Leading opposition figure and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in the 2011 polls, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) said Monday that former presidents Ibrahim Babangida and Olusegun Obansanjo are the brains behind the destruction of the oil industry.
He also attributed the present state of insecurity bedeviling the nation to insincerity on the part of Nigerian leadership.
The former military Head of State made made the statements while receiving CPC party loyalist who paid him a courtesy visit as part of the Sallah festivities.
Buhari: “The biggest challenge of Nigeria is for adequate security to be in place and ways in which we can protect the riches of this country and provide job opportunities for the youths in the country, so that we can build more industries as it was before.
“Inability of these industries to work has brought mistrust and corruption to Nigeria. Therefore, our leaders have to be sincere and lead with the fear of God and carry all along for Nigeria to be a better place.
“All leaders should stand and keep promises of the people. We cannot move forward, if things that are supposed to be put in place are not done. Like the money which was siphoned in the recent pension scam and the petroleum industry scam must all be brought back into the government’s coffer for good leadership.
“Therefore, all those that want the masses to vote and be voted for should go to the masses and get their mandate. The era of using money to bribe the masses or force to get political office is gone.
“A leader that wants to be a good leader must look at the needs of the people, the suffering and the humiliation and proffer solution to those problems and together we shall achieve greatness.”
He added that the Federal Government, since the administration of Gen Ibrahim Babangida till date was responsible for the “high level of corruption and destruction” in the petroleum industry.
House of Representative member, representing Funtua/Dandume Federal Constituency of Katsina State, Dr. Mansur Abdulkad,in his remarks, said, the purpose of their visit was to wish General Buhari, Happy Eid-l-Fitr celebration and seek his blessing ahead of the forthcoming local government election in Katsina State.
He therefore prayed that, Nigeria be blessed with honest and committed leaders like Buhari to get the nation out of the woods.