Nigeria needs moral leaders to kill corruption —Buhari

Nigeria needs moral leaders to kill corruption —Buhari

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (left), receiving an award as Grand Patron of Save Democracy Group Africa, on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, from former Deputy Senate President/National Council Chairman, Save Democracy Group Africa, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, at the summit of the group, in Abuja, on Monday. With them is the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki. PHOTO: NAN

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, said Nigeria can only tackle corruption successfully if it gets moral leaders who will not steal the commonwealth.

The president, who made the submission in a speech presented on his behalf by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, at the opening ceremony of the National Political Summit in Abuja, said for the country to sustain its democracy and gain respect across Africa, it must evolve moral leaders.

The summit, organised by the Save Democracy Africa, headed by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Ghali Umar Na’Abba, had as its theme: 2015 General Election: The Gains and Building Positive Political Culture for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria.”

According to the president, “every step to the balance of a stable democracy is worth it. My support for sustained dialogue amongst political stakeholders and key actors in our country will help in speeding up the political evolution of our country, grow our politics, building understanding and definitely help our people.

“For the Save Democracy Group Africa, as the name implies, has one objective of positively impacting the different culture in Africa, politics at the end must serve the people, the task of nation building primarily rest on the political elite, the strength of democratic institutions also rely on the commitment of that same elite to the success of these institutions.

“I say selflessness and self respect because it requires a deep understanding of one’s role in the destiny of one’s people and those yet unborn to hold political power and yet allow one’s self to be subject to the rule of law and other restraining rules and conventions.”

Also peaking at the summit, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, said Nigerians were no longer attuned to excuses from public office holders, adding that the countrymen would vote out any leader who fails to perform.

Saraki said the Eighth Senate, under his leadership, would ensure that there was no longer room for diversion of public funds.

According to him, the National Assembly would work with the executive to fight corruption in all sectors, adding that discretionary spending of government resources, unbudgeted expenditures, procurement abuses and diversion of public monies must stop.

“The 2015 general election has changed Nigeria for good. Its implications will continue to redefine the Nigerian political space for sometime to come. For the first time, the voice of the Nigerian people was definitive and unmistakable. They wanted change.

“For those of us who, by this election, have been entrusted with shaping the destination we travel from now, there is a clear and distinct warning, the change demanded by Nigerians from the 2015 election are not without consequences. The victory was won out of turmoil and strife. It was an election won on the belief that Nigeria, together, is our best chance of becoming the greatest of all black nations,” he said.

Saraki added that Nigerians had called on their leaders to stamp out corruption, improve governance, accountability, transparency, service delivery and human right protection, adding that the National Assembly was ready to roll out an array of reforms to ensure accountability.

In his presentation at the summit, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara, said the decision of the legislature to stop the third term bid of former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the greatest achievements of the Nigerian legislature.

He said the decision by the lawmakers helped to save Nigeria’s democracy from going the way of some emerging democracies in Africa, adding that the legislature had contributed immensely to the stability of Nigeria’s democracy.

He said the 2015 general election was a success as technology impacted greatly on the exercise, adding, however, that there was the need to amend the Electoral Act to accommodate electronic voting.

“Perhaps, the greatest achievement of the legislature in Nigeria was the unanimous rejection of the third term bid of former President Obasanjo,” he said, adding that the National Assembly was vehement in its rejection of a proposal to elongate the tenure of the president to 12 years.

Meanwhile, a former interim leader of the Government of Liberia, Professor Amos Sawyer, has said Nigeria needed to build on the outcome of the 2015 elections.

Speaking on the topic: “Building positive Political Culture for Sustainable Democracy in Africa,” Sawyer, at the summit on Monday, said the 2015 presidential election in Nigeria was historic, adding that its success averted breakdown of law and order in spite of tension prior to the poll.

Elder statesman, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, who also spoke at the event, said if Nigeria as a country must get it right, it must revisit and revive the past and produce leaders that would not steal.

In his opening remarks, the Director- General, Save Democracy Group Africa, Dr Ifedi Okwenna, had stated that the summit would be an annual event, adding that the concept was put together in the absence of credible platform for continuous dialogue in Africa.

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/nigeria-needs-moral-leaders-to-kill-corruption-—buhari

President Buhari says only moral elites can deliver dividends of democracy

President Buhari says only moral elites can deliver dividends of democracy

NAN-H-96 Summit Abuja, Jan. 25, 2016 (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari says the dividends of democracy can only be delivered by an elite who is prepared to offer exemplary moral leadership. Buhari stated this while declaring open the 2016 annual National Political Summit organised by the Save Democracy Group Africa (SDG-Africa) on Monday in Abuja. Buhari, represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbanjo, said that it also required as elite that ``understands that leadership is a high calling. ``Delivering such promises requires a leadership that is prepared to make sacrifice of self and parochial interest for the good of the people. ``No matter how simple this may sound, democracy can only deliver on its promises grounded by a moral elite who is prepared to offer exemplary moral leadership. ``A leadership, who is prepared to place the nation and the people above self, prepare to serve without making profit or wealth in any way,’’ Buhari said. He said that the task of nation building rested on political elites as well as the strength and success of democratic institutions also to a large extent, depending on the selflessness and commitment of the same elites. ``It entails selflessness and indeed self-restrain, because it requires a deep moral understanding of ones role in the destinies of millions of ones’ people and those yet to be born to hold political power and yet allows oneself to be subject to rule of law and restraining institutional rules and conventions. ``The deformed position of a person without understanding in power is to maximise position for private, family, ethnic and religious advantage. ``That attitude encourages corrupt behaviour, disrespect for democratic institutions, impunity and ultimately the state lose the capacity to maintain law and order and to deliver economic and social goods to the people.’’ He said that leaders of the nations of the world that managed to deliver decent democratic gains to their people had first conquered selfish desires to use power for personal or parochial gains. ``Democracy by itself cannot heal the terrible defect in the human condition that makes a politician demand and take bribe, steal the resources which are meant to provide drugs to hospitals, schools for our children and road for us all. ``We are all witness to some of the revelations of the ways some of the political and military elites in the last administration corruptly handled billions of dollars of funds meant to procure arms and equipment to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria. ``How do you explain the callousness that enable leaders to seek to benefit from civil conflicts?’’ The president, however, expressed the hope that the summit would lead to the evolution of moral leadership in Nigeria. ``My challenge to this distinguished body therefore is seek answer to the question of how to ensure leadership in Nigeria and indeed Africa is culture-realistic, selfless and committed to the common courses that will up light the people.’’ Buhari commended the SDG-Africa for his investiture as the Grand Patron of the group and conferring the Life Time Democracy Award on him. ``I think they are giving me this award as some form of compensation for three times and indeed the four time of my trying to be the president of this country.’’ He also commended the group for honouring Nigerians who had contributed immensely and selflessly to the development of Nigeria’s democracy. Buhari said that the theme of the summit ``2015 General Election: Consolidating the Gains and Building Positive Political Culture for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria’’ was very apt. He said that every step on the part of virile and sustainable democracy was worth studying, even as we celebrated. ``My support for this summit is hinged on the need to promote continuous and sustained dialogue among political stakeholders and key actors in our polity and across party lines. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the summit was the presentation of the Nigeria Hero of Democracy Award on Former President Goodluck Jonathan. A Posthumus Award for Good Democratic Governance was also conferred on late President Musa Umaru YarÁdua. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was also presented with President of Nigerian Shield of Democracy Award among others.

http://nannewsnigeria.com/president-buhari-says-only-moral-elites-can-deliver-dividends-democracy