President Muhammadu Buhari has described Boko Haram insurgents as vicious enemies of humanity, saying that African leaders need a united action to defeat them.
“We are facing grave security challenges on account of the evil campaign of indiscriminate violence by terrorists in the Sahel and only united action can help us defeat these vicious enemies of humanity.”
President Buhari, in a sympathy message today, January 3, on the killing of 70 people in Zaroumdareye, a border town between Niger Republic and Mali by Boko Haram fighters,
According to the President, terrorism has now become “like a contagion of evil that can spread anytime if united action is not taken.”
He said that instability in one part of Africa had implications for the security of others, recalling that the destabilisation of Libya in 2011 is producing domino effects on the security of other African countries including Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and others.
“The looting of Libyan armouries in the aftermath of Gaddafi’s fall has put dangerous weapons into the hands of terrorists and other criminals who now pose security challenges to other countries.”
“We are united by common fate and therefore we must act in concert to defeat these evil men who target innocent people.
“Let me use this opportunity to express my deepest sympathy for the government, the people of Niger and the families of the victims.”
A founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, has said that the presidency will not be handed over to the Igbos of the Southeast in 2023 on a platter of gold as they have to work hard to get a chance.
Yakassai who was interacting with journalists at his Kano home today, December 3, a few days after celebrating his 94th birthday, said there is nothing wrong with the clamour for an Igbo President come 2023, but that they must not expect it to be given to them just like that, believing that the North will not speak with one voice on the issue of zoning of the presidency ahead of the 2023 elections.
“My advice to my Igbo brothers and friends is that they should work hard for it because the slot will not be handed over to them just because they clamour for it. It is not done that way.”
Yakassai said that there is no constitutional provision for power shift but that some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) want to have a “gentleman’s agreement that the nation’s highest office should rotate to the southeast after Buhari’s tenure.”
He acknowledged the Southeast has sufficient grounds to seek the highest office, but that hard work, rather than a mere wish, is what will make Igbo presidency a reality.
“The Presidency has never been given to any zone for free. It always comes through voting. I want the South-East to have the opportunity to produce the President because the South-West had it in Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The South-South had in Goodluck Jonathan. The North-West had it in Umaru Yar’Adua and again in Muhammadu Buhari. But the seat or ticket has never been given free of charge. You have to work for it.
“Election is a matter of convincing people and presenting your programmes to them. You tell them how their lives will be better off and all that. In the end, they will settle for the person they believe will impact more on them.”
These days, so many people are saying so many things, indulging mostly in the abuses of others and as official spokespersons we make the deliberate choice of staying out for the most part.
But it is hard to ignore the shameful and disgraceful claims made by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which is making the false claims that Nigerians are dissatisfied with the present and wished for the return to the years of locusts.
At the rate they are going, it is not for fetched to agree with another politician in describing the PDP as a “university of falsehood”, in which the bigger the lies their functionaries can tell, the higher in rank they are promoted to.
It is too soon for their evil records to be washed away or forgotten. They held onto the throne of power for sixteen years fighting for their own happiness, not that of the majority of Nigeria. They turned the country into a nation of scams promoting corruption to an industrial scale, exploiting the country’s oil, mineral and land resources for selfish reasons.
PDP’s lasting legacy will be the catastrophe that was the power expansion program in which USD 16 billion was taken from the treasury without a megawatt of electricity added to the grid system.
The Buhari-led administration is on the other hand fighting for the happiness of the majority of Nigerians, rebuilding a battered economy, putting in place long-delayed infrastructure and managing a novel coronavirus pandemic in a very competent and impressive manner as to earn the commendation of the World Health Organization, WHO.
In those their 16 years, a period in which a barrel of oil sold for as high as USD 140 Dollars, they blew a golden opportunity to grow the economy to soaring heights. They could have used the enormous earrings to increase power generation, modernise the rail and fix roads and bridges as the present administration is currently struggling, with lesser incomes to do. About 800 road projects are currently ongoing in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The malaise of the PDP administration is manifested in the collapse of local food production, replaced by a daily average spending of USD 5 million in rice importation. Today, not a kobo from the central Bank of Nigeria is used to fund the importation of food. In effect, we eat what we grow. PDP broke the economy by killing industrialization. In those 16 years, textile industry, the largest employer was killed. Thirty eight major textile companies closed down business in Nigeria between 1999 and 2009. They killed the nation’s manufacturing competitiveness. The nation’s budding industry virtually fled to neighbouring countries – Ghana, Cote D’Ivore and far away Kenya were all transforming into manufacturing hubs at our expense. In 2006, two of Nigeria’s leading tyre manufacturers, Michelin and Dunlop, relocated their factories to Ghana citing epileptic energy supply in Nigeria as the chief reason.
