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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
President
Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said it would neither be prudent nor serve the
interests of sound government for him to have formed his cabinet immediately he
was inaugurated on May 29.
He said it was
necessary for the country to first put new rules of conduct and good governance
in place before he could make critical appointments into his government.
Buhari made
the clarification in his article titled, “Nigeria committed to good governance
and fighting terror”, published by the Washington Post ahead of his historic
meeting with President Barack Obama of United States.
He said it was
noteworthy that Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for
several months after first taking office. He said despite that delay, the US
did not cease to function in the interim.
He said, “As I
meet with President Obama today (Monday), the first time a President of the
United States will encounter a Nigerian counterpart following the peaceful transfer
of power in a contested election in our history, I will be discussing my plans
for critical reforms.
“So, too, will
I discuss why the formation of my administration is taking time and, crucially,
why it must. Already, there are voices saying these changes are taking too
long, even though only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such
calls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed.”
“When cabinet
ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the
oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full
Cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United
States did not cease to function in the interim.
“In Nigeria’s
case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government
to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency;
instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in
place.”
“I cannot
stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out
correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership
of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko
Haram.”
Buhari said
there were too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence where
it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at national
level.
He said the
lack of a governance framework had allowed many of those in charge, devoid of
any real checks and balances, to plunder.
The President
said the fact that he now seeks Obama’s assistance in locating and returning
$150bn stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of
former, corrupt officials was a testament to how badly Nigeria has been run.
This way of
conducting the nation’s affairs, he said, cannot continue.
He also argued
that failure of governance has been as much a factor in Nigeria’s inability
thus far to defeat Boko Haram, as have been issues with the military campaign
itself.
“So, the path
we must take is simple, even if it is not easy: First, instill rules and good
governance. Second, install officials who are experienced and capable of
managing state agencies and ministries. And third, seek to recover funds stolen
under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the
benefit of all of our citizens.”
“We seek the
support and partnership of the United States in these tasks. The importance of
the fight against terrorism and corruption in Nigeria, Africa’s most powerful
economy and largest populace, cannot be underestimated.”
“Our allies
can provide much needed military training and intelligence as our soldiers take
the war effort to Boko Haram. Similarly, we look to US businesses as well as
the Obama administration to help develop governance initiatives that can ensure
that Nigeria’s wealth benefits all its people, not just a few.”
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