President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, made a robust defence of the integrity of all 36 ministers in his cabinet challenging anyone with a contrary view to present evidence against such a minister.

Speaking in his first media chat, the president said the first gains of the war against corruption would become evident by the end of March, next year, even as he accused erstwhile National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) of having allegedly committed atrocities against Nigeria through reckless disbursement of billions of government funds.

The president made his first dismissal of the agitation for Biafra stating that Igbo were in strategic position in the cabinet including holding the petroleum and labour portfolios besides the stewardship of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

President Buhari also assured of the administration’s readiness to implement the N5,000 monthly transfer to vulnerable Nigerians even as he said the campaign promise did not emanate from him but from his then running mate, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. He also frowned at the allocation of N47.7 billion for the purchase of vehicles by the National Assembly even after the lawmakers had collected car loans from the government.

The president, who expressed his readiness to negotiate with any credible leadership of the Boko Haram sect for the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls also disclosed his readiness to consider a ban on the use of hijab should the trend of bombing through young veiled girls continue.

Noting the dire economic conditions facing the country, President Buhari was, nevertheless, against the immediate devaluation of the naira even as he revealed that N1.5 trillion had been recovered into the federation account through the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.

The president also spoke on the fate of the Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, saying that he had allowed the Kaduna State government and the military authorities to take the lead in the investigations. He affirmed that the cleric had over time overstepped his bounds to the distress of the communities he lived.

On the panel that interviewed the president yesterday were Kayode Akintemi, Channels TV; Dr. Ngozi Anyaegbulam, Media World International; Munir Dan Ali, Daily Trust and Ibanga Isine, Premium Times.

On the ministers
“I don’t think I tolerate corruption, I don’t think I picked anybody that I know will embarrass my government. But if you have any evidence about any of my ministers, I accept responsibility for the 36 ministers that I have.

“I don’t think I took anybody among the ministers who has got a case in court. Tell me one out of the 36. I don’t think I will deliberately make that mistake.”

Asked if he would sack any of the ministers if he or she is charged to court for corruption, he said:
“No, I will insist that the case go through the courts.”

On the location and condition of the Chibok girls, he said he would be prepared to negotiate with credible elements in the Boko Haram leadership if there is precise intelligence that could help return the girls to their parents. He, however, affirmed that presently he did not superior intelligence on the fate of the girls.

“We are still keeping our options open. If a credible leadership of Boko Haram can be established and they tell us where those girls are, we are prepared to negotiate with them without any pre-condition. This we have made absolutely clear. But while they are keeping the Chibok girls, they must not get away with the idea that we will not attempt to secure the rest of Nigeria.

“We have no firm intelligence on where they are physically and what condition they are in. But what we believe from our intelligence, they keep taking the girls around, they are not keeping all the girls in one place, we don’t know how many divisions they made of them and where they are.

On the crisis in Kaduna involving followers of the Shite leader, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, he said:

“I expect the Kaduna State Government to set up a judicial inquiry because it happened in Kaduna, in one of the cities and it has been there for the last twenty years from what I have been reading from papers. They will occupy a federal highway, sometimes from Kano to Kaduna. This is what I heard.

“We have a system of investigation, the military that was involved too have a tradition of investigation and I am the head of the federal government, I have to wait for the official report before I can come out as head of the federal government and make a statement. So I am allowing the Army and the Kaduna State government to submit their report of inquiry. Meanwhile it does not mean that the police, the SSS and other directorate involved are not doing their own part of constitutional role.

Frowning at the activities of the group, he said:
“Unfortunately it is very serious. How can any group proclaim statehood in a state? I don’t want to speak about it in details now, I better leave it still after the report of the inquiry but there are a number of clips I saw, where some excited teenagers were visually hitting the chest of a general, mounting road blocks and threatening them with missiles.

On the contentious issue of subsidy, the president said that by the end of the next quarter that there would be no more talk about subsidy in the price of petroleum.

N5,000 monthly stipend for the less privileged

“When my VP was quoted, how can I come here and disown it? First, I believe in getting facts, how many are involved? How are we going to do it? Is it state by state or geo-political zone by geo-political zone? In trying to get the bottom of the problem, a lot of work has to be done and if it is undertaken, we have to look at it very well.”

On Dasuki, Kanu and others

Asked on the alleged flouting of court orders by the state on the issue of Dasuki and detained Biafran agitator, Nnamdi Kanu, he said:

“Technically, if you see the kind of atrocities those people committed, if they jump bail? I am sorry to say this publicly…the former president just wrote to the governor of the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of country do you want to run?

