Hagher seeks prosecution of presidents for ‘failed’ campaign promises, backs restructuring

Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Canada and a frontline presidential aspirant under the auspices of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expand its mandate to include prosecuting heads of state, who have failed in their campaign promises, starting from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Hagher, founding pro-chancellor of Afe Babalola University (ABU), stated this yesterday while delivering a talk on his manifesto at a meet-the-press occasion in Abuja.

“Presidents with fraudulent manifestoes should be prosecuted by the EFCC. Buhari’s manifesto, for example, is a failed and fraudulent one. Nigerians were hoodwinked by that manifesto. I have respect for the office of the president, but I must challenge the president’s manifesto. The person who wrote the manifesto of Buhari should be in jail,” he said.

Besides, he advised the National Assembly to come up with legislation against bogus promises and failure of political office holders to meet their commitments.According to him, Nigeria is home to two of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world despite the President’s campaign promise to set up special courts, accelerate trials and jail terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals.

The former ambassador, who regretted that Nigeria now is the­ most insecure place to be, said: “We can’t be great with our people being killed everyday. We must ask ourselves serious questions: how does a Nigerian child cross over to the other side of the world and succeeds, but almost always fails in Nigeria?”

He also berated the President for dumping his campaign promise to sponsor a bill to the National Assembly to remove immunity clause for elected officers.He said for Nigeria to be great, the country needed moral power and a moral code engendered through schools and faiths from a conscientious and highly literate leadership.