Graft: I won’t spare my party men, Buhari says…ready to negotiate for Chibok girls release

Buhari, who is on a four-day official visit to the United States, said this yesterday in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
Responding to a question on whether he would crack down on his party members or his associates if they turn out to be guilty of corruption, he said: “I just have to; there isn’t going to be any party member or any personality that can escape justice. It is not the issue of party member. If you have stolen, no party member can escape justice”.
He also expressed his administration’s readiness to negotiate with the Boko Haram terrorist group to secure the release of 217 Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14 last year.

The president said his government would negotiate if it was  convinced that  could help free the abducted girls.
He said the desire of his administration was to free, return them to their school, reunite them with their parents and rehabilitate them.
“If we are convinced that we can have the girls, why not, we can negotiate. Our goal is to have the girls. We will ask them what they want and we can free the girls; return them to their school; unite them with their parents and rehabilitate them, so, they can live a normal life,” he said.
Buhari, however, cautioned that the nation should be careful about the credibility of various Boko Haram terrorist groups.
He said: “We have to be very careful about the credibility of various Boko Haram leaderships coming up and claiming that they can deliver.
“We have to be very careful indeed and we are taking our time because we want to bring them back safe to their parents.
“I cannot be against it (negotiation). I told you our main objective as a government is to secure those girls safe and sound back to their schools and rehabilitate them to go back to normal life.
“So, if we are convinced that the leadership that presented itself can deliver those girls safe and sound, we would be prepared to negotiate what they want.”
Asked if he believed he had brought change to the country, the president stated that though people could hold him by his campaign promises, 12 weeks was too early for people to judge his performance.
He said: “I think I can be held to my promises for the next three and three-quarter years ahead of me. And I think 12 weeks or so are too early for any person to pass judgment on my campaign promises”.
On whether he supported the process of trying an accused African leader in Africa, rather than at the International Criminal Court as in the case of former Chadian leader, Hissene Habre, Buhari responded: “Justice is justice, whether it is done in Africa or elsewhere in the world.
“The important thing is let justice be done. Whatever evidence the constitution has in Senegal, I think they should proceed to make it available to the world and prosecute him according to the international law and human rights.”
Asked if he was disappointed yet again that Obama was not coming to Nigeria, Buhari said: “I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, but how I wish he will change his mind and go to Nigeria.”
The president said he told the US president that he would send a formal invitation to him.