President Muhammadu BuhariPresident Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that he is determined to bequeath a new orientation of leadership that is service-driven and committed to the realization of its potentials to Nigeria.
In his address at the graduation ceremony of Course 24 participants of the National Defence College in Abuja, the nation’s capital on Friday, President Buhari said however that he believed that such task would not be achieved easily.
“Let me assure you all that this Administration is committed to bequeathing to this nation, a new orientation in leadership that will be service-driven and committed to the realization of its promises to the electorates. We are however not under any illusions that this task is an easy one. But we have put our trust in God knowing that with hard work and sound vision, we will triumph.”
He told the soldiers about the core areas of the national life that require immediate intervention which he outlined when he took over the mantle of leadership on 29 May 2015, stressing the importance of seeking, first and foremost the need to secure the country, improve the economy and fight corruption.
“As it is, this is our unfinished business from the past and dates back to the creation of our republic, yet to this day, corruption and poverty remain our main national problems.
“As part of efforts to address the problem of corruption, we have set in motion legal processes to recover whatever we can and bring to justice those who betrayed their trust. Thus far, we have been able to recover billions of naira from indicted companies and individuals. In addition, through the implementation and enforcement of the Treasury Single Account, we have been able to save more for our nation.
“Furthermore, in our fight to end poverty in Nigeria, we have set up social interventions and reliefs for the poor, and already, data is being collated by the Economic Planning Office of the Vice President in conjunction with the World Bank. In addition, through our 2016 budget, we intend to stimulate the economy, making it more competitive by focusing on infrastructural development; delivering inclusive growth; and prioritizing the welfare of Nigerians. We believe that this budget, while helping industry, commerce and investment to pick up, will as a matter of urgency, address the immediate problems of youth unemployment and the terrible living conditions of the very poor and vulnerable Nigerians.”
President Buhari believed that for Nigeria to tap its vast opportunities, it needs a philosophy of transparency and accountability in governance.
He added that other core areas that the country needs to improve on are the rule of law and moral standards in government and in society in order to provide a good foundation for good governance so that the gains are not dissipated by corruption.
Good governance, the President said, must be based on a sound moral foundation, a philosophy of transparency, accountability and an ethic of effective implementation.
“Already, our unrelenting fight against criminality and corruption in governance is a clear testament that we intend to address these problems.”
The President reminded the graduands that their graduation is the beginning of a very challenging journey and that they live in an era where the pace of transition in research and socio-political environment is so fast, that even as he spoke speak, new ideas and concepts are being introduced, established ideas are being re-defined and research is opening new fields of learning.
“Your challenge would be to harness the latest defence and security research as well as extant government policies for the benefit of your Services, Organizations, and indeed your nations. For the Nigerian participants, I expect that you would all have made the most of your time on this course, and be ready to join the ongoing process to change Nigeria for the better.”
Buhari said that the National Defence College symbolizes the height of military professionalism and excellence in the nation, adding that it is a place where potential strategic leaders are trained in the procedure and processes of strategic leadership as well as serving as a good platform to produce leaders that will drive the change direction, which must be followed if we will keep-up with the 21st century.
“We know that the National Defence College is a truly unique institution, one which we believe, has empowered you with the highest levels of skills in management practices of present day administration and governance for development of our institutions. We are also very pleased to learn that the blueprints of training at this College have kept pace with our current security environment. In this vein, you will be pleased to note that in the last one year, through the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and security services, we have been able to degrade significantly, the capacity of Boko Haram insurgents to wreck havoc on our society.”
On the matter of Herdsmen/Farmers clashes, President Buhari said that his government will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality, under any guise, adding that security agencies have been mandated to deal with such acts decisively.
“Let me state that this Administration has been working assiduously in conjunction with our local and international partners, to rebuild damaged communities in North East part of our country. Similarly, we are committed to tackling the issues of underdevelopment and neglect in the Niger Delta area. This is a priority we have set before us and we intend to make appreciable gains in correcting the ills of the past in the Niger Delta by assuaging inherent grievances.
“As strategic leaders, you must remember that our Armed Forces have been the torch bearers of many of our non-military innovations. I am therefore, very happy to hear that the Graduating Course has undertaken a higher defence management and strategic research on the topic “Youth Bulge in Nigeria, Implication for National Security.” As we seek to solve the myriad of social and political problems we will look closely at your recommendations.” [myad]
