Summary of The Talk Given by Nigerian Presidential Candidate General Muhammadu Buhari at Chatham House London on 26^th February 2015

Reason for summary:
Normally this site does not entertain extracts nor summaries from public relations 'non-partisan' (political) livestream feeds as most are simply of propaganda value - which you can find a cent a dozen on the web.  Nigeria, however, is one of Africa's most important countries.  It is currently engaged in an internal war against the ISIL-linked group Boko Haram who have taken over vast areas of this country and declared the allegiance of their annexed territory to the ISIL Caliphate.
Nigeria has critical general elections in a month the outcome of which could shape the course of events  for the next 5 years in this potentially highly unstable region.  Nigeria is one of the West's key suppliers of oil and will also include gas as a major export.

General Buhari is one of the very few widely respected candidates in Nigeria who, if elected President, is likely to attempt to deliver on any promises made after the general election. 

It should take less than five minutes to read this summary but the full talk and following discussion, should you have the time, is available from Chatham House website at the link given below.

Nigeria
Nigeria , the most populous nation on the African continent which has also recently surpassed South Africa as Africa's largest economy, faces a watershed general election on 28^th of March of this year.

The incumbent government has failed abysmally to curb the activities of the ISIL-linked Boko Haram – which has now seized part of the country the size of Belgium and has pledged allegiance to ISIL's Caliphate. Boko Haram sends children as young as eight years old, strapped with explosives, into congested marketplaces, to blow themselves up and cause as much carnage as you can ever imagine.  The loss of life in Nigeria is horrendous-some 13,000 lives lost and millions of Nigerians internally displaced because of Boko Haram. All this, taking place against a failure of the incumbent government to curb extremism, has pushed Nigeria into the top league of 'terrorist' alert nations in the world.

This morning, under the auspices of Chatham House, General Muhammadu Buhari, a former Military Ruler and current Presidential Candidate in this election, gave a speech where he outlined his vision for Nigeria.

The meeting is still in progress and you can view it at Chatham House's website.

I have summarized below the main points the General made.

Nigeria:

• Most populous country on the African continent.
• Recently overtook South Africa as Africa's largest economy.
• The number of democracies in Africa (countries holding elections) is now 42 out of 48.
• ''Mere elections do not a democracy make'' what is more important are the consolidation of democracy and democratic principles (sic. in democratic institutions), transparency and accountability.
• The 'post Republic' is now in it's 60^th year.
• Democratic consolidation is taking place but the problems of corruption, inequality, and lack of opportunity are endemic.
• ''If I am elected President Nigeria will return to it's role as a stabilizing force in West Africa.''
• Nigeria's Armed forces have always been prepared to do their duty, and have formed the backbone of peacekeeping operations across the continent of Africa -such as the Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia; they are capable, brave, and patriotic but have been starved of financial and technical resources in their war against ISIL-linked Boko Haram.
• ''If elected President I will never allow any part of Nigeria to be held by a terrorist group.'' (ISIL linked Boko Haram currently holds territory in Nigeria the size of the country of Belgium.)
• Waste and corruption have all bloomed under the incumbent administration – this I will put an end to.
• I will use the resources recouped from corrupt individuals for the funding of social, educational, health, and job creation programs for the unemployed (some 60% of the youth of Nigeria is currently without work.)
• We will run a functional economy which works for the people and not just for the elite.
• My administration will ensure that Nigeria is no longer amongst the league of nations with the highest inequality rates amongst it's citizens in the world with it's poorest most disproportionately disenfranchized – this I will change for the better of the poor.
• There will be no place in my administration for corrupt politicians nor for such officials.
• The Nigeria Petroleum Corporation (NPC) will only have  ONE  set of books for annual auditing (!)
• On March 28^th the citizens of Nigeria can vote yet again for failure – should they elect the incumbent government – or for progress -by electing the Party I represent.
• We need to get this critical election right so that Nigeria, my country, can again progress on the road towards the true consolidation of democracy and democratic principles of justice, education, health, employment for all, lack of corruption, so that Nigeria can again resume it's rightful place as a beacon of stability and begin a process of shared prosperity for all of it's citizens -especially those less fortunate.
• Finally I have been referred in the Press as a 'former dictator'. This I admit. But I have never shied away from duty and have always taken responsibility for all my actions.
• ''Before you is a former military ruler, now democrat, prepared to submit to all the rigors of democracy because I truly believe in the power of the ballot box to bring about change for my country, Nigeria.''

General Muhammadu Buhari thanked his host, Sir Richard Gozney, former High Commissioner to Nigeria (2004-2007) for this morning at Chatham House.

Question time then commenced.

You can see the full streamed interview at:

http://www.chathamhouse.org/livestream

26 February 10:00 GMT

summary: ©Patrick Emek, February 2015