Buhari to Extend Dragnet to Corrupt APC Members-Tobi Soniyi

President Muhammadu Buhari

• President secures US promise on repatriation of stolen funds, Nigeria to renegotiate
extradition treaty
• Nigerian leader woos US investors, vows to continue privatisation

President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to extend the war against corruption to corrupt members of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that there will be no party member or personality that can escape justice.
Buhari, who is on a four-day official visit to the United States of America, made this known yesterday on the CNN current affairs programme Amanpour.

The programme’s anchor, Ms. Christiane Amanpour, had asked the president on his campaign promise to root out corruption and if he would crackdown on members of his own party or his associates if they turned out to be some of the guilty ones, he said: “I just have too. There isn’t going to be any party member of personality that can escape justice.”

On the issue of insecurity in the country, Buhari restated that Nigerians were rooting for normalcy in the country, making references to oil infrastructure vandalism and kidnappings in the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east.
“This is major preoccupation in Nigeria now and is a realistic way of looking at things, and nothing will work until the country is secure,” he told Amanpour.

When she reminded him that there had been at least 400 deaths since he assumed office and the credibility of the military had been eroded due to the Amnesty International report on human rights abuses, Buhari stated her that under the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the member countries had agreed to set up the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

“So whatever happened before that decision was taken, we have to allow further investigation to verify the question of human rights abuse, and I’m sure you must have known of the decision taken by this government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, on changing the military command,” he said.

On if his government was willing to trade the kidnapped Chibok girls for incarcerated Boko Haram inmates, the president called for caution on the credibility of various Boko Haram leadership that show up claiming that they can deliver, adding: “We have to be very careful. Indeed, this is why we are taking our time, because we want to bring them safe (sic) back to their parents and to their school.”

He maintained that he was not against negotiations with the Islamist sect so long as he can verify the credibility of those who approach the government, “because our main objective as a government is to secure those girls safely and sound back to their school and rehabilitate them to go back to normal life.
“So if we are convinced that the leadership that presents itself can deliver those girls safe and sound, we will be prepared to negotiate what they want”.

When Amanpour reminded him that he came to power on the promise of doing better than the previous president in the areas of security, corruption and on the economy, yet there had been hundreds of people killed since he became president, Buhari said he could be held to his promises for the next three and three-quarter years ahead of him, noting that it was too early for anyone to pass judgment on his campaign promises.

Responding to the question on if he was disappointed that President (Barack) Obama was yet again not coming to Nigeria, he said: “I wouldn’t say I am disappointed, but how I wished he would change his mind and come to Nigeria."

He added that he had asked Obama verbally to visit Nigeria and would follow up with a formal invitation.
Meanwhile, as Buhari’s visit to the US enters its second day, the US government has suggested that Nigeria re-negotiates the extradition treaty it signed with it in 1985.

A statement issued by Mr. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant, Media to the president, said this was part of a fallout of Buhari's meeting with the US Attorney-General Loretta Lynch on Monday.

The statement also said that the US government had agreed to assist Nigeria recover all identified ill-gotten wealth in countries in which they have jurisdiction, including the US itself.

It said the US would also offer training to judicial staff and prosecutors “in order to place Nigeria in a good position to uncover proceeds of corruption and for improved prosecution of cases of crime”.

Details emerging from the meeting the president and Lynch had on the subject of support for the war against corruption in Nigeria indicated that the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed between the two countries in 1985, which came into effect in 2003, would be given teeth.

The statement read: “There will be collaboration. Each of the two countries will receive legal assistance from the other on criminal matters and that should cover the recovery of ill-gotten wealth.

“On extradition, we already have a treaty with US by virtue of being a former British colonial territory. There is however the possibility that Nigeria might negotiate a new extradition treaty to meet our other requirements.

“The negotiation will be done under the auspices of a reenergised US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission.”
In another development, Buhari yesterday invited American businesses to invest in Nigeria by taking advantage of the liberal trade and investment climate in the country.

The president, who gave the challenge at a business forum organised by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the Corporate Council on Africa, said his administration would go ahead with the ongoing privatisation programme with an improved moral architecture.

