How I will fight corruption if elected, says Buhari

How I will fight corruption if elected, says Buhari


The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),
General Muhammadu Buhari has come up with a blue-print on how he
would confront corruption in Nigeria if he is elected in the March 28
election.

He said that he would start from himself by publicly declaring his
assets and liabilities, and by leading the country from the point of view
of security staying in front instead of remaining in the comfort of Aso
Rock, the Presidential Villa.

Buhari made this known in a document obtained by our correspondent
which highlights what he will do in his first 100 days if he assumes
power on May 29. The document is titled, “I pledge to Nigeria.”

“I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities encourage all my
appointees to publicity declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-
condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the
salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC,” he said.

General Buhari also pledged to personally lead the war against
corruption in the country, adding that he would inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act.

General Buhari said that all his political appointees would only earn
salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and
Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC), adding that
he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also
declare their assets publicly.

On the fight against insurgents, the APC flag bearer said: “I pledge, as
Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the
comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting
forces and the generality of all Nigerians.”

He said that he would also work with the National Assembly towards
the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act.

On the other ways to strengthen the anti-graft war, he said: “We will
work with the National Assembly to strengthen the Independent
Corruption Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC)
and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by
guaranteeing institutional autonomy, including financial and
prosecutorial independence and security of tenure of officials.

“We will also make the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC
autonomous and operational; encourage proactive disclosure of
information by government institutions in the spirit of the Freedom of
Information Act.”

He also promised that his government would work with the leadership
of the National Assembly and the judiciary to cut down the cost of
governance, adding that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which he
said had been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, would be
made to concentrate on its principal function of policy making.

On the fate of the kidnapped Chibok girls, General Buhari said that as
a father, he had been feeling the pain of the victims of insurgency,
kidnapping and violence whether “they are widows and orphans of the
military, paramilitary, civilians and parents or the Chibok girls.

“My government shall act decisively on any actionable intelligence to
#BringBack Our Girls.”

He made it clear that having had the rare privilege of serving the
country in the military in various capacities and rose to the rank of a
Major General and Commander -In -Chief of the Armed Forces, he
would defend the integrity of the nation at personal and professional
levels.

If the APC candidate keeps to his promise, he will be the second
Nigeria’s President to publicly declare his assets.