President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday said he expects the House of Representatives to fully investigate the allegations of contract awards for the renovations of the official residences of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, adding that it is only after that he would comment on it.
But the President canvassed fair hearing in the exercise, cautioning Nigerians against a hasty judgment until the details were revealed through investigations proper. He expressed reservations about the planned redenomination of the Naira, which has been suspended. The President also announced that in the next few weeks, the Federal Government and Niger Delta militants would issue a joint statement on strategy for resolving the crises in the zone.
The President disclosed that he is still working on a roadmap for a possible state of emergency in the power sector. Wednesday, this week, he would inaugurate a committee on it.
In his first one-hour television and radio interview since inauguration yesterday, Yar'Adua said that since the House of Representatives' contracts had become "a public issue, the result of their investigation would be made public."
He added that if wrong-doing was committed in the matter or any act of corruption was "determined, without doubt, the government would act."
In the live 'Presidential Media Chat', Yar'Adua said: "It is an allegation, which the House, when they come back on Tuesday will investigate. The National Assembly is an independent arm of government and as such, the Executive does not give approval for the renovation. It was a contract, which was originated, executed by the House of Representatives following its own rules and regulations. And I understand it was awarded by the Tenders Board, which the Speaker chaired."
He continued: "When the House comes back on Tuesday, it is expected it will investigate the allegations. So, as at now, it is allegations. And I believe any Nigerian who is suspected to have committed any wrong is entitled to fair hearing. So far, the House of Representatives, I expect, would investigate the matter, examine the procedures that were followed. If the due process has been followed, it is only then, after fair hearing has been given to Madam Speaker, that we can reach a conclusion, that we can reach a verdict."
The President continued: "Since it has become a public issue, the result of their investigation would be made public. And we can then see whatever wrongdoing has been committed. The government is to take action against any person involved in any act of corruption, which has been determined without doubt. The government would act. But as it stands today, I assure you that the federal administration has zero tolerance for corruption. But the due process or the rule of law must be followed."
But he cautioned Nigerians against rushing into judgments "over the pages of newspapers in the media without waiting to give the accused the chance for fair hearing. This is what we have to do in this country. This administration has zero tolerance for corruption and absolute respect for the rule of law. We must follow the rule of law in whatever we do. We cannot summarily rush to judgments."
The President also spoke on the state of emergency to be declared in the power sector, the unbundling of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the planned re-denomination of the Naira and the Niger Delta.
He said that he envisages that under the emergency in the power sector, certain rights in some critical sectors would be suspended for a period while "we will go to the National Assembly for emergency legislation to deal with contending issues. We will also go to the National Assembly for request on what is needed."
President Yar'Adua said that apart from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) defaulting in the rule of law, "frankly speaking, I felt very uncomfortable (with the policy). We concluded that it is like carrying out a surgery on a patient who is not sick. The surgery to remove two zeros is a surgery for hyper-inflated economies. We've had stable exchange rates and single digit inflation over the years. We are not convinced that the state of the national economy requires such policy."
But he added that anytime the CBN wants to come up with the policy again, it "must follow the due process" and not take unilateral decision.
On the Niger Delta, President Yar'Adua said his government has adopted the master-plan of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC).
For him, "if it is implemented fully, it will greatly transform the region. We have adopted it as our development strategy. And we have been working in the last two months on the implementation strategy. We are trying to get from the master plan what the federal, state, local governments and the NNDC would do in 2008 so that we have a united approach. It is a 15-year development plan brokered into three five-year sections."
He added: "We have also worked out a programme of action to set up a framework for solving militancy in the region. One of the issues is the total suspension of all kidnappings for a certain period and for government to move in with issues of development. We are at a stage of setting up a joint implementation strategy. In the next two weeks, we would have a joint communique spelling out the steps to be taken. We are still discussing."
From Madu Onuorah and Alifa Daniel, Abuja
The Guardian
Monday, September 2, 2007
