian is not easy to rule
ReplyDelete