Why I will appoint my ministers September – Buhari

The president stated this in an article published on Washington Post before his meeting with US President, Barrack Obama.

“When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office” President Buhari said.

Justifying his actions, the president noted that his decision to keep the appointments till September is similar to the decision taken by President Obama when he assumed office.
He said,

It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim.

“In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.

“So the path we must take is simple, even if it is not easy: First, instil rules and good governance; second, install officials who are experienced and capable of managing state agencies and ministries; https://helmii.com/collections/beds and third, seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens”, he noted.

The article further read,

“I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko Haram.”

“Already, there are voices saying these changes are taking too long — even though only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such calls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed”.

Speaking on the newly appointed service chiefs, the President said,

“Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of their familiarity with those in government, as was too often the case in the past, but on their track records and qualifications alone.

“These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern Nigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated. This shift of resources and command directly to the front line, in addition to the replacement of the head of the State Security Service, Nigeria’s intelligence organization, and a new emphasis on working in partnership with our neighbours, have equipped us to take the fight directly to Boko Haram.”

The president noted that the country was beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram’s capabilities as a fighting force. He urged Nigerians to be patient and understanding stating that he is certain that normalcy would be restored.

He said,

“While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and the world for resolve and fortitude. The campaign we will wage will not be easy; it may not be swift.

“We should expect stages of success and also moments when it may appear that our advances have been checked. But no one should have any doubt as to the strength of our collective will or my commitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy to all affected areas.”