Integrity not enough to fight corruption, Bakare tells Buhari

The General Overseer of the Latter
Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde
Bakare, on Sunday in Lagos
cautioned the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari, against
appointing persons with
questionable character into his
government.
Some of these people, the cleric
said, were among those who
facilitated Buhari’s success on
March 28.
Bakare, who was the running mate
to Buhari in the 2011 Presidential
election on the platform of the
defunct Congress for Progressive
Change, said this at the 26th
anniversary of his church. He
delivered a message titled,
‘Democracy audit: chances, choices
and consequences.’
The 60 year-old pastor urged Buhari
to start the fight against corruption
from his circle and lay a good
example, saying change cannot be
achieved if these were not done.
He said, “I congratulate Nigerians;
we have chosen a man of integrity
as our President. But integrity is
not enough to run a government.
“May the good Lord surround the
President-elect with men and
women of goodwill, great
intellectual capacity, competence
and character to help restore our
wasted years.
“I pray sincerely that not all those
who facilitated his winning the
election will be among those who
run the government. I did say
before the election that I trust the
person of General Buhari but not all
those around him.
“I mean every word of it because
many of them are nothing but Ali
Baba and 40 thieves. And if these
are the same who would go into
government, you can’t fight evil
with evil. You can as well kiss the
anti-corruption stance of Mr.
President-elect goodbye.”
Bakare prayed for Buhari to have
the needed wisdom and strength,
noting that people were already
submitting applications to him to
serve in the incoming
administration.
“You don’t know how many
applications are in my phone. I am
not the Vice-President; I am not
looking for a job. They said ‘we
know General Buhari listens to you;
if I cannot get Minister of Works,
maybe I will get Minister of
Aviation’.
“The vultures are now going round
and round. If he does not have
quality people around him, then
they will put round pegs in square
holes and within two years, we are
back to square one.”
The cleric saluted INEC chairman,
Attahiru Jega for his leadership and
“comportment in the face of grave
accusation and provocation.”
He also commended President
Goodluck Jonathan for conceding
defeat, noting that he had written
his name in gold.
Meanwhile, a former Chaplain of
Aso Villa during the administration
of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo,
Reverend William Okoye, has called
on Buhari to reduce the cost of
governance by reducing the
number of political offices in the
country

Good message to the president elect.

Yeah.