Our Agenda for Buhari:

Form Unity Govt, fight corruption, fix Nigeria, implement confab report

Barely 24 hours after the declaration of General Muhammadu Buhari as President- elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), prominent Nigerians across the country have been presenting an agenda on what they expect him to do to fix Nigeria.
Top on their agenda is the issue of corruption which they said has become a culture in the present administration. Others are the epileptic power supply that has gulped billions of naira without any improvement, the restructuring of the country on true federalism as well as the formation of a government of national unity.
Among prominent Nigerians who spoke with Daily Times included, former governors of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa and Alhaji Lawan Kaita, son of former governor of old Ondo State, Tokunbo Ajasin, elder statesman and leader of Afenifere, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, former military administrator of Kaduna State, Col. Aminu Isa Kontagora (rtd), former National Legal Adviser of PDP Chief Olusola Oke and Kaduna State President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Chief Steve Nwoke.
Alhaji Kaita told Daily Times that Nigerians would expect a lot of things from Buhari with his victory. According to him, Nigerians would expect Buhari to clean up the country from the mess it is presently in by instituting a huge crusade against corruption, rigging and stealing in the country.
“He is expected to make a lot of improvements, a lot of changes in a lot of ways”, he said, adding:
“Though I cannot promise anything on his behalf, but I’m sure he will restore Nigeria to his lost glory”, he said. Ajasin said he expects Buhari to tackle corruption headlong in order to be able to succeed in his new assignment which he described as divine.
Buhari, he said should also deliver on his promise of restructuring which he made to Yoruba leaders in the 2007 Presidential campaigns saying only a genuine restructuring will ensure that the country takes its rightful position in the comity of nations. Ajasin also spoke on the issue of power which he said is the bedrock of any meaningful development calling on Buhari to make it his priority so that small and medium scale businesses can blossom once again.
Another chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, Chief Jibade Eniabata-Balogun called on Buhari to start the anticorruption crusade from his team. He said starting the anti-corruption war from the top will ensure that everyone sits up as the message would have been clear to all that he would not tolerate corruption.
He said the issue of power which was part of his campaign promises should be addressed by appropriate policies that have been designed by the party. He added that despite the long years of military training, Buhari was not a rigid person as he has imbibed the tenets of democracy which would guide him in his new assignment anytime the need arises.
Nwoke said Buhari, will face a tough task fighting corruption in the country saying he should fulfill his campaign promises that was centred on security and corruption.
He said General Buhari’s antecedent as an anti-corruption crusader who has zero tolerance for corruption, would be expected to come in handy in order to stamp out corruption from Nigeria. Balarabe Musa advised Buhari to shun winner-takes-all syndrome and form a Government of National Unity as a way of moving the country forward.
“As we said before the elections started, we expect any winner, knowing the negative state of the nation and the need for all hands to be on deck, we call on winner to form a government of national unity involving all political parties under the leadership of the winner of the election. According to him: “this will lay a solid ground for national cohesion to deal with the negative state of the nation as characterized by corruption, insecurity, unemployment, and poverty”.
Col. Kontagora, a chieftain of PDP said Buhari as a military head of state was different as a civilian president as all his actions would be subject to the decisions of the national assembly. “So we should not put him on a parallel scale. We should give him the benefit of doubt. After contesting in 2003, I believe he has transformed into a democrat”.
Chief Fasoranti cautioned Buhari to play politics that would be devoid of bitterness, hatred and rancour free pointing out that the interest of the people should be paramount and be the driving force of the new government.
The elder statesman noted that the country would continue to experience peace and implored losers in the election to wait for another four years when they can test their popularity again at the polls. The Octogenarian advised General Buhari and leaders of the APC not to jettison the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference.
“The National Conference is taken and debated that Nigerians should be given what they want because it is the opinion of the people. That is what we want and we want resource control, regional autonomy”, he said. Chief Oke disclosed that majority of Nigerians have chosen the president-elect, General Buhari through their votes for a hard-earned victory.
”The president-elect worked, preserved and dedicated to his aspiration, today; the majority of Nigerians have chosen you through their votes. It has been a long work to victory”, he said. The PDP Chieftain, while congratulating members of the umbrella party for discharging their duties despite all odds noted that poor leadership, injustice and mismanagement of opportunities were the vices that sent the party out of power.
“I congratulate all lovers of democracy particular members of the PDP in Ondo state who have kept faith with and discharge their duties to the party despite all odds. Poor leadership, injustice and mismanagement of opportunities available to the party are the vices that sentenced the party out of power”, he said. “I also congratulate our supporters in and outside Ondo state for remaining focused despite distractions, provocation, frustration and ill-treatment”, he said.
He added that the resolve of the people to contribute their quota to making Nigeria a prosperous nation remained unshaken. “Our resolve to contribute our quota to making Nigeria a prosperous, united and developed nation remain unshaken despite this development. It is all for and about democracy”, he added.