Corrupt Gov’t Worse Than Arm Robbery - Buhari

Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has said that a bad and a corrupt government is a national disaster than robbery.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has said that a currupt government is worse than armed robbery.

“I believe that a bad and corrupt government is a much danger to national security as armed robbers, kidnappers and terrorists. I want to commend our armed forces for their recent successes over the Boko Haram.” Buhari said.

He spoke at an APC’s Town Hall meeting on security, held at the Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, on Wednesday.

He explained that by his training and experience, the concept of security must be holistic.


According to him, it goes beyond having the best Police Force and the military; it involves sound economic management which includes zero tolerance for corruption as well as leadership by example.

The ex-military ruler stressed that the safety and welfare of all citizens which he said was the primary purpose of government anywhere in the world, could be better pursued and achieved when the right government is in place.

Buhari said, “The total security concept reflects directly on improving the quality of the lives of our people and rebuilding the economy.
“Even if we have the best police, we will not be able to guarantee total security as long as 53 per cent of our youths remain unemployed and 70 per cent of our people are living below the poverty line.

“These are all the issues that my party and myself are committed to. It is along this line that we have promised a regretting plan for the North East of Nigeria. It is based on ensuring that never again will our country experience the type of human tragedy currently going on in that part of the country.”

He explained that during his short stint as military head of state, he increased Nigeria’s refineries from one with a capacity to refine 50,000 barrel per day to four with refining capacity of 450,000 barrel per day without borrowing a single kobo from anywhere.

The APC presidential candidate also explained how he resisted foreign and domestic pressures to devalue the Naira and remove subsidy on petroleum products in December 1983.

He challenged anybody who had contrary information about this to come out and tell Nigerians.


Source: The Punch

Nigeria's Military Detains Two Al Jazeera Reporters

Nigeria’s military has detained two Al Jazeera journalists in the northeast city of Maiduguri since Tuesday.

Nigeria's military has detained two Al Jazeera journalists in the northeast city of Maiduguri since Tuesday, the television broadcaster said on Thursday, days ahead of the country's general elections.

Al Jazeera said the journalists, Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustafa, were being kept in their hotel rooms until further notice. Their camera equipment has been confiscated.

It added that the two journalists had been accredited by the electoral authorities with "clearance to report from anywhere".

Northeastern Nigeria was effectively declared off limits to journalists in 2013 after the government imposed emergency rule in Yobe, Adamawa and Borno, the three states worst affected by Islamist jihadis Boko Haram.

Maiduguri is the capital of Borno state, the heartland of the insurgency.


Nigeria's defense headquarters said on Wednesday the two reporters were "restrained to their hotel" in the Borno state capital after they had been detained for "loitering" in areas where military operations against Boko Haram were under way.

They had also been observed in Yobe state, it said, adding it had previously cautioned journalists against unauthorized movements in areas with military operations.

With the general elections set for Saturday, the country has tightened security by closing land and sea borders. Roads will be shut on election day for all but authorized vehicles.

The presidential poll is expected to be the most hotly contested since the end of military rule in 1999. Incumbent Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party is running against former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress.


Source: Reuters