Over those 16 years, PDP told stunning tales of economic growth and peddled rates as high as the windmill without industrial growth, without agricultural growth, without investment and without jobs for the teeming youths.
In sum total, they gave the nation a lost half-generation.
In terms of ease of doing business we have, as of today, gained 39 places up the ladder in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index from where we were 2015 and in two of these years, we were adjudged as being in the top ten of the reforming economies of the world. The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) in 2017 completed a long-overdue revision of the list of activities that can benefit from Nigeria’s Pioneer Status Incentive, which grants beneficiary companies a 3 to 5-year tax holiday. The revision, done more than 10 ten years after the last one, has modernized the List, expanding the tax holiday incentives to qualifying companies in E-commerce, Software Development, Animation, Music, Film and TV.
The main reason for the defeat of the PDP in 2015 was corruption. The present administration at the center led by President Muhammadu Buhari has so far presented a corrupt-free image of itself. It has succeeded in abolishing grand corruption at the top. Today, you are sure that no one will call the Governor of Central and ask him to bring hard cash- Naira, Pounds, Dollars, Euro or Renminbi.
This is attested to by world leaders including the outgoing American President, Donald Trump who commended President Buhari for “significantly bringing down the level of corruption in the country.”
Today, we have given the world its best performing stock market. Covid economy notwithstanding, Nigeria stands as the number one country in Africa in the International Monetary Fund, IMF 2020 Economic Outlook’s rating of countries. Using countries’ GDPs, the IMF lists Nigeria among the world’s first 26 countries.
There are many today who take for granted the declared victory over the Boko Haram terrorists, forgetting the reign of the bomber who made it almost impossible for regular attendance in markets, Churches and Mosques in many of our cities, including the Federal Capital City, Abuja.
With increased procurement of military aircraft, weapons, equipment and ammunitions, the remaining task of ridding Borno State of Boko Haram is well on course.
Military procurements and increasing recruitment will ensure the the momentum of ridding the Northwestern and North Central States are equally rid of kidnapping, cattle rustling and banditry.
Yet, the so-called Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says many Nigerians who are already fed up with the “ Misrule“ of President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and are-hold your breath- yearning for its (PDP) return to power in 2023.
Don’t believe their toxic statements.
Garba Shehu, senior special assistant on media and publicity to the President, wrote in from Abuja.
A police officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Francis Osagie Erhabor who is acclaimed to have never taken a bribe since over 30 years in active service, has resigned from the profession.
Erhabor, who had once rejecting N864 million bribe, resigned as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘D’ division, Itam, in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state.
He was named ‘Police officer of the year’ after coming tops in the nationwide online voting on December 10, 2020, at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, in Abuja, during the 2020 IgbereTV Leadership Excellence Awards.
The police officer, who spoke to news men, said that he felt cheated by the system, having been denied promotion more than thrice despite all his efforts and sacrifices for the police force and the country.
“I joined this noble profession as a cadet inspector on the 2nd of April, 1990. I was 17 years plus at the time. I was told by cerebral and seasoned Police officers like AIG Albasu, AIG Akagbosun, AIG Iyamabo, and DIG Ugowe all retired, that the force needed folks like me. Youths who were patriotic and passionate.
“I loved and believed in this project called Nigeria, and the profession, the Nigeria Police was a great platform to serve my fatherland. I sincerely believed in this job, loved this job and sacrificed so much for this job.
“Looking back, all I see is “nobody cares.” I was cheated out of promotion not once, twice or thrice. Served over thirty years meritoriously and stainless by God’s grace, and not honoured by the system, instead have only enjoyed promotion only 5 times. I thank God for His grace, that insulated me for the past 30yrs.”
On how he rejected N864 million bribe, CSP Erhabor said: “As a pipeline Commander in Edo state, I turned down N6.5m weekly; N24m monthly; N288m yearly, and a whooping sum of N864 for the 3years I served as a commander.”
Asked if he regretted his actions, he said: “I have no regrets for doing this. If given the test again, I will repeat same feat, without thinking twice, even though some of my colleagues term me a fool.
“I even volunteered as an instructor, to train Police Mobile Personnel at Limakara, Gwoza, Borno State for over 3 years. Discharged my duty as an instructor, in the most harshest and difficult condition, without any commendation reward, or promotion, and today only for just working within the corridors of power; or being able to grease some palms or, as claimed, being attacked because of #EndSARS, Juniors will just be promoted above their superiors just like that.”
