President Muhammadu Buhari will facing
a panel of journalists this evening in his
maiden Presidential media chat.
moderator was Channels TV man, Kayode
Akintemi.

He introduces the
President. Introduces others Ngozi
Anyaegbunam, Dan Ali of Daily Trust, Ibanga
Isine of Premium Times.


The Questions have started. As expected the
first was on corruption.
Question: How do you think you are doing with
the fight against corruption?


Buhari; Urges cooperation from citizens in the
fight. Says times are different from when he
was a head of state in 1984. Urges for patience.
Says money was found in private accounts.
Has money been collected?



Buhari: We cannot prejudge what the court will
do. But we are presenting documents to the
court. Money is being recovered. says the
evidence of stolen money will be presented in
the court.


Anyaegbunam: Asks about the need to make the
war a national movement, in which everyone will
be involved. And plans to rejig anti-corruption
agencies.


Buhari: We have to cross check our documents.
Cross check records. For example NNPC, which
ships loaded, where etc. We are going far. By
the end of first quarter next year, we will tell
Nigerians how far we have gone.


Question; How far can you go?
Buhari: I said at the beginning that I do not
belong to anybody. I have sworn on the Quran.
We are not going to put anyone above the law.
On NNPC probe:


Buhari: We are seeking the cooperation of
banks, countries, to cooperate with us because
Nigeria is in bad shape
Question: On his own asset declaration
Buhari: I have declared my assets four times.



As Governor of North East state, member of
Supreme Military Council and Minister of
Petroleum, as Head of state, when I was
removed, I could not declare because I was
under house arrest for three years.


As elected President, I have also declared.
This information could be gotten from Ministry
of Justice. If they cannot produce it, they have
questions to answer.


Challenges the media to ask for the documents.
19.22: Question still on corruption; accusations
that the fight is lopsided as members of his
party who are ministers have cases in court.


Buhari: I do not tolerate corruption. I did not
appoint any of the 36 ministers who has a case
in court. Tell me one


Question: Have your ministers declared their
assets
Buhari: I expected them to have declared their
assets. It is a constitutional issue.


19.25: Question moves to Chibok Girls, Boko
Haram. When are we bringing the girls back?
Buhari; My fourth time of answering questions
on Chibok girls, Mentions a Boko Haram contact
that approached the government. We wanted
the girls intact, but we are told they have been
dispersed. We are still in talks, but we have
made it clear without preconditions.
Question: Do you have intelligence that the girls
are alive?


Buhari: We are still waiting for a credible Boko
Haram leadership that will tell us that.



The question of Chibok girls is on our minds all
the time. But we do not have any information on
where they are. The Honest truth: we do not
have.


Question: The IDPs going back home in first
quarter of 2016. Are they going to be like sitting
ducks? Any psychological counseling for them
before they return home, their integration etc
Buhari: We have about 2million IDPs in various
camps. Over 70 per cent of them are children
and women. Over 65 per cent of the children
are orphans. A committee was set up, the
Danjuma Committee. Over N25billion was
collected. If you recall, when I went to G7
meeting, I raised the issue, they asked me to
send a shopping list.



They have come, with promises to help.
What concerned us most are the orphaned
children. We are trying to find out where they
come from. Mentions a committee headed by
Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
Question: The Shiite clash with the army and
the warning that if mismanaged it could be like
Boko Haram:



Buhari:I am awaiting the army and the Kaduna
state government to submit their report before
the Federal Government takes a stand.
When it happened, I was in touch with the
Governor of Kaduna State. The President of Iran
called me , but I told him that we have a system
that it happened in one of our states.



The Army
that was involved has its own system of
investigation. I am waiting for the investigations
to be concluded and the Police also have their
own system of investigations. It is extremely
serious. How can you create a state within a
state? There are some teenagers I saw stoning
Generals. I don’t want to talk too much about it.
The deaths are not justifiable, but you have to
wait till the end of the enquiry. I expect a
judicial commission of enquiry to be constituted
by the Kaduna State government.
The President says there are a lot of allegations
against Shi’ites which he will wait for the
enquiry to unveil
Pressed further: President says from some of
the clues he has seen, How can a group
constitute a state within a state?
Question: from where will the report come
from?



