Presidential media chat.

President Muhammadu Buhari is tonight
hosting his maiden Presidential Media Chat
since assuming office on May 29 this year.
The challenges confronting Nigeria –
insecurity, the economy, corruption, dearth
of infrastructure – are still largely the same
issues the last administration grappled with.
The presidency promised in the past to
entertain questions from Nigerians via
telephone, although the phone failed to
work during those episodes of the
programme.
Critics believe the phones were programmed
not to work as a way of blocking citizens
from asking the president embarrassing
questions.
So, in case you are able to reach the
president on the programme today, we
suggest you put these questions we have
raised to him, in addition to others you
might have.
We also urge the editors, who will
interview the president, to consider asking
him some of the suggested questions.
Our reporters are providing live updates of
the session.
==================
Live Blog

21.02
Thanks for following our live updates of the
media chat.

21.01
President Buhari appeals to Nigerian
journalists to do more investigative
journalism about important national issues.

21.00
Regarding the continuous detention of Sambo
Dasuki and Nnamdi Kanu: Buhari said, "If
you see the atrocities those committed against this country,
we can't allow them to jump bail."

20.49
Buhari: "The Minister of Finance and the Central Bank have
to sit down immediately to look at ways to help students who
are already outside the country to overcome the challenges
posed by the foreign exchange limitation policy."

20.48
President Buhari says foreign exchange will be made
available to the productive sector of the economy and not for
luxury items.
20.43
20.41
20.34
Buhari: "Our parastatals would be realigned in view of the
lesser number of Ministries we have now.
"We are being economically stretched."

20.33
The process of government agencies earning monies and
spending them and giving government change will have to
stop. All government monies have to be paid to the
Federation Account and a budget submitted for their
operations.

20.29
Buhari: "China agreed to pay 70% of cost of railway projects
between Lagos and Kaduna and Lagos and Calabar, but
previous government failed to pay counterpart funding of
30%.
"You cannot get a better deal anywhere in the world.
"I can't see the National assembly paying 4.5 Billion Naira to
buy cars after collecting transport allowance. I will revisit
that story.
"We have to live within our means."

20.25
Buhari: "Most government officials are new in office. We said
Agriculture and Solid minerals are the easiest way to get
people employed and our budget would show that.
"We have virtually all forms of solid minerals across Nigeria.
"We would employ youth, give them crash programme on
Education and send them to teach at Primary schools.
"Fashola was not made a super Minister for nothing."

20.23
NOTE
Nigerians are expected to send in their questions via twitter,
using the hashtag #askbuhari

20.20
Buhari: I turned down a N400million car proposal for the
presidency. I said the cars I have are good enough for 10
years. We are having problem with the National Assembly
regarding TSA. I have to holding a closed-door meeting with
the National Assembly regarding the cars they are trying to
buy. I hope they haven't bought them yet. They can't buy
cars for themselves and also take money in car loans.

20.16
Buhari: "Our priority now is to get our refineries working. By
the time we finish what we are doing., 60 per cent of the
allocation of crude oil for local refining and 40 per cent
would be used for crude oil swap."

20.14
Buhari: Previous government failed to maintain four
refineries, pump stations and pipelines, at a time Oil was sold
at over a 0.

20.10
"By the end of next quarter, you will not be talking of
subsidy. The price is so low that there is no need to subsidise
anything."

20.09
"I will not support devaluation of the Naira. I need to be
convinced that there is need for the country to devalue the
Naira. Is it against the dollar or pound?
"We have our priorities. To provided money to fund the
projects we have already outlined, and not for those who
want hard currency to import textile and toothpick."

20.06
NAIRA DEVALUATION
"Personally, I don't support the devaluation of the Naira. We
handed over a secured country in 1979, but by 1984, nobody
knew how much Nigeria was owing.
"The situation now is aggravated by the downturn in the
petroleum industry. It is now per barrel and we have debt
service of about N1.5 trillion and we have commitment on
the ground.
"We have to reorganize the NNPC. We have to introduce the
TSA. There were 45 accounts in the NNPC alone. Ministry of
Defence had about 70 accounts.
"We have got about N1.5 trillion through the TSA.
"The oil downturn is very unfortunate for this government.
"Check previous records. Over 90% were recurrent. No
country can develop without capital projects. We were in
very very bad shape."

20.02
"When I said that the war has been technical won, I said the
capacity of Boko Haram to unleash attacks from camps and
barracks have been stopped.
"If Hijap is found to be a problem, the government will have
no option than to take a decision on it. The people will have
to consider between it and their security."

19.57
"If this thing (suicide bombing) continues, Hijab would have
to be banned."

19.56
"I said the capacity of Boko Haram to attack institutions or
communities have been stopped. But the use of IEDs has
assumed a different proportion."

19.55
On Shiites/Military clash; why the silence?
"I was in touch with the governor of Kaduna state and the
president of Iran talked to me about it.
"We have a system of investigation as a government and as
the head of the federal government, I have to wait for official
report before I comment.
"The Police and the SSS are doing their own role of finding
out what happened.
"In any incident where lives and property were lost there is a
standard way of doing things and people would be asked to
come and give evidence.
"How can any group create a state within a state?
"I saw a clip in which some dissidents were virtually hitting
the chest of Generals."

19.54
"I expect the Kaduna State government will bring the report
on the inquiry because the crisis happened in its domain.
There are all sorts of allegations. So, we just have to wait for
the report."

