Buhari will consolidate achievements on security, corruption, others says SGF

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha has reiterated that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will consolidate on the achievements of its past administration.

Mustapha told our correspondent that the government would focus on fundamental issues such as security, diversification of the economy, and corruption among others.

He spoke on the sideline of the just concluded Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) Annual Meeting (AAM2019) in Moscow, Russia.

“I do not expect that we are going to deviate from these things. The style of implementation might differ a little bit because of the experiences we have done in the last four years.

“Going to the next level, we are going to concentrate on that, with the desired effect of achieving tangible results in all these areas.

The SGF said that the government had demonstrated this fact in the area of agriculture in the past administration and would consolidate on it.

He said aside the Anchor Borrower’s scheme, the government planned on looking at other diverse areas such as animal husbandry and the value chain.

On corruption, Mustapha said the government would re-strategise to be able to deal with the issue of fighting corruption.

While emphasising the importance of tackling the root cause of corruption, he said if the menace was not curbed, it could affect the entire fabric of our life system in the country.

He said the government would ensure it created safety nets around the work place so that Nigerian workers would feel some measure of comfort while in service and shun corrupt practices.

The SGF also emphasised the need to strengthen the institutions in the country that were involved in fighting corruption such as the ICPC, EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau.

According to Mustapha, when the institutions are strengthened and capacity is built around them, it will enable them to deal with corrupt practices at every given time.

“It is easier and cheaper to stop corrupt practices from happening than dealing with them when they happen because the course of litigation in itself is a drain of public funds.

“So, the best thing to do is to strengthen those institutions to make sure that they have an added advantage over the establishment to enable them stop the corruption from happening.’’

On the delay in the appointment of cabinet members by Muhammadu Buhari, Mustapha said the issue was very much on the mind of the president.

“I can assure you that the issue of the cabinet is very much on the mind of the president. He has reflected over it and it will be placed before the National Assembly as quickly as possible.

“We have an executive system where your membership of a parliament denies you of the opportunity of being the minister unless you resign from parliament to become a minister.

“The president is working on his list or must have concluded and he mentioned it in his democracy day broadcast that he is going to assemble competent Nigerians that will help him implement his programmes.

“He was inaugurated on May 29, we had the democracy day celebration, it was a choked up programme as we had to work toward the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly.

“So far, we have part of the leadership that has emerged and the other part will emerge properly after they return from their recess.

“I believe that within the month of July, the president will submit the list and it will now be up to the Senate to do the needful to conclude that exercise.’’