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The inaugural Presidential Media Chat is currently underway on Channels Television. We are monitoring the conversation and will be bringing you live updates of the highlights.
19.12
The panel of interviewers are Kayode Akintemi (Channels TV), Ngozi Anyaegbulam (Media World International), Munir Dan Ali (Daily Trust) and Ibanga Isine
19.16
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.”
19.18
19.20
19.21
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.
19.25
Still on crude oil theft
Asset declaration not so public after all, not fully made.
19.28
19.28
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.”
19.30
Chibok Girls
19.36
“We are working with Niger, Chad and Cameroun on the girls. We have no credible intelligence of where they are.”
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.”
19.46
“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.”
19.48
President Buhari says he will only comment on the Shi’ite crisis after receiving reports of investigations by the police and Kaduna State Government.
19.53
“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.”
19.54
“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.”
19.55
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.”
19.56
“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.”
19.57
“If this thing (suicide bombing) continues, Hijab would have to be banned.”
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.”
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.”
20.09
“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.”
20.10
“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.”
20.14
Buhari: Previous government failed to maintain four refineries, pump stations and pipelines, at a time Oil was sold at over a 0.
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.”
20.20
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.
20.23
NOTE
Nigerians are expected to send in their questions via twitter, using the hashtag #askbuhari
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.”
20.33
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.
20.34
Buhari: “Our parastatals would be realigned in view of the lesser number of Ministries we have now.
“We are being economically stretched.”
