17 Things President Buhari Addressed in His Interview with Arise News
POLITICS
17 Things President
Buhari Addressed in His Interview with Arise
News
Tundun Abiola, Reuben Abati, Arise
News Chairman Nduka Obaigbena, and
current head of the editorial board of
ThisDay,
Olusegun Adeniyi, President Muhammadu Buhari publicly addressed subjects
such as the Twitter suspension, IPOB, insecurity, economy, and corruption in Nigeria.
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On Border Closure & Corruption
We are impressed with Nigerians who went back to the farm. We made sure our
neighbours especially Niger Republic understand it. The Niger government
cooperated with us. (Fighting) corruption is very difficult under this system (and even
under the military system). But in this system, doing things with immediate effect is
not possible because those who have the money can hire first class lawyers and
cases may take 10 years. I assure you, despite the problem with the system, if we
have correct intelligence that someone is not accountable, we ease them out. Those
in top positions in my government know this.
On Shekau’s Death & Security in North East
Governor Zulum of Borno told me Boko Haram are Nigerians. You can’t kill innocent
people and say “God is Great”. We have problem of unemployment. The level of
poverty is almost unimaginable. Those who are really keeping in touch with what we
are doing, know the difference between when we came in and now. The people in
North East and South South can tell you the difference.
On Banditry
We have changed Service Chiefs, who were also part of the system during previous
tenures and tasked them to go round the country and make changes where necessary.
We can’t divulge what they are doing so as not to make the bandits aware of our
strategy.
The important thing is local security operations. We have police in every town and I’ve
been pushing them to sustain their work. Bandits are experiencing heavy casualties.
On State Police
I’ve told governors who came to me to complain about herders and farmers crises to
go back to the old system where traditional leaders, police, traders and elders meet
regularly to discuss security situation in their localities and solve them. And if it is
above them, they pass it on. Governors can’t go round and win elections and then sit
tight and wait for somebody to do their jobs for them.
On Open Grazing
What I did was ask governors to go and dig the gazette of the first republic. There are
cattle routes and grazing areas. If you allow your cattle to stray into any farm, you
are
arrested. The problem is trying to understand the culture of the cattle rearers. The
Nigerian cattle rearer has nothing else about from machetes and sticks to cut trees
for cattle. Fulani herders from outside Nigeria (who look the same as Nigerians) move
to Nigeria and they look like they are from Nigeria and some of them carry AK 47.
Devolution of Power
The problem is the local government has been virtually killed because those who
became local government chairmen have been compromised. If you LG is entitled to
N300m, a letter will be prepared for you to sign that you’ve received N300m and you’ll
be given N100m.
Protection of Children and Schools and Lifting Families Out of Poverty
Try and appreciate FG’s efforts – change of service chiefs, e.t.c but we don’t want to
give publicity to their strategy so as not to make real criminals aware. We’ve given
security agencies the go ahead to treat criminals everywhere in the language they
understand and in a few weeks you’ll begin to see results.
South East Security Crises
IPOB is like a dot in a circle, if they want to exist, they’ll have no access to anywhere.
And the way they are spread all over the country, having business and property, I think
IPOB doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Anyway, we’ve said we’ll talk to them in
the language they understand, we’ll organise the police and military to pursue them,
that’s what we can do and we’ll do it.
Lifting Suspension Of Twitter
I’ll keep it to myself
Including South Easterners (and the South in General) in Government
Positions in government/military have to be earned. You can’t just pick somebody to
balance up. People have to go through the system to rise up.
On Corruption and Members of Other Parties Joining APC
Because one or two governors joined APC? What this administration can do is make
sure APC lasts beyond this admin. That’s why the party is doing registration at all
levels. However, you’re being very unfair to us when you say joining APC makes all
your alleged corrupt practices go away.
Power Rotation in APC
Let’s allow the party to decide. We started from bottom up. The party committee has
from now till end of this month to come with a strategy for general elections. Those
who want to be president, they better join APC
On Making Nigeria Attract Foreign Direct Investment
You remember (during the End SARS protests) the young people who wanted to
march here and remove me? Tell the youths, if they want jobs, they should behave
themselves and make sure the environment is secure so people can invest. Nobody
will invest money in an unstable environment.
Nigeria’s Debt, Diversifying the Economy and Infrastructure
Ask the previous governments who earned more from oil where the money and/or infrastructure is. We are building roads and rails. No country develops without infrastructure. Did you ask those before me what they did with the money they earned? There have been a lot of waste.
Infrastructure to Niger Republic
How many neighbours do we have? You have to cultivate your relationship with your
neighbours, if you don’t, you are in trouble. Nigerians have first cousins and relatives
in Nigeria, Benin Republic.
instead of Benin by building rail (to Maradi) and good roads.
What Next After Office?
I’ve never abandoned my farm. When I leave office, I’ll go back there and keep myself
busy. For now, I’ll keep trying to convince Nigerians that I mean very well. I want to
make sure Security, Economy and Fighting Corruption, there are visible changes. On
security, we’ve done well all over the country, just the North West is trying to
overwhelm me.
His Legacy
I’ll allow Nigerians to say it. I hope they’ll be fair to me. I want them to analyse how
things were when we came in and how they are when we’re leaving.
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