"The trial of former public officers who
looted the national treasury and stashed the
funds in foreign banks will commence in few
weeks".These were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, when he met members of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of
State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Abubakar, however, advised President Buhari to follow due process in the prosecution of corrupt officials, reminding him that Nigeria was no longer in a military regime.
President Buhari, who vowed to break the vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria, stated that his administration would not only ensure that stolen monies stashed in foreign bank accounts were returned but that the looters must be tried..He disclosed that he was gathering documents
which would serve as evidence against
suspected culprits in the anti-corruption war.
The meeting between President Buhari and the
committee, it was gathered, followed an earlier
meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
during which committee members were told of
the persecution that members of the PDP were
facing in the hands of the new governing party.
“Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before
we can make progress,” the President said.
The President, who regretted the sorry state of
the country’s finances also told the committee
that as part of his actions to address the
national problems he inherited, he has ordered
the reorganization of Nigeria’s revenue
generating institutions..
Buh explained that a single treasury account had
been established for all federal revenue to
ensure greater probity, transparency and
accountability in the collection, disbursement and
utilisation of national funds.
His words: “We have really degenerated as a
country. Our national institutions, including the
military, which did wonderfully on foreign
missions in the past, have been compromised.
But we are doing something about it. The
military is now retraining and morale has been
resuscitated.
“As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad
until I had taken a memo to the Federal
Executive Council asking for estacode. Now,
everybody does what he wants. That is why
security-wise, and economically, we’re in trouble.
Those who have stolen the national wealth will
be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians
will know those who have short-changed them.”
The National Peace Committee, then asked him
to follow due process in the anti-graft war.
They also reminded the President that Nigeria is
not under a military regime, stressing that
everyone suspected to have committed any
crime was assumed innocent until proven guilty
by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Rising from the meeting held behind closed-
doors in the Presidential Villa, the committee
remarked that though corruption was not to be
condoned, the process of prosecuting suspects
has to be constitutional.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on
behalf of the committee, the Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who
confirmed the meeting with former President
Goodluck Jonathan, however, said the former
president never begged for their intervention.
According to him, the meeting was a hearing-out
process.
“We gave a bit of update about the relevance of
the Peace Committee itself and how we can help
to nurture what God has given to us. Anybody is
free to come to our committee but President
Jonathan never by telephone or another means
talked to the committee. We went to see him,
but that was after we had already seen members
of the political party, members of the civil
society; we plan to see the Speaker because we
couldn’t see him yesterday.
“This is a very planned series of interventions
essentially just to hear out everybody and I think
the good news is that Nigerians are committed
to a new nation. They are committed to ensuring
that the gains and blessings God has given us
come to fruition.
Due process must be followed —Peace
committee
“This is not an intervention, it is a hearing out
process. When we had election, it was like a
wedding, now the reality of government is the
marriage and people need to be encouraged. We
need to reaffirm that this is our country and the
only thing we can collectively be opposed to is
injustice, inequity, corruption and in that regard
we all had one single conversation.
“The President has also reaffirmed the need for
this committee to continue and the international
committee has very much welcomed the
contributions of the committee. Essentially we
are not policing, but when the need arises, we
will help to build confidence in the process.
“It is not heating up the polity. In our
conversation with former President Jonathan and
members of the parties, I don’t think any
Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against
the President’s commitment to ensuring that we
turn a new leaf. I think what we are concerned
about is the process. It is no longer a military
regime and under our existing laws, everybody is
innocent until proven guilty.The trial of former public officers who
looted the national treasury and stashed the
funds in foreign banks will commence in few
weeks. President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed
this, yesterday, when he met members of the
National Peace Committee led by former Head of
State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Abubakar, however, advised President
Buhari to follow due process in the prosecution
of corrupt officials, reminding him that Nigeria
was no longer in a military regime.
President Buhari, who vowed to break the
vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and
insecurity in Nigeria, stated that his
administration would not only ensure that stolen
monies stashed in foreign bank accounts were
returned but that the looters must be tried. He
disclosed that he was gathering documents
which would serve as evidence against
suspected culprits in the anti-corruption war.
The meeting between President Buhari and the
committee, it was gathered, followed an earlier
meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
during which committee members were told of
the persecution that members of the PDP were
facing in the hands of the new governing party.
“Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before
we can make progress,” the President said.
The President, who regretted the sorry state of
the country’s finances also told the committee
that as part of his actions to address the
national problems he inherited, he has ordered
the reorganization of Nigeria’s revenue
generating institutions.
No more business as usual
He explained that a single treasury account had
been established for all federal revenue to
ensure greater probity, transparency and
accountability in the collection, disbursement and
utilisation of national funds.
His words: “We have really degenerated as a
country. Our national institutions, including the
military, which did wonderfully on foreign
missions in the past, have been compromised.
