Investment: We want to avoid past mistakes
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja and Dorothy Onyeka
President Muhammadu Buhari has assured international and local human rights groups of appropriate response over the report of the judicial inquiry into the clashes between soldiers and members of the Shiite movement led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the president was still studying details of the report before announcing appropriate response in due course.
The Commission of Inquiry set-up by the Kaduna State government to investigate the cause of the clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) and soldiers in Zaria last December, indicted the leader of the group, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.
The report stated that El-Zakzaky refused to order his followers to allow passage to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai and his convoy, when members of the IMN blocked the road at a popular junction in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Shehu stressed that Buhari’s commitment to human rights remains unchanged because “it is a cardinal component of the democratic order.”
He recalled Buhari’s comment during the Presidential Media Chat that he was awaiting the outcome of the report of inquiry into the incident before making appropriate response.
“The present administration believes in due process and the rule of law; therefore, any response to the report would follow this principle.
“The Federal Government will continue to act in the larger interest of the public to prevent such violent incidents,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, President Buhari said his administration was determined to avoid the mistakes of the past of relying on only oil as of revenue.
He said his administration was ready to get investment from all quarters in order to improve the lives of the people.
Buhari said this when he had audience with Executive Members of Association of Africa Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), led by the chairman, Mr Jeff Nemeth.
The president lamented that Nigeria failed to develop on automobile initiatives started in Bauchi, Kaduna and Ibadan, and depended too much on oil as mainstay of her economy.
“We are making efforts to start our steel industry all over again. I see vast opportunities for both the country and those who invest here,” he said.
Nemeth in his remarks, said the Association comprised potential investors who were ready to unlock investment potentials on the African continent.
Lawyers under the aegis of Anambra State Indigenes Lawyers Forum (ASILF) said the current developments in the country has shown that restructuring of Nigeria is no longer a matter of choice but an urgent necessity.
Speaking in an interview, the president of the organisation, Joe Nwokedi said the way the country is presently constituted does not encourage growth and development of the entity called Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria should be restructured to give the components units the room to exhibit their potentials . He also said those saying the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable are telling lies, because at every point in time, Nigerians need to come together to evaluate the cord that ties us together as a country to know how it is faring.
In his contribution ,the Public Relations Officer of the group, Ifeanyi Ilukwe warned that Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb which might explode if nothing urgent is done to restructure it.
According to him, the security challenges in different parts of the country is sending a very clear message that all is not well with the country.
He said that the reason for this is because Nigeria is sitting on a lopsided structure.
The image maker of the group said that the main reason heads of governments are opposing restructuring is because of their obsession for power.
According to him ,there is urgent need for them to slow their pride and allow the country to be restructured ,if not it may collapse.
“We are ready to offer strategic partnership with Nigeria. We want to promote investor-friendly regulatory frameworks and sustainable manufacturing.
“We will equally promote infrastructure development, job creation, and
skills transfer,” he said.
The AAAM chairman sought the support of the Presidency in the realization of the vision and mission of the association.