Buhari may be held captive- Justice Nasir

The chairman, Advisory Council, Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, Justice Mamman Nasir (retd), has expressed fear that the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, may be held captive by some Nigerians who have parochial interests against national interest.

Addressing the press at the weekend, on behalf of the Foundation, to congratulate the president-elect, Justice Nasir said prayer was being offered to help Buhari escape retrogressive plans against his good intentions for the country.

He said: “To Mr President-elect, we pray for him to avoid being captive to vested interests and provide the determined leadership that respects teamwork and excellence.Resoundingly check impunity and make a rule of law the order of the day. “The office of the president is a national identity. Nigerians believe the president-elect has the capacity and the will to make Nigeria realise its vision and mission; they expect to get nothing less.”

The former president of the Federal Court of Appeal remarked further that “Nigerians expect Mr President-elect to get immediately down to brass tacks, especially on economic rejuvenation, security and fighting corruption. The flow of order-justice-peace-prosperity does not just happen, but with hard work and a lot of patience.

“As you prepare to assume office, the Foundation wishes you God Almighty’s guidance to give your best in service to make Nigeria great.

“Your victory is a call to serve and, therefore, it is crucial for you to deliver resolutely on your service compact to your constituencies, and Nigeria. Remember, all Nigerians are looking up to you to serve and not to be served by them,” he stated further.

Nasir, who also holds the title of Galadima Katsina, said, ‘‘As you serve, you must collectively have unity of purpose in serving the people and your commitment must rise above ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments. Such cleavages of ethnic nationalism, sectionalism and religious bigotry must be rendered irrelevant in Nigeria.

“Tackle insecurity with all sense of emergency. Peace is a prerequisite for development in all its ramifications. Nigeria needs strong, well informed, capacitated and motivated security operatives, committed to protecting the Constitution of the Federal Republic, its provisions and the practices of their professions.

‘‘Hence, our urgent call to institute this in our security management system, which should also have community content.

“Fight corruption decisively; our laws must make corruption difficult to perpetuate, but easy to logically prosecute. Persons accused of corruption should have the onus to prove otherwise. The drive against corruption must enable individuals and communities to participate actively as monitors in the fight through protected and easy access to the anti-corruption agencies. An overseeing authority is required to check our anti-corruption agencies as well. All public officers should swear an oath of allegiance against corrupt practices, with stiff penalties for any breakers of this oath, and the fronts for corrupt public officials.’’