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| Pat Utomi |
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| Pastor Tunde Bakare |
… President-elect insist on credible economic team
… transition committee members may serve as ministers
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| President-elect , General Mohammadu Buhari |
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed
the appointment of Pastor Tunde Bakare, as the head of the May 29, transition committee which
will meet with a similar committee from the presidency on the handover from the
Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Also making the list is Prof. Pat Utomi, and some top technocrats in the country.
He revealed this while speaking with reporters at
his country home in Daura, Katsina State, shortly after voting at weekend.
The President-elect confirmed that only credible, patriotic and knowledgeable
Nigerians would make up the transition committee, as part of the first steps to
chart an entirely new path for the country.
According to him, the major problem confronting
the country has been lack of accountability and a dysfunctional budgetary
system which has over the years worked against the tides of development.
Buhari is also expected to personally interview
each of the members of the committee, immediately after the transition process.
Strong indication also emerged that some
of the committee members screened by Buhari, may be elevated as ministers to
work with him.
Revealing the credibility of his yet-to-be
constituted by his cabinet, member disclosed that round pegs would be put in
round holes.
He said, “My hope as well as my idea is to get
knowledgeable and experienced technocrats that are really patriotic to study
the handover notes by ministries and make recommendations. I want them to be
completely detached people who are patriotic Nigerians, who are knowledgeable
and experienced.
“If we get majority of politicians involved, it
will lead to rows and we may end up with inconclusive recommendations, which
are not very helpful in our condition.
“When I get it ready and before it is published,
I will show it to the leadership of my party and the terms of reference, as
well as the time limit and the result of their work.
“We will quickly study the recommendations before
the inauguration so that before we are sworn in, we get into action,” he said.
On the state of the nation, Buhari said: “It is a
difficult time for Nigerians as you all know. I have said it in the past that
in the last 16 years, Nigeria has never realised the amount of revenue it
received. A barrel of crude oil rose to about $140 and has crashed to about $50
now.
“During the 16 years, we knew some big companies
that employed a lot of Nigerians and gave them training facilities like the
Nigeria Airways and the Nigeria Shipping Line.
“Even the Nigerian Railways is managing to be on
paper with some refurbished engines moving from Lagos to Ibadan and a few other
places. But if you go to their stations all over the country, you will realise
that they are in a terrible shape.
“The important thing in a country with a huge
population of youths, with more than 60 per cent of them under the age of 30
who are unemployed, is that you need these institutions to give jobs and
training to Nigerians.
“It is very disappointing that the PDP government
virtually failed to use those resources to make sure that the economy continues
to grow in a sustainable way.
“I think the worst thing is the lack of
accountability and the terrible budgetary system. Imagine that over 90 per cent
of Nigeria’s budget is spent on recurrent spending.
“How can you sustain development in a developing
country like Nigeria with only about 10 per cent of your income going to
capital spending? Things just have to change.”
On the gale of defections in the aftermath of the
presidential election, Buhari said: “I think that this is mainly a question
meant for the party. I wish Chief John Oyegun was here to answer you, because
we have a system.
“Just because I was the presidential candidate
and now president-elect, I don’t think that the system has allowed me to usurp
the power of the party executives.
“But certainly, in a multi-party democratic
system, fundamentally, it is the number that matters for the people. But for
the party, what matters is the ability to manage the number so that the
majority will have its way, so that there will be justice.
“No matter what the remnants from the PDP by May
29, I assure you or I assure them through you that there will be justice in
APC.”
Addressing some of the issues that attended the
outcome of the just concluded governorship and House of Assembly elections,
Buhari specifically complained about a few unsavoury developments in some parts
of the country like in Rivers State but asked that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) be allowed to give its comprehensive report first.
“I personally want to be legal about this so that
people will appreciate that we believe in a system. What we need to do is to
modify the system according to the law if we don't like it, and that no one
should come out and do to the system whatever he likes. I have a lot of respect
for the governor of Rivers State (Chibuike Amaechi) for his courage.
“It has been a long time and as you all know, at
a certain time, the former Commissioner of Police virtually hijacked the state
and the governor was virtually sentenced to the streets fighting thugs without
law enforcement agents to survive as a governor, while the constitution made it
very clear to all of us that the governor is the chief security officer of the
state.
“So a lot of unconstitutional and lawless acts of
the PDP are on record and we intend to make the PDP understand it and make sure
that according to law, those who are responsible for that are taken to the
courts and properly charged.
“We are in this system because we believe in it
and we want it to be stabilised because it is better for our country,” he said.