He said that he felt hurt seeing his junior police officers promoted over him, insisting nothing had been done by the Force despite the formal complaints where he asked for the ratification of his promotion.
“I have witnessed my juniors get promoted over me over and over again, and it hurts deeply. I filed a complaint, asked for ratification of my promotion date, and was even investigated, with the outcome verified in my favour, yet nothing has been done to remedy the situation.”
‘I have wasted 30 years serving my fatherland’
CSP Francis Erhabor said that he felt that he has wasted 30 years of his precious time serving his ‘fatherland’, in a police profession he once believed to be a “noble” one.
According to Erhabor, instead, the system rewards mediocrity, nepotism, and all other ignoble acts and care less about those who tread on the path of dignity and honour.
“This profession I once called a noble one, doesn’t care about those of us who tread the path of honour and dignity. I once had a dream about the the Nigeria Police Force, becoming the people’s force; the country’s pride. So sad, I no longer believe in the system as a noble one, but one were mediocrity, nepotism, and all other ignoble acts are given higher preference.
“I am sorry I let all my fans down. I am deeply sorry for not finishing where you all expected me to finish. Thanks for your strong and relentless faith in me. I remain forever grateful to you all.”
The Managing Director of the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Adam Nuru, is currently enmeshed in a marriage scandal with one of the bank’s female staff members, resulting in allegedly two children.
This was even as the bank has confirmed that it is investigating the matter, even as the real husband of the female staff in question, Tunde Thomas, had died on December 16 as a result of depression and cardiac arrest after he realised that Nuru allegedly fathered their two children and not him.
In a statement, the FCMB Group Head, Corporate Affairs, Diran Olojo, said that the bank is aware of the allegations making the rounds against its MD, adding that the bank’s board of directors had started reviewing the matter, and that its findings would be disclosed in due course.
“We are aware of several stories circulating across several media platforms about our bank’s Managing Director, Adam Nuru, a former employee, Ms Moyo Thomas, and her deceased ex-husband, Mr Tunde Thomas,” the statement read.
“While this is a personal matter, the tragedy of the death of Mr Tunde Thomas and the allegations of unethical conduct require the bank’s board to conduct a review of what transpired, any violations of our code of ethics and the adequacy of these code of conduct ethics. This will be done immediately.
“We enjoin all our stakeholders to bear with us as we conduct this review and to please respect the various families involved.
“Our Board of Directors are reviewing all aspects of this report and once they are done with their review, we will revert to you.”
Earlier, concerned Nigerians have raised a petition demanding that Nuru must be sacked and prosecuted.
According to the petition, the woman in question – Moyo – allegedly informed her husband that she was leaving Nigeria for the United States with the kids, only to call him upon arrival that the children did not belong to him.
The petition claimed the news initially caused Thomas to have a stroke but he later recovered and thereafter met another lady whom he planned to marry.
However, the husband was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest after returning from work about two days before a ceremony where his relations would officially be introduced to the family of his already pregnant girlfriend.
No fewer than 1,400 petitioners as of Saturday afternoon had signed a petition calling for the sacking of the FCMB MD over the marriage scandal.
The petitioners had called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sack Nuru, while demanding a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“This is a case of gross misconduct based on ethical grounds and an unjustifiable economic oppression by the elite (Adam Nuru) against the underprivileged in the society,” the petition, which has already garnered over 1,400 signatures, reads.
“The MD has been doing everything possible to sweep this case under the carpet. We implore the Central Bank of Nigeria, as the apex regulator, and the board of FCMB to investigate this for the integrity of the bank and Nigerian banking industry.”
Former Nigeria Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has asked Nigerians to work as one people, under one God with one country to call home.
In his New Year message to Nigerians today, December 1, Atiku said: “as Nigerians, we are all aware of the challenges that bedevil the country. We need not begin to enumerate them. But what we must not let happen is allowing our weakness to wall our strength. Our diversity offers a rare opportunity of plural perspectives to finding a solution to our problems. If we fail to take that advantage, we would be weaker while the problems keep growing bigger and the blame will be on us.
“As we embrace this New Year with brighter hopes of restoration, let us do so with even a stronger commitment to unity, cooperation and mutual love. Let us work as one people, under one God with one country to call home.
