MAJOR-General Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state and presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2003 and 2007 elections, is again aspiring to the same position in the 2011 elections. But this time, he is running on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which he floated last year. Taciturn and hard to pin down for one-on-one interaction, he appears a cult hero in the North of Nigeria, and his leveraging on that advantage in the presidential election, while showcasing his acclaimed integrity and zero tolerance for corruption, as presented hereunder: Securing NigeriaWE are going to take the fundamental things and try and rebuild the country. The most important and fundamental thing that any government can do from 2011 is to secure this country. There is so much abduction and assassination. There is so much corruption. The institutions that support democracy have been compromised: the Nigeria Police, the judiciary, the other law enforcement agencies, and the civil service.In 20 years time, we want to see that, relative to the growth of the population, the resources, both human and material, are there to make sure Nigeria makes the necessary impact in the global community.We have the people, we have the resources; therefore, there must be the discipline. We will provide the leadership that can inspire and lead the people to make sure that there are achievable economic conditions that will provide employment and material security to generally uplift the country. Revamping industriesLets take the textile industry, for instance, which I have an idea about. The textile industry was employing about 300,000 Nigerians five, six years ago but now they are employing less than 25,000. Why A number of reasons!You are asking me how we can get them reopened to employ people and provide goods and services We have to do something drastic about power because they will have to be able to operate effectively and at least break even. Now, without power, with the (current) state of power, it is almost impossible.So, what the next government will do, if it is a responsible government, is to make sure that whatever resources had been voted on this issue of power is used judiciously and all the infrastructure must be made to be working again, and then new ones are commissioned and sustained. Anti-corruption driveIt is an established fact that Nigeria is notoriously corrupt. Most of the institutions have been compromised.Nigeria is not short of rules and regulations about accountability and transparency in dealing with government businesses. What we have to do is to ensure that, from day one, our institutions will go back to our rules and regulations about accountability whether it is public funds or private ones.Institutions have to account properly and clearly according to the laws. We have adequate laws. Our problem is implementation, and the implementation is the corruption of the institutions.What our government will do, if we are elected, is to make sure that money realised, which should go for social services, get industries and infrastructure up, should not be given to the people in the National Assembly and their counterparts in the 36 states of the federation. Curbing jumbo payThere must be some decency in the amount of money a public officer is paid. We cant sit here and allow public officers to just share our revenue and kill all social services.That is not how to rule the nation and I believe that whoever eventually become members of the National and State assemblies should accept a downward review of payments and allowances. Freedom of InformationI am afraid that when we get there (government), we have to look at it (the FoI Bill) and see what is happening in other viably democratic countries and, perhaps, make some changes.But from my experience, I will appeal to the press to do a lot more investigative journalism when it comes to issues of corruption of institutions and individuals in high places.Nobody, either in Nigeria or outside, can deny the fact that the Nigerian system is very corrupt, and this is extremely unfortunate. For that reason, it needs an honest effort on the part of the press to do their investigative journalism so that real cases of corruption can be exposed; so that institutions like the ICPC and EFCC can get a lead from the press, which gets a lot of public opinion. This is an extremely important part of our campaign and manifesto. Enforcement of lawsI will insist that the Police do their job to arrest and prosecute and the judiciary will punish the offenders according to the Constitution. I cant do more than that under this system.In the military, we have laws that guide our conduct in the form of decrees and edicts and we work according to them and those in charge of the country just have to endure.Its the same thing under a different setting (civil rule). The Constitution is all-embracing, and it is in the Constitution what will happen to drug traffickers in Nigeria (a reference to his ordering, as military head of government, the execution of three suspected traffickers, using the military decree retroactively). On War Against Indiscipline (WAI)What we would do is to make the institutions functional, especially the police, the civil service and other agencies and the judiciary because our Constitution and other regulations are comprehensive enough and the people understand it. The problem is the execution. It is going to be a question of time.Our time will be zero tolerance for corruption, and we will also fight indiscipline. Indiscipline and corruption are the two great problems in Nigeria, and they have got to a level where Nigerians are fed up and really want a change. They want leadership; they want transparency; they want accountability. And these are what we are going to give Nigerians, God willing. Doing away with wastagesMy concern about Nigeria is fundamental. Our people cannot go to school; they cannot go to good hospitals. We dont get our priority right in this country. When we dont have electricity, when we dont have drinking water, I assure you we will do away with wastage and get our priorities right. Ill be to all adherents not aI had served the countrys military for 25 years. I did all the command and staff work, as a platoon commander to General Officer Commanding. I am the only surviving officer that commanded three of the four commands in the Nigerian Army.The Nigerian Army is about 75 per cent Christian and nobody had ever said I took a decision against anybody because of his religion or his tribe. There are other tribes in the whole command.So, if for political (reason) it sticks that I dont like Christians, well, it is very, very unfortunate. But my performance in office at all stages has portrayed me as an impartial person, and I believe that whoever is still bringing that case up, for whatever vote, will definitely fail in a free and fair election.The question of me being a Sharia advocate and a hater of Christians has never happened and it will certainly fail.
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