Buhari: I expect a judicial enquiry from the
Kaduna State government. There are a lot of
allegations. But I will wait for the report.
19.48: Question; Boko Haram war being
technically won and the terror unleashed in
recent days


Buhari: What I said was that the Boko Haram
ability to attack institutions, police posts, army
barracks has been degraded. What they are
doing now is using girls to carry explosives.
Hijab issue: Why has it not been banned in
Nigeria?


Buhari: It may have to be banned if this killing
continues. We are taking a lot of security
measures. At the parks, they are using metal
detectors to screen people.


19.51; The Shiite question comes on again
Buhari: says the people of Zaria came out
openly to talk about what they have been going
through in the last 20 years under the group.
Still says the way to get to the depth of the
problem is via a Judicial Commission of enquiry.
Moderator’s question; Big issue on foreign
exchange, people taking their money out,
devaluation of the Naira.


Buhari: I do not support devaluation. When we
came 84/85, people did not know how much
debt Nigeria had accumulated under four years
of civilian regime. Don’t talk about foreign
reserve. It had disappeared. the situation now
is aggravated by downturn in oil prices, down
now to 35, 36 dollars a barrel.


And we have a lot of commitments.
We are trying to reform NNPC, to know what
goes in, what goes out.


We are using Treasury Single Account. We have
N1.45 trillion in Central Bank.
The previous budget, over 92 per cent on
recurrent. People just sit in government and
chop money. We are in bad shape.
Devaluation question again:


Buhari: Devaluation of Naira against Dollar,
pound sterling etc? In developed countries,
when they devalue, their currencies become
cheaper, their goods and services become
cheaper. But in Nigeria, we import even
toothpick. If we devalue, what are we sending
out?


What we are doing is that we shall make money
available to industries, the real sector, those
who are going to produce goods and services,
and employ people.


We need power. We need roads. We need
railways. We want to fight insurgency.
Moderator raises Foreign Exchange problems
again, including difficulties withdrawing money
from domiciliary account:
Buhari: a promise to ask the CBN for
clarifications.


Question on oil subsidy:
Buhari: says oil sector infrastructure destroyed
by past regimes. Why can’t people maintain
what they inherited? They failed to maintain
tank farms, oil depots, refineries etc.
Today the cost of fuel is low, we are not
subsidising any one now.



Our first priority is to get our refineries working.
If we get them working, we can take care of 60
per cent of our needs. Then we use swap to
take care of 40 %.


Buhari: we had 42 ministries, 42 permanent
secretaries and only God knows how many
directors. The new permanent secretaries have
just taken over, the ministers have just taken
over.


A lot of things cannot be done overnight.
8.15 pm: Budget; Nothing appears to have
changed; the presidency and National Assembly
have taken a chunk. What has changed?


Buhari: I will see if I can stop lawmakers from
buying over N48 billion cars
The first thing I turned down were N400 million
for vehicles when I came in. The vehicles I have
is good enough for 10 years. But I understand
we have to buy vehicles for protocols in case
we want to host other Presidents. On the N50
billion for cars by the National Assembly, I think
I will have to have a close door meeting with
them. I hope they have not bought them yet.
The President also said the National Assembly
is not willing to be part of the TSA.


The
President said he will explore the possibility of
stopping the National Assembly from using over
N47 billion to buy cars in spite of the transport
allowance they are getting.
Question of Forex comes on again: About
People unable to get forex for their kids in
school abroad.
Buhari restates the need to get our priorities
right. Fix the infrastructure, insecurity, fix the
economy. “It is a very nasty situation we are in.
We cannot fold our hands, We have to do
something. ”


He mentions the agreement on rail with the
Chinese, Nigeria could not pay counterpart of
30 per cent, the Chinese are paying 70 per cent.
It is the best deal you can get anywhere in the
world.


20.25 pm: Moderator says floor is being thrown
open to the social media, questions coming in
through a hashtag #askBuhari.
First question on why government is borrowing
to fund budget
Buhari: says government has no alternative, if it
wants to create jobs and fix the infrastructure.
Question: Government position on Corrupt
judges



Buhari:I think I will discuss that with the CJN. It
takes two to tango.. There are allegations, but
government needs to discuss with the judiciary
itself. Judiciary is a sitting duck; it takes what
the police bring to the, what the lawyers take to
them.