But we are doing something about it. The
military is now retraining and morale has been
resuscitated.
“As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad
until I had taken a memo to the Federal
Executive Council asking for estacode. Now,
everybody does what he wants. That is why
security-wise, and economically, we’re in trouble.
Those who have stolen the national wealth will
be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians
will know those who have short-changed them.”
The National Peace Committee, then asked him
to follow due process in the anti-graft war.
They also reminded the President that Nigeria is
not under a military regime, stressing that
everyone suspected to have committed any
crime was assumed innocent until proven guilty
by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Rising from the meeting held behind closed-
doors in the Presidential Villa, the committee
remarked that though corruption was not to be
condoned, the process of prosecuting suspects
has to be constitutional.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on
behalf of the committee, the Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who
confirmed the meeting with former President
Goodluck Jonathan, however, said the former
president never begged for their intervention.
According to him, the meeting was a hearing-out
process.
“We gave a bit of update about the relevance of
the Peace Committee itself and how we can help
to nurture what God has given to us. Anybody is
free to come to our committee but President
Jonathan never by telephone or another means
talked to the committee. We went to see him,
but that was after we had already seen members
of the political party, members of the civil
society; we plan to see the Speaker because we
couldn’t see him yesterday.
“This is a very planned series of interventions
essentially just to hear out everybody and I think
the good news is that Nigerians are committed
to a new nation. They are committed to ensuring
that the gains and blessings God has given us
come to fruition.
"This is not an intervention, it is a hearing out
process. When we had election, it was like a
wedding, now the reality of government is the
marriage and people need to be encouraged. We
need to reaffirm that this is our country and the
only thing we can collectively be opposed to is
injustice, inequity, corruption and in that regard
we all had one single conversation.
“The President has also reaffirmed the need for
this committee to continue and the international
committee has very much welcomed the
contributions of the committee. Essentially we
are not policing, but when the need arises, we
will help to build confidence in the process.
“It is not heating up the polity. In our
conversation with former President Jonathan and
members of the parties, I don’t think any
Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against
the President’s commitment to ensuring that we
turn a new leaf. I think what we are concerned
about is the process. It is no longer a military
regime and under our existing laws, everybody is
innocent until proven guilty.
looted the national treasury and stashed the
funds in foreign banks will commence in few
weeks".These were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, when he met members of the National Peace Committee led by former Head of
State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Abubakar, however, advised President Buhari to follow due process in the prosecution of corrupt officials, reminding him that Nigeria was no longer in a military regime.
President Buhari, who vowed to break the vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria, stated that his administration would not only ensure that stolen monies stashed in foreign bank accounts were returned but that the looters must be tried..He disclosed that he was gathering documents
which would serve as evidence against
suspected culprits in the anti-corruption war.
The meeting between President Buhari and the
committee, it was gathered, followed an earlier
meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
during which committee members were told of
the persecution that members of the PDP were
facing in the hands of the new governing party.
“Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before
we can make progress,” the President said.
The President, who regretted the sorry state of
the country’s finances also told the committee
that as part of his actions to address the
national problems he inherited, he has ordered
the reorganization of Nigeria’s revenue
generating institutions..
Buh explained that a single treasury account had
been established for all federal revenue to
ensure greater probity, transparency and
accountability in the collection, disbursement and
utilisation of national funds.
His words: “We have really degenerated as a
country. Our national institutions, including the
military, which did wonderfully on foreign
missions in the past, have been compromised.
But we are doing something about it. The
military is now retraining and morale has been
resuscitated.
“As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad
until I had taken a memo to the Federal
Executive Council asking for estacode. Now,
everybody does what he wants. That is why
security-wise, and economically, we’re in trouble.
Those who have stolen the national wealth will
be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians
will know those who have short-changed them.”
The National Peace Committee, then asked him
to follow due process in the anti-graft war.
They also reminded the President that Nigeria is
not under a military regime, stressing that
everyone suspected to have committed any
crime was assumed innocent until proven guilty
by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Rising from the meeting held behind closed-
doors in the Presidential Villa, the committee
remarked that though corruption was not to be
condoned, the process of prosecuting suspects
has to be constitutional.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on
behalf of the committee, the Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who
confirmed the meeting with former President
Goodluck Jonathan, however, said the former
president never begged for their intervention.
According to him, the meeting was a hearing-out
process.
“We gave a bit of update about the relevance of
the Peace Committee itself and how we can help
to nurture what God has given to us. Anybody is
free to come to our committee but President
Jonathan never by telephone or another means
talked to the committee. We went to see him,
but that was after we had already seen members
of the political party, members of the civil
society; we plan to see the Speaker because we
couldn’t see him yesterday.