Buhari also enjoined the business community in the US and Nigeria to take advantage of the excellent political relations between the two nations to expand trade and investment activities including joint venture projects in priority sectors of the Nigerian economy.
According to him, the privatisation exercise will be expanded to include aviation, telecommunications, energy, gas, solid minerals, health and infrastructure development.

He said: “It is my intention to create the necessary environment for future investment in Nigeria. We are the most populous nation with the largest market in Africa, with vast human and natural resources and blessed with an abundant young skilled workforce.

“We are therefore proud candidates to become the destination of choice for United States investments in Africa. I will work assiduously to welcome new investors to our country.

“I will like to remind you all that we are continuing in major privatisation programmes with sectors ranging from telecommunications, energy, gas, solid minerals, aviation, health and infrastructure development but with an improved moral architecture.

“We will also simplify visa procedures based on the principle of reciprocity. May I therefore seize this opportunity to formally invite the American business community to take advantage of our liberal trade and investment climate to do profitable business in Nigeria.”

He listed the sectors where he would want US investors to invest to include power generation, gas, the full value chain in agriculture, mining, health sector, tourism and other non-oil sectors of the economy.

He said: “While I recognise the pivotal role of government in facilitating and promoting economic growth, the private sector must assume an increasing role as part of the engine of growth.

“We will welcome genuine investors who are willing to come to Nigeria for solid minerals exploitation.”
He pledged that his administration would fulfill its key campaign promise, which included creation of employment opportunities for millions of Nigerian youths.

“I will do my best to keep this promise. There is no other way to expand economic opportunities and create employment opportunities for millions of our youths than boosting domestic manufacturing, undertaking infrastructure development and industrialisation.

“Let me repeat, Nigeria will partner with genuine investors who are willing to join us to achieve our economic objectives and at the same time realise handsome returns to recoup their investments
“There is more to Nigeria than oil. This is why I will continue to stress the need for increased US investments in our non-oil sector.
“In this respect, the present administration will be attentive to the needs of the business community and pursue policies that will strengthen the sectors that drive the growth,” he added.

Buhari also promised that his administration would reduce waste in the management of the nation’s resources with focus on prudence, accountability, good governance and respect for the rule of law, as well as strict compliance with and observance of contractual agreements.

He noted that Nigeria had enormous economic potential that required heavy funding, which could not be sourced locally.
“In this regard, I want to use this platform to encourage United States investors and funding agencies such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the United States Export-Import (USEXIM) Bank to increase access to capital and funding of such businesses under favourable terms. Nigerian potential is already being exploited,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa, Mr. Paul Hinks, expressed the readiness of US investors to do business with the new government in Nigeriia and invited Buhari to chair the council’s summit slated for Ethiopia in November.
The president also met with the US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry yesterday and reiterated his appreciation to the US for its support and assistance to Nigeria.

He particularly thanked Kerry, who visited Nigeria twice before the general election and presented the US government’s position on the need for free and fair general elections in Nigeria.
Buhari said Nigeria would remain grateful to the US for exerting pressure on the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to ensure peaceful and credible elections.

“The US’ message to the previous administration was clean and clear that it would not accept anything extra-constitutional and that prepared the minds of Nigerians and got us to where we are today.
“Nigerians will remain very grateful to the US, to the president (Obama) and to the Secretary of State.
“And by the day the US maintained pressure on the former government, the law enforcement agencies and the electoral body to make sure that the elections were free and fair.

“We thank God, we thank the US and we thank technology with the introduction of permanent voters’ card (PVC) and the card readers, which made a significant difference from previous elections,” he said
Responding, Kerry reiterated the determination of the US government to partner with Nigeria in tackling the problems of insecurity, corruption and other socio-economic vices facing Nigeria

According to him, Nigeria is an extraordinary and important country to the US, promising that his government would continue to assist Nigeria to enable it perform its national and regional responsibilities on the African continent.
Kerry, who described Buhari as an “intelligent retired military officer”, expressed confidence in the ability of the president to fight corruption and the menace of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Culled from Thisday