President Muhammadu Buhari has said his government is not out to witch-hunt or victimise anybody as he goes about recovering stolen public fund.

The President made this known on Thursday morning while delivering his first Independence Day speech.

“As I said in my inaugural speech, I bear no ill will against anyone on past events. Nobody should fear anything from me. We are not after anyone. People should only fear the consequences of their actions,” the President said, calling everyone irrespective of their political affiliations to join him in working for the country.

On the significance of the day, Buhari said it is a day celebrated by all Nigerians no matter the condition they find themselves in because it symbolises the day we began the march to nationhood, having freed ourselves from the British colonial masters.

However, he said despite the many blessings God bequeathed the country, Nigeria has not fulfilled her potential in contrast to countries with far less resources because the most important asset it has failed to utilise is unity.

“Nigeria is the ninth most populated country on the planet. We have in addition arable land; water; forests; oil and gas; coastline; and solid minerals “We have all the attributes of a great nation. We are not there yet because the one commodity we have been unable to exploit to the fullest is unity of purpose. This would have enabled us to achieve not only more orderly political evolution and integration but also continuity and economic progress,” he explained.

Recounting the journey and progress made so far by his administration, the President identified his trips within and outside Africa to meet with leaders on how best to tackle insecurity and the intervention in helping states pay backlog of salaries, a problem he said was capable of degenerating into unrest.

In addition to working on how best to improve the country’s epileptic power situation, the President said the on-going audits of revenue generating agencies like Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, Central Bank of Nigeria, CNN, and Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, are aimed at ensuring that the country’s resources are judiciously used.

Buhari also explained the delay in appointing ministers. He said he set out to do things methodically and properly, adding that part of the problem was the delay in receiving the handover notes from the past administration.

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“We received the handing over notes from the outgoing government only four days before taking over. Consequently, the Joda Transition Committee submitted its Report on the reorganization of Federal Government structure after studying the hand over notes. It would have been haphazard to announce ministers when the government had not finalized the number of ministries to optimally carry the burden of governance,” the President said.

He announced that the first set of names had been sent to the Senate, with more to be forwarded later.

“Impatience is not a virtue. Order is more vital than speed. Careful and deliberate decisions after consultations get far better results. And better results for our country is what the APC government for change is all about,” he added and called on all Nigerians to play their parts in bringing about the change they voted for.

“Change does not just happen. You and I and all of us must appreciate that we all have our part to play if we want to bring change about. We must change our lawless habits, our attitude to public office and public trust. We must change our unruly behaviour in schools, hospitals, market places, motor parks, on the roads, in homes and offices. To bring about change, we must change ourselves by being law-abiding citizens,” the President stated.

Former governor Timipre Sylva on Wednesday won the All Progressive Party Congress, APC, primary to emerge as the party’s candidate for the December 5, gubernatorial election.

He scored 981 votes, beating Godknows Powel who polled 39 and Wallman Agoriba who got 28 votes.

The chairman of the APC election committee, Mansur Alli, a retired Brigadier, who announced the result of the primary, said that a total of 1147 delegates were accredited.

“Out of 1147 accredited delegates for the primary election, Mr Timipre Sylva scored 981 to win other 18 aspirants who participated” Alli stated, adding that “five aspirants scored zero , 1120 valid votes and 27 voided votes in the election.”

An elated Sylva commended the committee on the smooth conduct of the primary and said that he was ready to bring the much desired change to the people of Bayelsa State.

Controversy and confusion had trailed Wednesday’s primary of the APC as some aspirants complained that they did not even know the venue of the election.

The primary originally held last week but the result announced, which also saw Silva emerge as winner, was cancelled by the national body of the party and a new date set for a fresh election.

Some of the aspirants on Wednesday had criticised arrangements for the poll, complaining that they were not informed about the change in venue.

The rescheduled APC primary was originally scheduled for the Sampson Siasia Stadium, Yenagoa, but it was learnt that the party had to change the venue, having failed to secure permission to use the facility from the state government.

The poll was thereafter moved to the party secretariat in the Bayelsa State capital.

Timi Alaibe, the main rival to former Sylva had earlier on Wednesday withdrawn from the race, leaving 17 other aspirants to slug it out with Sylva.

Four aspirants, Tarila Timpa, Tonye Aprella, Dikvie Ikieghe and Austine Ogion, who all claimed that they were not informed of a change in venue arrived while voting had commenced but they still participated in the exercise.

Ikiogha had condemned the decision to change the venue overnight without informing all the aspirants.

“The electoral committee initially informed us that the venues was Samson Siasia Stadium but was not followed, it is very unlawful. I was at the main venue, Samson Siasia Sports complex as early as 8.00 am but none of the electoral committee members were founded,” Ikiogha said.

Aprella said also said that he did not know of the change in venue until the primary commenced at the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa.

“It is very unlawful to change venue without telling us, the aspirants. The electoral committee just change the venue to favour the former governor. Timipre Sylva,” he alleged.

“Are we not supposed to be informed of the venue change to enable us be around even before the accreditation commenced,” he queried, adding that he would personally report the incident to President, Mohammed Buhari “because this is not the change that we are preaching and APC is for change.”

Reacting to the development, chairman of the election committee in charge of the primary, Mansur Alli, a retired Brigadier, said that the decision to change of venue was not to favour any aspirants.

“Well, the original venue was not available today so we used the secretariat in line with the direction from the party national headquarter,” Alli explained.

Nigeria’s foreign reserves have recorded a fall of about 1 billion dollars for the month of September, the Central Bank of Nigeria has revealed.

According to figures released by the CBN on Wednesday, the foreign exchange reserves fell by 3.14 per cent to $30.48 billion by September 23 from $31.47 billion a month ago.

The reserves of Africa’s top oil producer have dropped to 23.03 per cent in the last 12 months.

In August, the CBN data revealed that foreign exchange reserves rose by $350 million to 31.43 billion.

The reserves’ improvement crossed $30 billion in July, rising by 5.6 per cent from 29.03 billion in June to N30.69 billion.