The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday appraised the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that his administration has achieved a lot within the last 30 days of being sworn in as the President, Federal republic of Nigeria.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, he listed tackling insecurity and fight against terrorism and corruption; moves to recover looted funds and bringing Nigeria back to the comity of respected nations as feats achieved in the last 30 days.
“It’s been about one month now since President Buhari assumed office and I can tell you that there has been motion, and there has been movement, contrary to what is being peddled in some quarters.
“Justifiably, the expectations are high and urgent, and the Buhari administration has started addressing them, despite the enormous challenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that has virtually collapsed”. he said
He lamented that the Buhari administration got the handover notes from the former government just four days before the inauguration, hampering its efforts to have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground before taking the necessary measures to address it.
“Any government that is truly desirous of bringing about real change will not act hastily and without the necessary understanding of what is on ground. Coupled with the delay in getting the much-needed information, that takes time”, Muhammed explained
According to him, “Tackling insecurity and fight against terrorism is one area in which the Buhari Administration has hit the ground running. The President had hardly been sworn into office than he embarked on a shuttle diplomacy to rally Nigeria’s neighbours to act as a common front against the terror group Boko Haram. The President travelled to Chad and Niger, and then hosted a summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission that comprised Cameroon, Chad and Niger, with Benin also invited”.
“The result is the decision to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), with headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad, on July 30th to pep up the fight against Boko Haram! This is the same force that the past administration could not get off the ground in six years! That’s what we meant when we said what the Jonathan Administration could not do in six years, the Buhari Administration has done in three weeks, not minding that some mischievous elements decided to quote us out of context”.
“President Buhari has also rallied the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency. A joint summit of leaders of both economic blocs is to be held shortly to concretise these efforts that will complement the one by Nigeria and its neighbors”.
On the fight against corruption, Mohammed said that, “The fight against corruption ranks very high on the list of the Buhari Administration’s priorities, and justifiably so. The refrain, ‘If Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,’ is now commonplace and it is a truism. Nothing, not even the fight against terror, can succeed without putting an end to the kind of prodigious and sickening corruption being witnessed in these climes”.
“That is why the President also included it on the wish list he took to Germany during the last G7 summit. Thankfully, some Western nations have now assured the Buhari Administration of all possible assistance in its efforts to recover the billions of Naira that was spirited away from the public till by public officers who abused their office during the immediate past administration”.
“Only yesterday, it was revealed that the President has ordered revenue-generating agencies, including the NNPC, FIRS, Customs and NPA, to close all Illegal Revenue Accounts and to also remit all funds generated to the Federation Account. This is a momentous step considering that those illegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds”.
He also said, “Since President Buhari’s election on March 28th, 2015, Nigeria has been moving fast to regain its deserved place in the comity of respected nations. Leaders who once shunned Nigeria have been inviting, in droves, President Buhari to visit their countries. The latest is US President Barack Obama, who will play host to our President at the White House on July 20th”.
“There is no better indication of how much Nigeria is regaining its lost glory than the recent election of former Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Recall that Nigeria has never before led the continental bank, despite its front-line role there. In backing and campaigning for Dr. Adesina, President Buhari put his acclaimed sterling qualities to a global test, and he passed in flying colours. Adesina’s election is a testimony to the perception of Nigeria under President Buhari’s leadership”.
The ruling party called on Nigerians to be patient with the party, “Nigerians are right and justified in their expectations. All we ask for is a little more patience, a little more understanding and continuous support for the Buhari Administration”
Leave a Reply