“This is a very planned series of interventions
essentially just to hear out everybody and I think
the good news is that Nigerians are committed
to a new nation. They are committed to ensuring
that the gains and blessings God has given us
come to fruition.
Due process must be followed —Peace
committee
“This is not an intervention, it is a hearing out
process. When we had election, it was like a
wedding, now the reality of government is the
marriage and people need to be encouraged. We
need to reaffirm that this is our country and the
only thing we can collectively be opposed to is
injustice, inequity, corruption and in that regard
we all had one single conversation.
“The President has also reaffirmed the need for
this committee to continue and the international
committee has very much welcomed the
contributions of the committee. Essentially we
are not policing, but when the need arises, we
will help to build confidence in the process.
“It is not heating up the polity. In our
conversation with former President Jonathan and
members of the parties, I don’t think any
Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against
the President’s commitment to ensuring that we
turn a new leaf. I think what we are concerned
about is the process. It is no longer a military
regime and under our existing laws, everybody is
innocent until proven guilty.The trial of former public officers who
looted the national treasury and stashed the
funds in foreign banks will commence in few
weeks. President Muhammadu Buhari disclosed
this, yesterday, when he met members of the
National Peace Committee led by former Head of
State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
General Abubakar, however, advised President
Buhari to follow due process in the prosecution
of corrupt officials, reminding him that Nigeria
was no longer in a military regime.
President Buhari, who vowed to break the
vicious cycle of corruption, unemployment and
insecurity in Nigeria, stated that his
administration would not only ensure that stolen
monies stashed in foreign bank accounts were
returned but that the looters must be tried. He
disclosed that he was gathering documents
which would serve as evidence against
suspected culprits in the anti-corruption war.
The meeting between President Buhari and the
committee, it was gathered, followed an earlier
meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
during which committee members were told of
the persecution that members of the PDP were
facing in the hands of the new governing party.
“Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before
we can make progress,” the President said.
The President, who regretted the sorry state of
the country’s finances also told the committee
that as part of his actions to address the
national problems he inherited, he has ordered
the reorganization of Nigeria’s revenue
generating institutions.
No more business as usual
He explained that a single treasury account had
been established for all federal revenue to
ensure greater probity, transparency and
accountability in the collection, disbursement and
utilisation of national funds.
His words: “We have really degenerated as a
country. Our national institutions, including the
military, which did wonderfully on foreign
missions in the past, have been compromised.
But we are doing something about it. The
military is now retraining and morale has been
resuscitated.
“As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad
until I had taken a memo to the Federal
Executive Council asking for estacode. Now,
everybody does what he wants. That is why
security-wise, and economically, we’re in trouble.
Those who have stolen the national wealth will
be in court in a matter of weeks and Nigerians
will know those who have short-changed them.”
The National Peace Committee, then asked him
to follow due process in the anti-graft war.
They also reminded the President that Nigeria is
not under a military regime, stressing that
everyone suspected to have committed any
crime was assumed innocent until proven guilty
by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Rising from the meeting held behind closed-
doors in the Presidential Villa, the committee
remarked that though corruption was not to be
condoned, the process of prosecuting suspects
has to be constitutional.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on
behalf of the committee, the Catholic Bishop of
Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, who
confirmed the meeting with former President
Goodluck Jonathan, however, said the former
president never begged for their intervention.
According to him, the meeting was a hearing-out
process.
“We gave a bit of update about the relevance of
the Peace Committee itself and how we can help
to nurture what God has given to us. Anybody is
free to come to our committee but President
Jonathan never by telephone or another means
talked to the committee. We went to see him,
but that was after we had already seen members
of the political party, members of the civil
society; we plan to see the Speaker because we
couldn’t see him yesterday.
“This is a very planned series of interventions
essentially just to hear out everybody and I think
the good news is that Nigerians are committed
to a new nation. They are committed to ensuring
that the gains and blessings God has given us
come to fruition.
"This is not an intervention, it is a hearing out
process. When we had election, it was like a
wedding, now the reality of government is the
marriage and people need to be encouraged. We
need to reaffirm that this is our country and the
only thing we can collectively be opposed to is
injustice, inequity, corruption and in that regard
we all had one single conversation.
“The President has also reaffirmed the need for
this committee to continue and the international
committee has very much welcomed the
contributions of the committee. Essentially we
are not policing, but when the need arises, we
will help to build confidence in the process.
“It is not heating up the polity. In our
conversation with former President Jonathan and
members of the parties, I don’t think any
Nigerian is in favour of corruption or is against
the President’s commitment to ensuring that we
turn a new leaf. I think what we are concerned
about is the process. It is no longer a military
regime and under our existing laws, everybody is
innocent until proven guilty.
Hmm. Sounds tough.
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