President Buhari receives in audience Leadership of Christian faith in State House on 16th Nov 2018President Muhammadu Buhari has enlisted the support of religious leaders and other stakeholders in the Nigerian project to wake up to the responsibility of providing relevant information for the arrest of miscreants in the society.
President Buhari, who played host to the President and members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, Friday, said that all those who constitute security risk and threatening the peace of various communities live among the people.
He appealed to leaders of thought in various communities, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, opinion leaders, to avail security agencies of information about the criminals.
He said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has already given him an assurance that the 2019 elections will be free and fair, adding that as a victim of fraudulent elections and beneficiary of free and fair election in the past, he would stop at nothing to ensure that 2019 election is free, fair and just.
“When I decided to put on this Agbada to see what the people are seeing in it, I tried three times, 2003, 2007 and 2011, but the fourth time, in 2015, I succeeded. We thank God and technology in the form of permanent voters card and card reader, because what they used to do was to look at constituencies, award the votes and then they will say whoever didn’t agree should go to court. When people are looking for what to eat, where do they have the money to go to court to pay the SANs?”
On farmers and herders clashes, President Buhari said that government is working towards finding a lasting solution to it.
On the issue of fighting corruption, the President said that it takes longer time before the effect is felt, especially with the need to adhere to the rule of law.
“It is on record that some cases initiated by the anti-graft bodies since 2003 are yet to be concluded. We will, however, not be discouraged. Where monies have been recovered, such monies will not find their way back to the looters as I have directed EFCC to account for every money it has recovered and put them in a dedicated account,” President Buhari said.
The CAN delegation had lauded the President for his efforts in fighting corruption, the initiatives to stem the tide of unemployment, the various efforts aimed at revamping the economy, the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and the implementation of the Bank Verification Number and the Treasury Single Account.
They, however, called on the President to ensure that the security agencies are non-partisan as we head to 2019 elections; restore peace to troubled spots in Northern parts of the country especially in the Garshish District of Plateau State, and institute a judicial panel of enquiry to look into the killings in the North Central particularly the murder of Major General Idris Alkali (rtd) and the Royal Highness of the Adara Kingdom in Kaduna, Dr. Maiwada Raphael Galadima.
They also called on the President to; ensure that Nigeria does not go back into recession; urgently resolve the issue of minimum wage and to task the security agencies to ensure the release of Miss Leah Sharibu and other Chibok girls still in captivity.
The CAN visitors to President Buhari were led by its President, Reverend (Dr.) Samson Ayokunle.