When the Tribunals were to be established they
were told to shun corruption. The Judiciary is a
sitting duck, they work with what the Police and
lawyers take to them. There must be
participation from other institutions for the
judiciary to be corrupt. It takes two to tango,
somebody must be offering and somebody must
be taking. You have to prove that there is
corruption.


Question: will government sustain the N18,000
minimum wage
Buhari: says it is not a question he can answer
off hand. When we came 27 states could not
pay salaries. CBN had to use ways and means
to get them money to pay salaries.
Will FG support merger of states?
Buhari; we have to look into the constitution on
whether this can be done.



Question: How will government collect data on
unemployed graduates?
Buhari: It is in our manifesto. says the Ministry
of Labour and Productivity will handle this.
Buhari also promises to get CBN, Ministry of
Finance and Education Ministry involved to sort
out the forex needs of Nigerians now outside,
so that they can complete their education.
Tertiary education:


Buhari: The standard of our tertiary education is
poor. There is a number of things that need to
be done in terms of building new classrooms,
laboratories. New classrooms have to be built,
the teachers have to be comfortable.
On agencies like NIMASA harassing NLNG:
Buhari: Promises to look into the issue. But
adds:


The question of agencies like NIMASA, NNPC
earning money and giving government the
change has to stop.
Moderator switches back to the panel: It’s
20.50


Ngozi Anyaegbunam has the first shot:
And she asks about government efforts to get
civil servants mobilized to support government
objective of change
Isine: Security agencies disobeying court orders
Buhari:Technically, you can see the kind of
atrocities those people committed against the
government. The former President just called
the CBN governor to give him N40 billion. if
they jump bail, it will be a problem for this
country. On Kanu, he has two passports, one
Nigerian, one British. He brought in
sophisticated equipment for his radio Biafra.
There is a treasonable felony charge against
him. And I hope the court will listen to the case.
On Igbo Marginalization:


Buhari:
I am limited by the constitution. Says every
member of the Nigerian state is represented in
government. Reels out the Igbo in government
and asks ‘who is marginalizing who?
President Buhari to round off, asks the media to
do investigative journalism on important issues,
rather than being sensational.

The program ends at 21.01.


http://saharareporters.com/2015/12/30/what-president-buhari-said-during-his-media-chat





http://opeyemiie..co.id/2015/12/what-president-buhari-said-during-his.html?m=1

Cc lalasticlala

I see a better nigeria for nigerians!
My God bless me and you!

Ah na text book be ds

Basically he said

I AM HERE TO DO BUSINESS,I WILL SHOW NO MERCY TO THIEVES AND LET GEJ'S WORDS NOT FOOL YOU BECAUSE STEALING IS CURRUPTION.

HE ALSO SAID NNAMDI KANU AND SAMBO DASUKI ARE IN BIG HOT SOUP,AND I AM COMING FOR THE REST OF YOU SOON!!

Buhari is really intelligent

Talks are reali cheap...

I just pray grace for Booboo to walk the talk.

PMB shows some signs he his willing to drive this country to a greater hight... The question is: are all his word real? Lets give him time as he demanded...may God bless Nigeria

Did everybody and nobody notice that President Buhari's so called media chat was restricted to Daily Trust and Premium Times. Premium Times? Premium Times? Premium Times? Of all the available and active print and online media the presidency could only invite Premium Times? For the FIRST media chat of the President of Africa's most populous and most important nation, General Muhammadu Buhari? Is this a signal that Nigeria has gone to the dogs? Or is it a simple revelation that Buhari is the sponsor of the infamous online rag?

No surprise then that Premium Times is pandering to Buhari's vindictiveness and bloodthirsty lust for vengeance by attacking the National Assembly, Nigeria's first and last bastion of democracy, and constitutionally enshrined independent arm of government, in a poorly concealed strategy to promote dictatorship. Buhari should face his work and allow NASS to face theirs. No dictatorship please.