I’ll be merciless in pursuing looters, says Buhari

Olalekan Adetayo and Ade Adesomoju
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday vowed that his
administration would not show mercy to any person in its
ongoing anti-corruption war.
He said his administration would pursue the anti-graft war
relentlessly until Nigerians began to see how the nation’s elite
conspired to run the country down.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke during an
interactive session he had in Malabo with Nigerians resident
in Equatorial Guinea.
Buhari assured the Nigerians that he would not entertain any
fear in his quest to rid the nation of corruption by bringing
those who compromised their positions to book.
“We will be merciless and relentless in pursuing all those who
abused public trust. Nigerians will see how some of the elite
conspired to run the nation down,” the President said.
He also condemned recent political violence in Rivers State,
saying the killing of people over political differences was
primitive, barbaric and unacceptable.
He promised to deal decisively with those responsible for the
development.
“We will deal decisively with all sponsors of violence. I have
given the security services clear directives in this regard.
“We will show that violence in any form will no longer be
tolerated before, during or after elections,” he stated.
Buhari promised that the Independent National Electoral
Commission would be encouraged to explore the possibility of
Nigerians abroad participating in the 2019 general elections by
casting their votes wherever they might reside.
He noted that some African countries had started allowing
their citizens, resident abroad, to vote in national elections
and Nigeria could not afford not to join them.
He identified with the desire of Nigerians in the Diaspora to
vote in national elections, pledging that he would do all within
his powers to fulfil that desire.
“I want all Nigerians to know that I respect them and their
right to choose their leaders,” he said.
The President disclosed that establishing a new national
airline was not currently on the Federal Government’s list of
priorities.
He said his administration’s main area of focus was reducing
the level of poverty.
Buhari said developing the infrastructure needed to boost
production in all sectors of the economy and creating more
jobs for young Nigerians, as well as other actions that would
directly enhance the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians
would continue to be prioritised by his administration.
He was responding to complaints by members of the Nigerian
community about the absence of direct flights between Nigeria
and Equatorial Guinea.