» Trial Of Those Who Stole National Resources To Begin Soon – President Buhari «

President Muhammadu Buhari said Tuesday in
Abuja that the prosecution of persons who have
stolen national resources will begin in a matter of
weeks. President Muhammadu Buhari Wikipedia
Speaking at a meeting with members of the
National Peace Committee led by Gen.
Abdulsalami Abubakar in the Presidential Villa,
President Buhari declared that his administration
was irrevocably committed to doing all within its
powers to break the vicious cycle of corruption,
unemployment and insecurity in Nigeria.
"Nigeria has to break this vicious cycle before we
can make progress," the President said, adding
that his administration was diligently getting facts
and figures pertaining to the nation's stolen funds,
before proceeding to the prosecution of identified
culprits.
President Buhari told General Abdulsalami and
members of his committee that the Federal
Government, under his leadership, will not only
ask for the return of stolen funds that have been
stashed in foreign banks, but will also ensure that
those who stole the funds are put on trial in
Nigeria.
The President also said that as part of its actions
to address the national problems it inherited, his
administration was reorganising Nigeria's revenue
generating institutions.
The President explained that a single treasury
account had been established for all Federal
revenue to ensure greater probity, transparency
and accountability in the collection, disbursement
and utilisation of national funds.
"We have really degenerated as a country. Our
national institutions, including the military, which
did wonderfully on foreign missions in the past,
have been compromised. But we are doing
something about it. The military is now retraining
and morale has been resuscitated.
"As Petroleum Minister under Gen. Olusegun
Obasanjo in the 1970s, I could not travel abroad
until I had taken a memo to the Federal Executive
Council asking for estacode. Now, everybody
does what he wants.
"That is why security-wise and economically,
we're in trouble," President Buhari told his guests,
adding that those who have stolen the national
wealth "will be in court in a matter of weeks and
Nigerians will know those who have short-
changed them."
Gen. Abubakar and members of his committee
urged the Federal Government to be guided by
the rule of law in its fight against corruption.
Members of the National Peace Committee who
accompanied Gen Abubakar on the visit were
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, His Eminence,
Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto,
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor,
President of the Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) and Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Primate of
the Anglican Church of Nigeria.
Others were Justice Rose Ukeje (rtd), Prof Ameze
Guobadia, Vanguard Newspaper Publisher, Sam
Amuka, Dame Priscilla Kuye, Senator Ben Obi, Dr.
Yunusa Tanko, and Dr Arthur-Martin Aginam.
The National Peace Committee, formed before the
2015 general elections, was granted permission
by the President to transform to a National Peace
Council.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)