The former Vice President, who expressed optimism that life would soon return to normal with the discovery of “a handful of certified vaccines against the dreaded Covid-19 virus,” said: “as a country, we have taken our share of the blow that Covid-19 dealt to the globe. And worst still, we suffered a multi-facet downcast on account of lazy and uninspiring leadership from the government at the center – most especially.
“But just as I often do, I pray that God should heal the hearts of families who have lost loved ones to the disease, as well as those who died on account of insecurity and ringing poverty occasioned by a poor management of our national economy.
“The damage that the pandemic had done to our lives remains, and it would take some time for us to overcome. However, bad as the virus was, the fundamental lesson that the scourge reinforces is our bond as one species of homo sapiens, in which an attack on one is an attack on all.
“Moving forward, we would require the same kind of cooperation that it takes to develop an antidote to Covid-19, to come up with solutions to many of the other ills that confront our world. Perhaps, that is the lesson to be taken from the pandemic, and it should be our pathway into the New Year.
“Just like it was with the deadly virus, we are exposed to a common threat of terrorism, kidnapping and sundry criminalities; threat of economic meltdown, unemployment and poverty; and, even our solution to the problem of climate change must be within the focus of conserving the planet we call home. We cannot wholly defeat any of these threats if we refuse to cooperate and work together irrespective of our intangible differences.
“I wish every Nigerian a prosperous Year 2021 and I do pray that every family shall find renewal in the New Year.”
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has kick-started the TEF Entrepreneurship programme for 2021, aimed at empowering women and men across the African continent.
The Chief Executive Officer of TEF, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, who announced this today, January 1 in an Online news briefing with Journalists across Africa, said: ” I want to welcome all of you as we unveiled the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme for 2021, the opening of the application portal which happened 12 midnight, January 1.
“As you all know, the TEF was founded in 2010, and in 2015, our founder, Mr Tony Elumelu, launched a 100 million dollars commitment to identify, train, mentor and fund 10,000 African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries, over 10 years.
“So, 2021 marks the seventh edition of the TEF entrepreneurship programme.”
She said that the opening of the portal on January 1 marked a new beginning, a renaissance, a beginning of recovery and a beginning of Africa taking its space in the global space as a strong thriving economy, led by SMEs who are the largest generators of job creators on the African continent.
She said that the 2021 application would be different from what was done in the previous years.
“Previously when you apply for the TEF entrepreneurship programme, once you apply, you put in your business plan within the application and those selected will be trained and funded.
“But, this year, just as we did last year, we want to train a lot more than we would fund, primarily because the feedback we have got from our entrepreneurs is that trainings been critical to the success of their businesses,”she added.
Ugochukwu disclosed that the foundation had trained, mentored and funded over 9,000 African entrpreneur till date.
She expressed excitement that the Price Waterhouse and Coopers, in conjunction with TEF had completed an impact assessment report which according to her, would be released in the Q1, to mark its 10th year anniversary.
She said that the foundation had partnered with the European Union to fund and train additional 2,400 women on a TEF Entrepreneurship program for 2021.
According to her, this is in addition to many other partnerships that the foundation have been running through the years.
Former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerians to re-evaluate their priorities and commit themselves to new norms, cultures and traditions
Jonathan, in his New Year message, also called on Nigerians to maintain the hope and strive for greater honour and glory despite the challenges posed by coronavirus pandemic and insecurity.
He stressed that Nigerians cannot afford to fail in 2021 and that they should not ignore the gaps of 2020.
“Last year was a challenging year, characterized by tales of misfortunes, deaths and illnesses. It was a tough moment for many homes and families owing to the unfortunate #COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic plagued our world with many consequences, causing hardship and other forms of insecurity.
“2020 was a year of many challenges and struggles both as individuals and as a nation. From #COVID-19 to #EndSARS protests, we witnessed disruptions in our cultures, economy, livelihoods and life itself.
“Going forward, we should retool our disposition to imbibe new ways and embrace new traditions.”
He commended Nigerians for their patriotism amid the challenges they faced in 2020, saying: “I commend all Nigerians for their patriotism and courage amidst daunting challenges. I salute the sacrifices of all those in the frontline working tirelessly to ensure our safety and those who have remained committed to protecting our lives and defending our unity.”
The police have arrested the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore over an organized protest he led in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Sowore had yesterday, December 31, via Twitter, asked Nigerians to hold a crossover protest by picking up a candle and a placard showing their grievances against the Buhari administration.
The publisher and others were arrested today, New Year eve while on a #CrossoverWithProtest march.
Some of the protesters who escaped arrest said that Sowore was whisked away in one of the seven vans of the Nigerian police mobilised to the protest ground at Gudu junction in Abuja.
