THE NATION FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2015
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THE SOUTHEAST REPORT mal, it is only in the head that you can find it. Buhari has to look beyond his nose bridge to see credible characters, remember “na only when you bend down, you go see Aba well well”. It is only through this Town Union structure that relevant government programmes and policies could be marketed and communicated to the people and interpreted in the language they will understand. What is your assessment of Buhari’s victory at the polls? Buhari’s presumed integrity profile remains his greatest asset in this current political dispensation. I am personally excited by such level of integrity profile as acclaimed. Looking at Buhari’s antecedents, track record and history both as a military personnel and as a civilian, one would notice some form of defiant straight forwardness which is what Nigeria requires now and which is the only gospel I preach in my political career. If you remember his time as a military head of state, the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) and other character moulding policies then, you would understand what I am talking about. If Nigeria had continued with that policy, we wouldn’t have found ourselves in this messy corruption today. However, I hope he is still the same Buhari of the WAI fame. Buhari won the election because of this singular factor of perceived integrity. There are fears of a possible marginalisation of the Southeast as Buhari got the least support from the zone in the last election? Who told you the Igbos didn’t vote for him? You see, there are two types of voting and political support; one is active, the other is passive. If one deliberately refuses to vote for his brother who is your opponent, it’s a form of passive or latent support for you. If you compare the voting pattern in 2011 with that of 2015, especially in the Southeast you will realise what I am talking about. Even at that the Igbos voted for Buhari both actively
‘Buhari should partner town unions’ and passively. However, we have passed the stage of election politics; we are now in the politics of governance. Buhari has won the election, he needs to also succeed and win in governance. The two stages and scenarios are quite different. A set of people relevant for a successful election might not necessarily be the set relevant for successful governance. Buhari like himself must bluntly appreciate this obvious fact. What are the areas you want the President to prioritise? The other day I read in the newspaper that there are four major challenges they want to start with; unemployment, corruption, insecurity and economy. As far as I am concerned, Nigeria has only one major, mega problem; CORRUPTION. It is a killer virus that controls all other challenges in Nigeria. If Buhari can successfully develop a vaccine for this virus, he would have been the best thing to happen to Nigeria. Why do you think Buhari can tackle corruption? You see, the first and most effective armour to wear in the fight against corruption is integrity being corruption-free, that is leadership by example. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Buhari is widely known for having this armour, at least when compared other human leadership options. Buhari should be very careful because most people around him are all corrupt and disqualified from participating in this war. Corruption cannot fight corruption; when corruption fights itself, the result will be compromise. But there are Nigerians who are not corrupt or whose level of integrity is within acceptable range. Buhari must look for such people. He can take his time to do this instead of hurrying into calamity. He must look beyond his party and tribal environment. Buhari should
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The first and most effective armour to wear in the fight against corruption is integrity - being corruption-free, that is leadership by example. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. Buhari is widely known for having this armour
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constitute credible search committees at all levels so that this reformation will happen simultaneously throughout the federation. Credible and potent anti-corruption taskforces must be put in place. Buhari has just appointed Service chiefs and no Igbo man or woman made the list. Some Igbo leaders are crying marginalisation, what is your take on that? I think it is still not yet time for a loud suspicion. There are many other appointments yet to be made. The Presidential spokesman said the appointments of the Service Chiefs were purely based on merit. Let’s watch. Luckily the Igbos are known for merit and achieves a lot by merit. There are many appointment areas where the Igbos will excel on merit. Let’s see whether merit will turn to demerit. Critics have described Buhari as slow. Is it about age? What do you think? I don’t know why people harp on irrelevances. Buhari made an innocent, realistic observation about his natural limitations and some busybodies are making unwarranted issues about it. Tell
me who doesn’t have limitations? Do we prefer a young energetic but corrupt president to an old president with sufficient integrity profile? Nelson Mandela was older when he gave South Africa the best leadership in history. Buhari, Osibanjo and some state governors have either said they won’t take salaries for now or slashed their salaries by half. This has no impact on the economy or payment of salaries to workers. Even if you put together all the official salaries of the President, governors and National Assembly members, it won’t create any significant impact on the economy. If they want to sacrifice, let them sacrifice all the allowances including secu-
rity votes and retain their basic salaries. A labourer is worthy of his wages. That is the essence of basic salaries. We are talking of mountains of money and resources that corrupt officials stole and removed from the treasury and you are talking of salaries. Let them take their salaries, but institute an enduring solution to corruption, that is the only the country can prosper. Even if they forfeit their salaries but do not confront corruption frontally, corrupt officials will hijack the forfeited salaries and it would defeat the essence of such forfeiture. What is your advice to the President? He needs to be himself and firm. He should be focused and concentrate on the war against corruption. He should look for very credible Nigerians no matter their political party or tribe to join forces with him in achieving good governance in Nigeria. Buhari should avoid policy summersaults. That he somersaulted on his earlier decision to allow the state government sort out their workers’ salaries issue does not show administrative firmness. Is he allowing himself to be pushed around? The states should be compelled to fill-up the trenches they dug. It is not proper for the Federal Government to run to their rescue immediately after they have looted the state treasuries. I hope this is the Buhari we used to know? Well let us give him the benefit of doubt because of the civil servants’ sufferings.
Ex-NOA boss makes case for restructuring •Continued from page 26 tion, just as he threw his weight in the reconstruction of the war-battered school blocks in his alma mater, Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha. While describing Sir Chris Efobi as a celebrated African leader, pride of Ndi Igbo, philanthropist and great Dengramite, the guest lecturer praised the organisers for honouring the late founder of popular Chris Chemist, Enugu, saying such efforts would inspire the younger ones to do good for society. The chairman of the Dennis Memorial Grammar School Old Boys Association, Enugu Branch, Mr. Emma Atu explained that the lecture was organized in every July as a mark of honour to reward Sir Chris Efobi for his numerous contributions to DMGS, churches, schools and humanity and appealed to corporate Nigeria to support the Chris Efobi scholarship foundation.
Battle against child cultists •Continued from page 26
•Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (left) congratulates a mother and her son who underwent a successful open heart surgery at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku/Ozara, Enugu State
popular mission secondary school (name withheld) in Izzi Local Government Area of the state. The school boys who were said to have just concluded their National Examination Council (NECO) were also reckoned to be members of a cult group identified as Junior Vikings. They had gathered at a hotel in the metropolis located along old Enugu Road to be initiated into the Senior Vikings when police swooped on them following a tip-off. As the initiation lasted, the police stormed the venue leading to the arrest of over fifteen of the students while the initiators flee. Police spokesman, DSP Chris Anyanwu said the initiators had dangerous items which he said were arranged for the initiation, adding that the police have mounted a manhunt for the fleeing suspects. He explained that the initiators who are members of the Senior Vikings mandated the graduating students who dressed in white hats, red shirts and black trousers to be initiated into the senior team or be ready to face difficult conditions in their lives. Anyanwu who regretted that cult activities have increased in the state in the last few months, announced that the command will embark on a sensitisation campaign in schools in the state to enlighten the pupils on the need to shun cultism. He noted that if not checked, cultism could lead to violent crimes like armed robbery and kidnapping, among others. He described it as a societal problem. The spokesman revealed that the command has arrested a kingpin of a popular cult group in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.