Buhari: No Amount of Pressure Will Stop me from Prosecuting Looters

Muhammadu Buhari 

•   Directs CBN, concerned ministries to develop new policies on domestic production

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja   

In an avowed commitment to the fight against corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari has declared that no amount of pressure will deter him from prosecuting those who have looted the wealth of the nation.

His administration has come under severe pressure to soft pedal on the fight against corruption, just as some critics have accused him of being selective in the fight against corruption.

But yesterday, the president, in Abuja, told Nigerians that no amount of pressure would make him give up the war against corruption in the country.

He reiterated his resolve while addressing a group of Nigerians who marched to the Presidential Villa to pledge their full support for his administration's anti-corruption campaign.

He maintained that his administration would sustain a relentless prosecution of the war against corruption, with due regard to the rule of law.

The president said that all persons charged with the stealing of the nation’s resources would have their day in court and that, upon conviction, their ill-gotten wealth would be seized and returned to government coffers.

He said: "I believe it is time for Nigeria to change course. That is why I sought election as president and got elected. As president, I am determined that Nigeria must move away from a course of endemic corruption that was leading us to perdition.

"There can be no question of our willfully allowing anyone to get away with corruption. No matter the pressure and entreaties, the anti-corruption war will continue and all accused persons will have their day in court."

Welcoming the group — Nigerians March Against Corruption — Buhari, who was represented by his Special Adviser (Media & Publicity), Mr. Femi Adesina, also reaffirmed his commitment to curbing insecurity in the country and boosting employment opportunities for Nigerians, especially the youth.

He called for the continued support and solidarity of Nigerians as his administration works to correct the wrongs of the past.

The Nigerians March Against Corruption group led by Aisha Yesufu had condemned recent statements by some individuals against the president’s anti-corruption campaign.

The group assured the president that the vast majority of ordinary Nigerians fully support his ongoing efforts to curb corruption and urged him not to be deterred by the antics of those who did not share his laudable vision of a fairer, more equitable, corruption-free and progressive nation.

Meanwhile, President Buhari monday also directed  the Ministries of Industries, Trade and Investment, and Finance, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant government agencies to evolve before next year's budget, new policies to boost domestic manufacturing.

The president added that he would gladly reverse or abandon some inherited economic policies if doing so would lead to the creation of more jobs for Nigerians.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity said Buhari made the statement at a meeting in the Presidential Villa with executive members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).

He said: "We are in difficult times economically, but we'll continue to do our best for manufacturing to pick up. We must begin to behave as if we have no oil at all.

"We will gladly have policy somersaults, if it will mean more jobs, particularly for youths. I campaigned on three major planks. To effectively secure our country, provide employment through revamping the economy, and wage a relentless war against corruption. I intend to keep faith with these promises."

He lamented that the textile industry that employed about 320,000 people in the past could only engage about 30,000 workers at present.

"It shows the carelessness of past governments, if almost 300,000 people lose their jobs in a single sector. We have a clear idea of how we can stimulate employment and we will work very hard to do so," he said.

The MAN President, Dr. Frank Udemba Jacobs, had appealed for a review of policies that  stifled the manufacturing sector, noting that the importance of a robust manufacturing sector  for the general well-being of the economy could not be over-emphasised.