SaharaReporters said that Sowore who was a presidential candidate in the 2019 election, was taken to Abattoir police station in Logokoma, Abuja where he is being detained alongside others.
Sowore has clashed severally with the Buhari administration. He is facing treason charges for leading the #RevolutionNow movement.
“I am aware that for some of our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish. I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.”
These were the words of President Muhammadu Buhari, in his New Year, 2021 broadcast to the nation today, January 1.
The President however, drew the attention of such critics to the circumstances of his coming to office, the facts on the ground and the resources at the disposal of his government since 2015, compare to the subsequent accomplishments of the government.
He acknowledged that as a people, Nigerians have generally shown admirable resilience in the face of every adversity, an unmatched capacity to recover speedily from every setback, an unparalleled generosity of spirit when they resolve their differences, and a constant readiness to invest faith and hope in the destiny they share as a united country built on the diversity of its peoples.
“It is these attributes that underpin the Nigerian spirit of “can do, will do” that gives me hope that we shall yet get to destination and fulfill our calling together, especially with the solid resolutions we are setting in this new year.
“Keeping our country on a forward march is a duty which we all have and share. In this regard, keeping our country safe from a resurgent cycle of COVID-19 as this administration finalizes its plans to procure and efficiently and effectively distribute the COVID-19 vaccines, I urge you all fellow citizens to observe strict COVID-19 prevention protocols.
“As your elected President, my pledge to you is the same as it has always been; I will play my part fully and without fear or favour. I invite all of us to do the same. It is what we owe to the founding generation of our beloved country and also to the coming generation. It is what we desire for national prosperity for all demands.”
Read the full text of the Presidential broadcast:
My fellow countrymen and women,
First, I would like to thank and praise the Almighty who saw us through the year 2020 and has given us the opportunity to witness the start of another new year. We especially thank God because the year 2020 was one of the most trying years since our existence as a Nation.
This can also be said about all other nations around the world, due to the challenges posed on our collective humanity by the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
While acknowledging that 2020 was a very tough year, we saw this year put to test our national resilience and ability to survive these tough times and also gave renewed hope that we will again brave any storms that lay ahead in 2021 and beyond.
As we celebrate the opportunity before us in this New Year 2021, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this New Year. May their souls rest in perfect peace.
We must remember that we also celebrated the historic occasion of our sixty years as an independent and sovereign country on October 1st 2020. In the spirit of hope and gratitude, I would like to remind us again that as a country on the difficult journey to nationhood and greatness, we have confounded the many pundits at home and around the world who never gave the newly-born country that emerged unto the world stage on 1st October 1960 a chance of surviving much longer than a few years.
Yet, here we are, 61 years by the next anniversary in October, and not only are we here, we are standing tall in the comity of nations as one country united under the will of God and also actively growing that indivisible Nigerian spirit that has enabled us, year after year, decade after decade, to weather all stormy waters and emerge stronger and better where others have fallen and disintegrated. This nation, this Nigeria will survive and thrive.
In this journey to nationhood, we have experienced the highs and lows. 2020 indeed came with a lot of challenges ranging from security and economic issues across the regions to understandable protests that were mainly led by our youths and served notice to the demand for police reforms and accountability. This government heard, this government listened and this government is committed to fulfilling the five demands of our youths, fully understanding that we all wish well for Nigeria.
In the midst of all these challenges, I had initially pledged that as your elected President and Commander-in-Chief, I would ensure that these ongoing challenges will be faced head-on with renewed determination and with all the appropriateness and urgency required. Your voices have been heard and we would continue to listen to you, and all the key stakeholders who are committed to the unity of Nigeria to ensure that every region of this nation is safe for us all, while guaranteeing that the future is also secure for the coming generation.
I wish to also use this occasion of New Year to reaffirm my commitment to the people of Nigeria, especially the youth who need our collective encouragement and support. In securing this nation we need to secure the future of our youth.
Our young people are our most valuable natural resource, at home and abroad. Their ingenuity, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit is evident to all. Many of our young people are excelling in various spheres of life including sports, entertainment, information and communication technology, commerce and are globally recognized as achievers.
As a Government we are committed to actively engaging with the creative energies of our young people. In this regard, we will partner with the legislature to develop an enabling environment to turn their passions into ideas that can be supported, groomed and scaled across regions. This will create vast opportunities in fintech, agriculture, business process startups and in the entertainment industry.