“The one you called Kanu, do you know he has two passports? One Nigerian, one British and he came to this country without using any passport? Do you know that he brought sophisticated equipment into this country and started broadcasting for Radio Biafra? There is a treasonable charge against him and I hope the court will listen to the case.

Biafra and marginalisation of Ndigbo

“They say they are marginalised but they have not defined the extent of marginalisation. Who is marginalising them? Where? Do you know? Choosing a minister is not a matter of ethnicity, it is a matter of the constitution. I am limited by what the constitution says that there must be a member of the executive council from each state. There is a lot of partisan politics in it. Who is the Minister of State for Petroleum? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the governor of the CBN? Is he not an Igbo? Who is the Minister of Labour? Who is the Minister of Science and Technology? What do they want? I stood elections and I won, I am limited by the constitution, I have a member of every state in the Federal Executive Council and I have to listen to them when I sit as chairman. That is the limit the constitution gave me”.

Asked if he would consider banning the use of hijab in the face of the continued use of veiled girls in suicide missions in the Northeast, the president said:

“Placing ban on hijab is not enough. However, if this continues it will be banned. Because it is for the safety of the people generally.”

Cc: lalasticlala

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/none-of-my-ministers-is-corrupt-buhari/

“I don’t think I took anybody among the ministers who has got a case in court. Tell me one out of the 36. I don’t think I will deliberately make that mistake.”

Asked if he would sack any of the ministers if he or she is charged to court for corruption, he said:
“No, I will insist that the case go through the courts.”


In other news, Amaechi is not corrupt. But thats none of my business. Continue Baba.

For the dullard and show me my certificate crew, my Sai Buhari answered all the questions with a touch of brilliance.



For the 5000 Naira crew, you guys would soon start receiving your own share on like the Sure-P scam.



For the wailing wailers association of Nigeria, keep on wailing and pretend not to see the big positive changes.



For the Amaechi is corrupt crew, still waiting to get any reasonable evidence even from Wike there master to prove that our honorable minister of transport is corrupt.



For the Nnamdi Kanu and Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky crew, you guys found out the hard way that you pay for breaking the law irrespective of your ethnic group or religion.


For the Hijab crew, your days are numbered.


Sai Buhari!!!

PMB carry go.

hijab is a scam,#sayno2hijab#

I am sorry to say this publicly…the former president just wrote to the governor of the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of country do you want to run?


When will DSS and EFCC invites GEJ? am sick of hearing about arms deal daily. and on the Hijab, its high time the govt. do something about it.

DONSMITH123:
I am sorry to say this publicly…the former president just wrote to the governor of the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of country do you want to run?


When will DSS and EFCC invites GEJ? am sick of hearing about arms deal daily.

Dealing with GEJ has to be handled with extra care and tact.

PMB doesn't have to embarass GEJ especially in the kind of country we are. Let him deal with the Dasukis, Dokpesis, Bafarawas, Kanus and co first and we wait for how he handles GEJ. In fact, it may just be enough to make GEJ return his part of the loot in order for us to continue to co-exist peacefully.

To those who continue to shout Amaechi is corrupt, Fashola is corrupt bla bla bla, you're challenged once more by the president on national TV to provide evidence and take any of those guys to court. After all, they enjoy no immunity against prosecution.

una ehen, see food for wailers early morning. DonSmith123 are you sure the president said that? and if yes, baba is right.


Carry go Mr President.


PDP is dead--Alao Akala

OnankpaBa:
una ehen, see food for wailers early morning. DonSmith123 are you sure the president said that? and if yes, baba is right.


Carry go Mr President.


PDP is dead--Alao Akala

I think you have a valid point my guy. Happy new year in advance.

PassingShot:

Dealing with GEJ has to be handled with extra care and tact.

PMB doesn't have to embarass GEJ especially in the kind of country we are. Let him deal with the Dasukis, Dokpesis, Bafarawas, Kanus and co first and we wait for how he handles GEJ. In fact, it may just be enough to make GEJ return his part of the loot in order for us to continue to co-exist peacefully.

So amaechi and fashola are not corrupt? We all expected Dullardinhho to appoint saints but he still chose recycled theives.

DONSMITH123:
I think you have a valid point my guy. Happy new year in advance.

Wish you same.

too early for me to counter-attack thee, but may i remind you that we have other ministers and not only Amaechi. If you are sure that Amaechi is corrupt, bring your evidence.

OsusuMustFlow:



“I don’t think I took anybody among the ministers who has got a case in court. Tell me one out of the 36. I don’t think I will deliberately make that mistake.”

