Nigeria@55: Nigerians Must Join In The Fight Against Corruption- Obasanjo

The former president, who spoke on Nigeria’s 55th Independence Anniversary at his country home in Abeokuta on Thursday, revealed that the diplomatic impressions received from Bill Clinton, ex-President of United States, Gordon Brown, ex-Prime Minister of United Kingdom and other leaders immediately after the session, was promising and would have positive impacts for Nigeria. The President has a lot of experience to bring to the oil industry. Our government set out to do things methodically and properly.

Like millions of Nigerians and many well-meaning persons all over Africa and the world at large, I continue to pray that God grants President Buhari the grace and wisdom to enable him steer this nation aright. But eventually we will have. Are they aware that they are going to work under a man that sees a bounded duty to protect the treasury from such rapacious influences that flowered under the previous regime and under which so-called ministers and their stand patters luxuriated? If anything goes wrong they would be invited to explain, but unfor¬tunately the outgoing government did not cooperate. So, I am not in a hurry to get ministers. “We must not play with the issue of economy; we must not play with the issue of security and peace”.

He exchanged pleasantries with them before taking his seat.

Before the list was out, there had been tension even within the APC regarding those that could be appointed in the cabinet, the criteria that such appointment should follow and how it would satisfy the interest of leaders and chieftains of the party who worked to ensure victory at the polls.

Ironically, same day, the Senate president in his welcome address to his colleagues after a six-week vacation, applauded Buhari’s non-interference stance on the election of the leadership of the National Assembly but insisted that forces outside the Red Chamber were behind his travails.

He has kept away from the seat of power probably because of his faceoff with his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Accordingly, the widely reported speculation that the President is likely to nominate Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, should also be reviewed. In a matter of months, those inconsolable scoffers who are trapped in the boring art of riding against the wind, just because they lost their points if stealing, will admit that President Buhari, in removing the garb of impunity, corruption and irresponsibility that has made ministerial positions so attractive in corruption-prone Nigeria, is rescuing the lost soul of public service in Nigeria.

The event, which was held at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, witnessed a special Presidential change of guard to mark the event, which lasted for about two hours.

Justice Mohammed had while granting the motion ex parte that was argued before him, directed the CCB and the CCT to appear before him on September 21, 2015 and show cause why the interim injunction being sought by the Senate President should not be granted.