The year 2021 will indeed be a year where we will work to reinforce the hopes of fellow Nigerians in the vision of a united and progressive Nigeria. This administration would continue focusing on delivering key strategic priorities under our “SEA” – (Security, Economy and Anti-Corruption) Agenda. Some of the key priority areas we would direct our attention and strengths to include:
ON THE SECURITY:
Re-energizing and reorganizing the security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and the police with a view to enhance their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war against our communities in some parts of the country.
In line with the current security challenges, we are facing as a Nation, I would like to reiterate the promise I made recently when over 300 of our boys abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara were successfully rescued by our security operatives.
The professionalism shown by our Security Forces and the collaboration from all stakeholders across both State and Federal Governments that led to the successful rescue of the boys is proof that Nigeria has the internal capacity to decisively deal with terror attacks on our citizens.
However, we recognize that we rapidly have to move to a more proactive and preemptive posture to ensure that these sorts of traumatic incidents do not become a norm. Our administration is fully aware of the responsibility we have to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, and we will not relent in learning and adapting to changing threats to our national security and civic wellbeing.
ON THE ECONOMY:
Our focus is on revamping the economy through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the primary goal of national food self-sufficiency. This has helped reduce the growing food related inflationary figures and have in considerable measure positively impacted our food security status during the long months of the pandemic lock down.
We are also currently rebuilding our national infrastructure base and, in the process, introducing transformation through the rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the railway system, national roads and bridges both in rural and urban centres, alongside the airports and seaports.
The reforms we have put in place in the power sector would guarantee increased efficiency in our drive to significantly expand the generation and distribution of electricity for use in homes and factories.
As an administration we are currently undertaking a series of special interventions designed to boost job creation and support the entrepreneurial drive of our youths.
With the recent opening of our borders, we expect that the pent-up demand of legitimate cross-border and international trade will boost the fortunes of the many small businesses and agricultural enterprises that depend on Nigeria’s trade and commerce.
The message to our West African neighbours is that Nigeria is once again fully open for those willing to conduct business in a fair and equitable way.
ANTI-CORRUPTION:
On the anti-corruption drive of our administration, we have recorded substantial gains so far and this year, we are committed to continuing along the path of eradicating corruption, through collaboration with all the arms of Government to effectively prosecute this fight.
While we would be working with the Legislature to enact laws that would strengthen this fight, we would also be looking at reviewing some of our laws which would ensure that this fight is more effective. On the part of the executive, we would ensure the diligent and timely prosecution of corruption cases, while appealing to the judiciary to ensure that corruption cases are dispensed with expeditiously.
The persistence of various forms of violence has meant that in the most affected parts of the country, the fabric of inter-communal harmony woven through years of investment of effort at building trust, mutual respect, and harmony has been threatened.
Insecurity as a challenge has direct repercussions on our national economic stability, growth, and development, setting us back at critical points through the destruction of public and private investments.
In parts of the country where chronic poverty, social exclusion, and disillusionment among sections of the youth were already a problem, the cycles of violence that have been unleashed by mindless groups like Boko Haram and others have thwarted the efforts of government to undertake the social policy and associated investments that could make a huge difference in the quality of life of our citizens.
I am aware that for some of our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish. I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.
Nevertheless, I call upon all Nigerians to carefully recall the circumstances of our coming to office, the facts on the ground and the resources at our disposal since 2015 with the accomplishments of this administration.
As a people, we have shown admirable resilience in the face of every adversity, an unmatched capacity to recover speedily from every setback, an unparalleled generosity of spirit when we resolve our differences, and a constant readiness to invest faith and hope in the destiny we share as a united country built on the diversity of its peoples.
It is these attributes that underpin the Nigerian spirit of “can do, will do” that gives me hope that we shall yet get to destination and fulfill our calling together, especially with the solid resolutions we are setting in this new year.
Keeping our country on a forward march is a duty which we all have and share. In this regard, keeping our country safe from a resurgent cycle of COVID-19 as this administration finalizes its plans to procure and efficiently and effectively distribute the COVID-19 vaccines, I urge you all fellow citizens to observe strict COVID-19 prevention protocols.
As your elected President, my pledge to you is the same as it has always been; I will play my part fully and without fear or favour. I invite all of us to do the same. It is what we owe to the founding generation of our beloved country and also to the coming generation. It is what we desire for national prosperity for all demands.
Long Live the Nigerian spirit of oneness, togetherness, and unity. Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I wish you a Happy and prosperous New Year.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Nigerians Will Not Welcome PDP, The University Of Lies In 2023