Asked if he would sack any of the ministers if he or she is charged to court for corruption, he said:
“No, I will insist that the case go through the courts.”


In other news, Amaechi is not corrupt. But thats none of my business. Continue Baba.

eyaa!!! you dey even wail inside dream?

Karlovich:
So amaechi and fashola are not corrupt? We all expected Dullardinhho to appoint saints but he still chose recycled theives.

OnankpaBa:
eyaa!!! you dey even wail inside dream?

no i don't.

then wake up to reality bro.

Karlovich:
no i don't.

clap for yourself.

OnankpaBa:
too early for me to counter-attack thee, but may i remind you that we have other ministers and not only Amaechi. If you are sure that Amaechi is corrupt, bring your evidence.

shut up there smally.

OsusuMustFlow:

clap for yourself.

OnankpaBa:
then wake up to reality bro.

the reality that 8 months after winning an election, all the current govt has been doing is blame jonathan

Sorry sir eparo

God bless you my guy. May your tea never lack milk come 2016.

Demmocrats:
For the dullard and show me my certificate crew, my Sai Buhari answered all the questions with a touch of brilliance.



For the 5000 Naira crew, you guys would soon start receiving your own share on like the Sure-P scam.



For the wailing wailers association of Nigeria, keep on wailing and pretend not to see the big positive changes.



For the Amaechi is corrupt crew, still waiting to get any reasonable evidence even from Wike there master to prove that our honorable minister of transport is corrupt.



For the Nnamdi Kanu and Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky crew, you guys found out the hard way that you pay for breaking the law irrespective of your ethnic group or religion.


For the Hijab crew, your days are numbered.


Sai Buhari!!!

NO! The reality the Jonathan and his ministers emptied naija and we are still defending them blindly.

Karlovich:
the reality that 8 months after winning an election, all the current govt has been doing is blame jonathan

OnankpaBa:

NO! The reality the Jonathan and his ministers emptied naija and we are still defending them blindly.

well fashola and amaechi were still part of jonathan's govt weren't they? They still got monthly allocation for their states from jonathan's govt. May i know what they were able to do with it

the former president just wrote to the governor of the CBN and said give N40 billion to someone while you have two million Internally Displaced Persons, what kind of country do you want to run?

Karlovich:
the reality that 8 months after winning an election, all the current govt has been doing is blame jonathan

And people like you will keep shouting GEJ.

Time will tell.

It is clear from last night's Presidential Media Chat that Buhari has not changed thirty one years on. He has remained an unrepentant dictator. His utterances and body language betrayed him especially towards the end of the chat.
He goofed on the obedience of court orders. When asked why Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu are constantly denied bail even after the courts granted them such, he became the prosecutor and judge at the same time saying they can never be freed.

It is now official: we are in a dictatorship in Nigeria.

I truly feel sorry for the way Buhari wants to run this country. But one factor he left out of his boasts was God. No matter how hard you try to frustrate a man, if it is not God's will, it will fail whether you are the president or not.

I urge all Nigerians to learn how to pray better in 2016 for themselves and their families because the Federal Government is hell bent for a hard time on its citizens.

I knew Amaechi will always remain you guys nightmare till thy kingdom come.

Karlovich:
well fashola and amaechi were still part of jonathan's govt weren't they? They still got monthly allocation for their states from jonathan's govt. May i know what they were able to do with it

So is the president saying that technically, the billions Amechi used in sponsoring his campaign is his and not syphoned from Rivers state? That Fashola is a saint?

ShySteady:
[s]It is clear from last night's Presidential Media Chat that Buhari has not changed thirty one years on. He has remained an unrepentant dictator. His utterances and body language betrayed him especially towards the end of the chat.
He goofed on the obedience of court orders. When asked why Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu are constantly denied bail even after the courts granted them such, he became the prosecutor and judge at the same time saying they can never be freed.

It is now official: we are in a dictatorship in Nigeria.

I truly feel sorry for the way Buhari wants to run this country. But one factor he left out of his boasts was God. No matter how hard you try to frustrate a man, if it is not God's will, it will fail whether you are the president or not.

I urge all Nigerians to learn how to pray better in 2016 for themselves and their families because the Federal Government is hell bent for a hard time on its citizens.[/s]

clap for yourself. Continue wailing.

gerarahere

Nzepresh:
[s]So is the president saying that technically, the billions Amechi used in sponsoring his campaign is his and not syphoned from Rivers state? That Fashola is a saint?[/s]