Dele Momodu, Anyaoku Visit Buhari At Aso Villa, Counsel Him On Corruption

 

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday had separate meetings with former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Mr. Dele Momodu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

 

They said at separate interviews with State House correspondents that they had frank discussions on several national issues with the president at the meeting.

 

Anyaoku said his discussion with Buhari centred on “international affairs, including, in particular, his (Buhari’s) forthcoming visit to the United States on the invitation of President Obama.”

 

The former Commonwealth scribe who said he put his long experience on issues of governance at the disposal of President Buhari, also disclosed that they touched on some national issues that he would not mention in the public.

 

“We also touched on some national issues because of the strong link between foreign policy and domestic issues.

 

“I put at his disposal the benefits of my long experience on governance matters with Heads of Governments of 54-member countries of the Commonwealth and also other issues related to internal affairs,” he submitted

 

He added that he could tell from their discussion that Buhari was determined to effect a real change in the circumstances of the country as well as bring to bear on his administration, the generally perceived attributes of his character.

 

Anayaoku said he believed that President Buhari was ready and willing to fight corruption because before he became president, he was known as somebody who had very strong passion for anti-corruption, noting that “I believe that he is determined to fight and he would go a long way in doing so.”

 

On his part, Momodu said issues of security, affirmative action and anti-corruption crusade of the current administration dominated his discussion with Buhari.

 

Momodu who said he was invited to the Presidential Villa due to a memo he wrote to Buhari described the President as a likable and humorous person who is given to reading.

 

“We discussed different issues affecting our country and I gave him my own idea as a publisher, journalist, a columnist and the way forward for Nigeria.

 

“He laughed a lot about some of the things I said, I will share one of them with you. I said women must be involved in the governance of Nigeria and he looked at me.

 

“I said Sir, women cannot marry two husbands but a man can have four wives and 10 concubines, he almost choked ‎he laughed so much.

 

“I said so when you talk about corruption the needs of women are not as big as that of men and he said that is a very interesting theory.

 

“We spoke about security and the efforts he is making, we spoke about anti-corruption‎ crusade and I must say today he reassured me that not only does he know what he is doing, he is determined to make Nigeria work.

 

“And I know he reads voraciously and that was one of the reasons he was able to invite me because I wrote what I called a desperate memo to President Buhari.”

 

“Of course people slanted it some people said maybe we are no longer supporting him and all that.

 

“If you like someone you must be able to tell him the truth at all times, and what I have realized in so many years of interacting with people in government is that once you get to power, people stops telling you the truth, they tell you only what they think he wants to hear.

 

“And I’m happy he said we should argue with him, tell him the truth if things are going wrong ‎and we should not be afraid of telling the truth.

 

“And for a man who has been maligned for so many years that he doesn’t like the press, it is a welcome development that he is able to reach out to members of the Fourth Estate,” said the publisher and columnist.