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, instil 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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