Romanus Ugwu and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A female presidential aspirant on the platform of Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), Dr. Elishama Rosemary Ideh, has promised that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies would not be used against her opponents if she emerges President in 2019.
Ideh stated this yesterday in Abuja while declaring her intention to contest the 2019 presidential poll, noting that she is confident that she would defeat incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and other presidential candidates at the election.
The presidential hopeful, who said that what the country needs at the moment is a new model of governance, stated that she was prepared for the task ahead if voted as President in next year’s general election.
Ideh added that she has articulated workable solutions to address the myriad of problems confronting the country.
“We will confront the monster of corruption with utmost vigour, but with a different mindset from past and current efforts. We will fight corruption in all its tangible and intangible manifestations. We will strive to enhance the Independence and autonomy of the EFCC in terms of its funding, privileges, powers and even the composition of its leadership,” she said.
“Unlike our opposition, who seek to use the EFCC as an attack dog to fight their opposition while shielding their friends from the consequences of corruption and other misdemeanors, we are confident in giving the EFCC the latitude it needs to carry out its statutory mandate and to prosecute cases without bias or prejudice, simply because we have nothing to hide.”
She further stated that Nigeria needs “a leader who combines integrity with intelligence and a deep and vast understanding of the implications of the 21st global economy and Nigeria’s place in it.”
The presidential aspirant further stated that:
“I am a firm believer of the values, vision and mission of this great party, and I’m committed to the actualization of its ideology and its innovative roadmap for the regeneration of Nigeria and the creation of the material and social wealth that will secure the present welfare and future security of Nigetians living today and generations yet unborn.”
“My administration is determined, from the very first day of our assumption of office, to work towards reducing the cost and simplifying the processes and procedures of doing business anywhere in Nigeria, so that local and foreign investors to thrive.
“We will work together to ensure fair remuneration in terms of wages, welfare packages and retirement benefits within the limits of our means. Periodic wage increase will be carried out, not on sentiment, emotional or even humanitarian ground, but always according to our production capacity and corresponding revenues,” she promised.
