Tuesday, 21 July 2015

$150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade



President Muhammadu Buhari wrote a succinct op-ed published in the Washington post to galvanize international support for his administration titled 'Nigeria committed to good governance and fighting terror'.

The president revealed that $150 billion-yes you are reading it right- has been stolen by corrupt Nigerian officials in the past decade and he is looking for the assistance of the United States to retrieve those funds.
The almighty God needs to speak to the evil in the hearts of men and women in this part of the country.

He also talked about his agenda of governance and as Obama re-iterated when he met with our President, President Buhari has a clear agenda of what he wants to achieve and how he wants go about it.

By now we can conclude that President Buhari is focusing on three main areas which he mentioned in his meeting with Ovation publisher Dele Momodu, in his op-ed for the Washington post and to the President of the United States. INSECURITY, CORRUPTION and POWER.

Even with a bare cabinet, observers would notice that his pattern of action and activities in the last six weeks falls in line with the priority areas as revealed. His first set of meetings as president operating from Defence House Abuja involved the military service chiefs. And his first major set of appointments is also decisive and telling of his priority to curb the menace of insecurity in Nigeria.

His agenda on corruption is also telling but in this case more from his ‘body language’ so far. From salary cuts, to blocking the purchase of new presidential fleet of cars, firing his CSO, increasing threat of probes and press statements.

As for power without getting ahead of ourselves, the least we can say is that power transmission capacity has peaked to the highest point in the nation’s history, even if the credit for this minor achievement could be apportioned with the previous administration.

According to his Washington Post Op-Ed we can expect a cabinet in September because agreeably “this task cannot and should not be rushed” He said. “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”.

Let’s be patient but let’s be focused.