19.53
"The President of Iran spoke to me about the situation. But, I
told him that as a government we have a system we must
follow. "As the head of the Federal Government, I told him I
will have to wait for the official report from the Kaduna State
government from their investigations.
"To be fair to the both sides, we have to wait for the report
of the inquiry."

19.48
President Buhari says he will only comment on the Shi'ite
crisis after receiving reports of investigations by the police
and Kaduna State Government.

19.46
"The Benin IDP camp is a good intention that went sour.
"Despite the problem, the Edo State Governor, Adams
Oshiomhole, was kind enough to have found school for the
children. "The Federal Government is aware of the situation
and ready to take them to where they came from."

19.42
Internally Displaced Persons
"We have about two million IDPs, over 70% are women and
children. Over 65% of the children are orphans.
"Some Nigerians contributed money, about 25 Billion Naira, a
committee was set up to utilise the funds.
"Within the week I was sworn in, I went to Chad and Niger.
"I was impressed with the goodwill they gave Nigeria on this
issue.
"The G7 has sent training teams, and have given us some
military hardware.
"We are more concerned with the orphans, a chance for them
not to lose the opportunity for education. Some progress is
being made on the ground."

19.36
"We are working with Niger, Chad and Cameroun on the
girls. We have no credible intelligence of where they are."

19.35
CHIBOK GIRLS
"We want to be sure that the girls are complete, safe and
sound before we attempt any form of negotiation on the girls.
"We are still keeping our option. If a credible leadership of
Boko Haram is ready for negotiation without any condition
we are ready to listen to them."

19.30
"I have declared four times. All of them were done in the
Ministry of Justice. If those agencies have refused to release
my asset declaration documents, they should be held
responsible to answer questions why they are keeping those
declaration.
"If there is any member of my cabinet that is found to be
corrupt, I will not only sack the person, I will prosecute the
person."

19.29
"By the end of the first quarter of next year, we will tell
Nigerians how far we have gone on the fight against
corruption. "I swore by the Holy Koran to defend the
country's constitution and the law. So, we will not put any
body above the law."

19.28
"I cannot make the mistake of appointing anyone with
corruption.
"Whoever is found to be corrupt would not only be sacked
but prosecuted."

19.28
People on your party are being shielded from
investigation?
"I don't tolerate corruption and I did not pick anyone that
will corrupt my government.
"It is the right of Nigerians to take them to court. I have not
taken anybody who is facing corruption charges."

19.25
STILL ON CRUDE OIL THEFT
The problem of NNPC is the involvement of international
institutions such as shipping lines and financial institutions.
We would ask for the cooperation of other countries to get
monies lodged from sales of oil in different accounts and not
that of the Federal Government.
ASSET DECLARATION NOT SO PUBLIC AFTER ALL, NOT
FULLY MADE.
"I have declared my assets four times in the past. You have
the constitutional right to go to the relevant government
agency to go and seek for it.
"They were deposited at the Ministry of Justice. If Ministry of
Justice cannot produce my asset declaration form, then they
too should answer some questions.
"Why me alone, why not others who were governors and
Ministers as well. I think I don't have to ask them to give, it
is your constitutional role."

By the end of the first quarter of next year, we will tell
Nigerians how far we have gone on the fight against
corruption. I swore by the Holy Koran to defend the country's
constitution and the law. So, we will not put any body above
the law.

19.20
Is there need to rejig the EFCC, ICPC?
Buhari: We have to be very sure of the documents we get
and we have to cross check records sometimes across
countries and in the EFCC.
Those who were engaged in the theft of oil were people of
substance and have the wealth to hire the best of lawyers to
defend them.
We need to submit fool-proof documents to succeed in
prosecution.
How many people have ICPC prosecuted in the past? That is
why we are being thorough now.
By the end of first quarter of next year, we would be in a
position to tell Nigerians how far we have gone.

19.18
"We have to be patient and await outcome of courts decision.
Government will only react through the Ministry of Justice
after the courts have finished with matters before them
"We have documents showing where monies have been
lodged."

19.17
"Our constraint is that the accused persons have to defend
themselves in court to defend themselves. So, we cannot
release their names to the public until the issues are
completed in court. Whatever we recover will be presented in
court. "The documentation in court include bank statements
and documents from Customs Service that are to be presented
in court. Until then, we ask Nigerians to have patience."

19.16
Mr. Akintemi fired the first shot. He asked the President how
long the honeymoon with Nigerians would last.
He asked: How are we doing with the fight against
corruption?
The President responded, saying the country was doing very
well considering the circumstances.
"Thirty years ago as Head of State, we collected those we
perceived to be corrupt and put them in protective custody,
until they prove they were not guilty
"At present, those suspected of being corrupt are innocent
until they are proven guilty
"We have documents showing Nigerian crude oil was lifted
illegally and proceeds are put into personal accounts instead
of Government account.
"We are in court with suspected corrupt persons and we
cannot comment until the court are through.
"We can only appeal to Nigerians to be patient."

19.12
The panel of interviewers are Kayode Akintemi (Channels
TV), Ngozi Anyaegbulam (Media World International), Munir
Dan Ali (Daily Trust) and Ibanga Isine (PREMIUM TIMES).
19.10

All content is Copyrighted © 2015 The Premium
Times, Nigeria.
Presidential Media Chat: Buhari’s
maiden chat — LIVE UPDATES
December 30, 2015 Ogala Emmanuel
All rights reserved. This material and any other material
on this platform may not be reproduced, published,
broadcast, written or distributed in full or in part,
without written permission from PREMIUM TIMES .