The All Progressive Congress (APC) Chieftain, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, on Thursday in Abuja said the Goodluck Jonathan administration won gold medal in corruption and red card in good governance.
Tinubu stated this in a keynote address at the presentation of the book: “Making Steady, Sustainable Progress – for Nigeria’s Peace and Prosperity’’, which took place at the Presidential Banquet hall, Abuja.
He said the defunct administration used public treasury as a private hedge fund or a charity that limited its giving only to themselves.
“So much money grew feet and ran faster than Jamaican runner, Usani Bolt, ever could. That which could have been spent on national development was squandered in ways that would cause the devil to blush.
“One minister and her rogues’ gallery picked the pocket of this nation for billions of dollars.
“While poor at governance, these people could give a master thief lessons in the sleight of hand. In governance they earned a red card but in the corruption, they won the gold medal.
“It was not that our institutions had become infected by corruption. Corruption has become institutionalized,’’
According to him, should the government had remained in power, Boko Haram would have taken more territory and devoured more people.
He said that the “war on corruption has been won as President Buhari has set an axe to what he called, “the root of this dangerous tree.”
Tinibu noted that, “gone are the days when a minister can pilfer billions of dollars as easy as plucking a piece of candy from the table.’’
He said: “We have much to do to combat this disease. Not only must we track down the takers.
“In the long term, we must review the salaries of public servants and create universal credits for our people to reduce temptation.”
The APC chieftain said though Boko Haram had not been completely defeated, but there is no question it had been decimated and made shorter and weaker.
He said the sect would never constitute the threat they once were.
“Had the previous government remained in place, Boko Haram would have surely eaten more territory and devoured more people.
“This nation might have been divided and cut asunder, not by choice but by the knife of terrorism.’’
Tinubu also advised that Nigeria must urgently move towards true federalism, adding that Nigeria could not grow without robust industrial capacity in the country.
He further noted that the Buhari administration had changed the story of Nigeria for good in the last two years, saying that “Nigeria is now more prosperous than it was two years ago.
“The good that you have started, do it more.’’
In his remarks, the Chairman of APC, Mr John Odigie-Oyegun said the scorecard of the administration was spirit lifting and a great morale booster for the party and the nation.
He said: “This is rock-solid evidence not newspaper induced achievement that use to be the case.
“On corruption, what is important is that the public now discuss corruption, is an indication of major achievements that Nigerians no longer accepts corruption.
“There is so much going on today, there is serious process of reconstruction and consolidation.
“What is going on must get to a stage that it is not irreversible. Irreversibility means consistency, continuity of policies and leadership.
“The media team has saved me an agony. I have an encyclopedia now which is verifiable. You don’t know what agony you have just saved me.”
Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state who spoke on behalf of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), commended Buhari for being a leader devoid of party leanings.
He said he demonstrated that with the directive that the security aides of the Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra be restored.
He said the NGF would collaborate with the publisher of the book, Alhaji Abdullahi Girei, President/CEO, Euphoria Press Limited, to print more copies of the book for free distribution to Nigerians.
In his contribution, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, narrated the achievements of the Buhari administration.
“The essence of this book is to let the world know that despite those who are daily trying to muddle the waters, this administration has, through fidelity to discipline, determination and transparency, recorded landmark achievements that are putting our country on the path of sustainable growth.
“The achievements contained in the book, many and diversified as they are, are not exhaustive. This book was to have been launched on the 29th of May 2017. That is over five months ago.
“Between then and now, many more achievements have been added to the pile,” he added.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, said the book was a demonstration of the fact that the change agents of this administration had been working.
He said that Nigeria had undergone change including “improved security, fight against corruption, to the extent that even the opposition agrees there is steady improvement of security in the northeast.’’
According to him, the publication is not just a book but practicable guides that the administration has made to redeem the campaign promises.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 360-page book was reviewed by Prince Tony Momoh, a former minister of information.